Our Waldorf Kindergarten
Inspiring Early Years Education For Children Aged 3-6
Welcome to our Kindergarten
Our Waldorf curriculum means that children’s learning is always fully integrated into structured playful activities rather than being single-subject based. This enables children to develop an inner confidence and provides an excellent academic foundation for children to move onto Class 1 after six years old . We follow the European and Scandinavian norm and lay the building blocks of literacy and numeracy in Kindergarten and begin formal education, including reading and writing, in Class 1.
From our 3 year olds in Kindergarten all the way through to our 18 year olds in our Upper school, what and how we teach is always designed to suit the intellectual, emotional and physical development of the pupil.
Between three and six years old children learn principally through imitation, play and exploration rather than instruction, and through movement and actively ‘doing’ things.
Children are given the time to develop as individuals and learn with plenty of opportunities for uninterrupted play-based exploration.
Created especially to meet the unique developmental and educational needs of young children, our Waldorf Kindergarten provides an idyllic, playful and unpressurised introduction to learning in the early years of childhood from ages 3-6.
Our gentle, child-centred approach provides joyful, enriching and highly engaging learning, physical movement and personal development activities led by expert Kindergarten teachers.
Our Kindergarten classes spend lots of time in nature and are a mixed-age group for up to 16 children from 9am-1pm, with children able to join play and craft sessions until 5pm in Afternoon Care as an optional extra.
With a warm and cosy ambience, they provide a home-like environment where children feel secure and cared for, creating a sense of belonging and of responsibility towards one another, where they can learn, develop and grow as individuals and, most importantly, enjoy themselves!
The class has the same teacher from age three to six years old, allowing children to develop a strong caring and supportive relationship with their teacher. This continuity means children benefit from their teacher’s insights and knowledge of each individual child’s personality and their educational and developmental needs and interests.
Our Early Years Curriculum
Our expert Waldorf curriculum is delivered through joyful, free creative play, seasonal stories, imagination, interactive activities and class teamwork. All areas of learning are interconnected and part of daily class life.
Our Kindergarten day and week is structured with a regular rhythm to provide structured learning through both adult-led and child-led activities. Children develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills unconsciously through activities with formal learning following Kindergarten in Class 1.
Themes that thread through the Waldorf curriculum start here. Children are introduced to music through singing, physical skills are developed through finger knitting, sewing and woodwork; memory is developed though storytelling, along with an early introduction to language and linguistics.
Good social habits and independence are instilled through a range of opportunities from preparing food with the teacher, learning craft, art, enjoying free play and taking part in ring time.
The older children develop leadership and responsibility by working and playing with the younger ones and the younger children look up to and learn from the older children. It is an ecosystem that nurtures and develops, providing a bridge from home to school and preparing children for the next stage of their learning.
Literacy
Developing literacy is inter-woven into every element of our day. Children develop a rich vocabulary, understanding of language and keen aural memory though listening to stories, riddles and rhymes.
Mathematics
Numbers and counting are introduced though stories, songs and rhymes as well as physical activities such as counting, measuring, weighing, crafts & sewing or creating theatre. Children gain a strong grounding in numbers giving them the building blocks to be able to excel in mathematics from age 6 when they move onto Class 1 and beyond in our Waldorf school.
Communication & Language
Stories, songs, movement and rhymes along with careful listening and active discussion enable our children to become confident speakers.
Physical Development
Young children have an inherent need to move which we incorporate into every area of our day.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
We embed empathy, self-control, patience, concentration and persistence.
Expressive Arts & Design
Children enjoy artistic activities such as watercolour painting, beeswax modelling, crayon drawings and craft.
Understanding The World
We support each child in developing their critical thinking and understanding of the world.
Life Skills
The regular rhythm of our Kindergarten day provides a gentle structure and foundation for strong life skills.
Children develop their critical thinking and reasoning through conversation, investigation and discussions during project work and daily activities. They learn how to begin to take care and look after themselves, keep clean and tidy and a knowledge of hygiene and the natural world.
We develop spacial reasoning including space, shape and measurement though enjoyable, homely activities.
