Parent and Toddler Group

Exeter Steiner School offers parents and young children, up to the age of three years, the opportunity to join one of our sessions, providing a peaceful, homely, and loving environment. Mums and dads can share their experiences of what it means to be a parent in a world which is increasingly becoming more pressured and demanding on the human being. At the same time, we offer a setting and simple activities designed to nurture the young child and complement what is going on at home. Parents also have the opportunity to develop and share skills in various craft activities, perhaps making a simple doll for their child or learning to create a beautiful nature table at home.

Each morning we follow a simple rhythm, which enables the child to feel secure and confident, and this rhythm is carried on throughout the year.

We begin the morning by coming to the table and making bread, which we eat and share later in the session. The older children have great fun forming the dough into various creatures! When the bread is cleared away, the children can explore and play with the toys and begin to develop their imagination with the ‘natural' objects provided for them - knitted animals,cloth dolls, playhouse, etc. Parents, if they wish, have a chance to become creative with the various materials we provide at the school. When the bread is cooked we all share the responsibility of tidying up the room, and then come together for ‘circle time'. Parents and children sit together in a circle on the floor and join in a selection of seasonal songs and verses. This helps to place the child in the cycle of the natural year. We finish the morning by sharing our bread and drinks, and a ‘goodbye' song before we part.

The parent and toddler sessions aim to provide nourishment for the parent and the child. We follow the indications of Rudolf Steiner, his ideas on early years education, and these mornings are a very real opportunity for families to consider and share these ideas and become part of an expanding and lively community.

Last but not least…

We are registered to accept the state Nursery Grant for children from the age of three to four (Sharon Fendick is the lady to speak to about precise dates etc.)

The monitoring of sessions attended is strict. This is why we must insist on a half terms notice of change in days.

This also means that any absences should be for sickness only , a phone call on the day followed by a note signed by you on return is required. The attendance register is a legal document that must be accurately kept and made available to the authorities on request. If a child in receipt of vouchers has, too much time off the school must repay the whole of the terms grant and the child's parents are then responsible for the fees left owing to the school for the sessions missed.

Once your child no longer qualifies for this subsidy, our fees do not rise to cover the loss to the school. We hope that by experiencing the education you will be able to appreciate the richness and rightness of what we can offer and continue to make a firm commitment to the continuation of your child's schooling beyond kindergarten and towards their Class years. (Children enter Class One in the year of their seventh birthday. They need to be six before the 30 th June.)

In order for us to accept Nursery Grants, we agree to use the Foundation Stage Curriculum, which covers ages 3 to the end of the ‘reception' year in a state Primary School. The areas of curriculum covered are – Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Creative, Physical, Knowledge and Understanding of the World. Personal, Social and Emotional. We cover all of these areas through providing an environment that encourages children to explore the world around them through imaginative free play. We can do so without compromise to our educational philosophy. The Kindergarten has had two successful inspections by OFSTED reports are available from the office or you can find them on OFSTED's web site. Many Steiner Kindergartens do not accept these vouchers without them our school would be unable to offer education at the cost that we do. It is part of our ethos to endeavour to give families a real alternative so we do accept them.

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