Our mixed aged group classes support each child’s personal, social and emotional development. We embed good etiquette, empathy and a respect and understanding of the needs of others, along with fostering leadership skills, patience, teamwork, perseverance and courage.
Creative Play
Developmental psychologists suggest that the more unstructured play a young child is exposed to, the greater their capacity to truly engage with learning later on. There is a tremendous body of research that says that different types of play are absolutely vital for the healthy physical, psychological, emotional and mental development of your child. Our children play with natural, open ended toys and materials to foster imagination as a foundation for their creative and critical thinking.
Nature & Learning
Nature and the seasons are an integral part of Waldorf education and our Kindergarten curriculum embeds understanding, respect and care for the environment, celebrating our connection to the natural world.
Whatever the weather, our young children go outdoors to play, explore and have fun for at least an hour everyday, rain or shine.
Children are constantly learning and appreciating nature through planting and gardening, observing and investigating, and enjoying stories.
As well as being a wonderful resource and sensory experience, spending time in nature helps children to develop motor skills, and contribute towards positive behaviour in general.
Arts & Crafts
Our crafts, classroom decor, festivities, food and stories all revolve around the changing seasons. Children enjoy woodwork, weaving, painting and lots of handcrafts, developing their creativity and fine motor skills and the ability for complex and abstract thinking and problem-solving.
Our eco-friendly, natural play and craft materials, made from wood, wool, cotton, silk, plants and beeswax, help develop an appreciation for natural materials and aesthetics through sensory experience.
A milestone moment for our oldest children is a long-term project - the handcrafting of their own wooden and fabric hobbyhorse in their final year of Kindergarten.
Movement and Physical Expression
Whether hopping like a rabbit, skipping as a group, balancing, raking leaves or gathering wood, our children are continually developing their physical abilities and manual dexterity and skill.
Catching, balance, co-ordination, co-operation and agility are all incorporated into our daily life.
Our children enjoy eurythmy together, building grace, balance, flexibility, listening skills and musicality.
As important as the ability to get moving, our children develop the ability to sit still quietly and enjoy listening and understanding new information and have a daily ‘quiet’ time to rest peacefully.
Academic Foundations
Our gentle Waldorf Kindergarten gives children a solid foundation for academic success later in life as they progress through school. Learning is always done through structured and informal play and daily activities.
Our contemporary Waldorf curriculum is always looking forward. It is expertly designed to support the child’s journey as they grow into confident and intellectually curious older children and young people equipped with critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence.
Formal Waldorf education begins following Kindergarten in Class 1.
Research from University of Cambridge supports formal learning beginning age 6-7 - in line with a number of other European countries who currently have higher levels of academic achievement and child well-being - rather than beginning formal education at age 4-5.
Our Kindergarten Day
Drop Off - 9am
Your child’s teacher will greet you both. This is a natural opportunity for you to share anything you may need to say about your child that might affect their day, such as disturbed sleep or behaviour the previous night.
Ring Time
The children come together with the teacher, who leads a rhythmical sequence of songs, poems, finger games and traditional ring games. The content draws on what is happening outside in nature throughout the changing seasons, such as gathering apples at summer’s end and chopping wood for the winter fire. The children copy the teacher’s gestures and movements. Ring time is a daily activity.
Snack Time
Around 11am the children enjoy a healthy snack all together around the communal table, with the older children helping to prepare and serve the food and set and clear the table. A mood of calm is created through the lighting of a candle, fresh flowers and the children saying a verse together. A sense of respect is felt throughout the meal and reinforced at the end by the group speaking a verse to say “thank you”. The children enjoy a range of wholesome food on regular days, fostering a sense of rhythm and security.
Outdoor Time
Rain or shine our children have fun outdoors for an hour every day. They’re busy playing games and building dens and structures, nature study, planting and harvesting as well as playing, splashing in puddles and enjoying the fresh air. The activities vary depending on the seasons and might include story-telling, sensory actives, sorting and counting or collecting natural materials.
Story Time
The morning comes towards its end with a fairy tale, folk story or puppet play - each one chosen with the season and its pedagogical significance and educational learnings in mind and employing the rich and diverse language of fairy tales,
End of Session - 1pm
After a full and busy morning those children who are going home are are handed back into the care of their parent or carer, often with a brief word passing between teacher and guardian about the child’s morning.
Afternoon Care - 1pm-5pm (Optional Extra) - Children who are staying with us for our full day provision and are walked by their teacher or assistant to Afternoon Care where they have their packed lunch, rest and enjoy additional enriching activities from our Waldorf curriculum and play with friends from our other Kindergarten classes.
Tidy-up Time
Part of our daily routine and rhythm, following free play and creative craft our children are an integral part of keeping our space looking beautiful, ordered and tidy. Accompanied by singing and with a lightness of heart the children enjoy being absorbed in sorting, cleaning, folding, stacking and making sure everything is in its rightful place, putting in place good habits for life.
Craft & Handwork
Alongside creative play, children can work on self-driven work, developing their own initiative to enjoy practical and artistic projects such as sewing, drawing, baking, cooking, painting or woodwork. Handwork and crafts are connected to the seasons: in Autumn children might make leafy mobiles and woven tapestries, while in Spring children celebrate creating work with themes of butterflies and bees, making floral crowns and enjoying our beautiful Maypole festival.
Creative Play
Children are guided to initiate their own play, free from adult involvement and direction using natural objects and props. The children recreate all that they have observed in their day-to-day lives. A whole host of elaborate structures and associated play themes emerge from the hustle and bustle: ‘houses’, ‘shops’, ‘hospitals’, ‘veterinary clinics’, ‘cars’, ‘trains’, ‘boats’ and ‘planes’ may be built out of simple items such as logs, shells, stones, conkers, pine cones, veils, tables and chairs.
Our Kindergarten Week
Our Waldorf Kindergarten has a gentle weekly and yearly rhythm that provides reassurance and security for the young child.
The predictability of knowing “what comes next” allows children to relax and be fully present in the moment. The daily snack schedule and weekly patterns of meaningful activities such as painting, craft and baking bread provide a comforting sense of time and structure.
Monday
Crayon Drawing
Organic Brown Rice & Chickpeas / Cheese
Tuesday
Domestic Activity - Vegetable Chopping for the Seasonal Soup
Seasonal Vegetable Soup with Barley and Oatcakes
Wednesday
Wet on Wet Painting
Wholemeal Millet and Dhal with Grated Carrots
Thursday
Bread Making
Homemade Spelt & Rye Bread
Friday
Craft Day, Chopping and preparing Apples for Apple Crumble
Homemade Apple Crumble with Yoghurt and Seasonal Fruit Compote
Daily
Fresh Fruit with Plenty of Water or Warm Camomile Tea
Children enjoy delicious healthy snacks prepared in the room.
Meet Our Team!
Mondays 2.15pm-3pm
Register to pop in and have an informal chat with our wonderful Kindergarten team.
See our beautiful setting for 3-6 year olds and discover how we empower children for life, all the way from their tender pre-school years through to university entrance at 18 years.
ADMISSIONS FOR SEPT 24 CLOSING MAY 31st
FAQs
Why a mixed age group?
The mixed age group mirrors family life. It encourages children to both learn from and guide one another, to develop empathy and care for each other. There is a strong emphasis on the cultivation of good habits in Kindergarten, with many pre-academic skills acquired unconsciously.
What age can my child start?
Children can start Kindergarten at any age between three and six years old.
Do all ages do the same thing?
All ages play and work together and enjoy the regular rhythm and content of Kindergarten life. Just like at home, as children get older they are able to take on more responsibilities - both for themselves and for those younger around them - and also take on and complete more in depth work and projects.
What clothing should my child wear?
Children are busy working and playing with time spent outside every day. Your child needs to be dressed appropriately for the seasons and have a full set of waterproofs and boots available in school plus a hat for sun protection or warmth.
In summer, shoulders should be covered and sandals should not have open toes.
Children wear slipper -shoes indoors.
Clothing and footwear must labelled and should be without pictures or logos.
Can I book individual days?
Our Kindergarten is for 5 days a week, from 9am to 1pm. Rhythm and continuity is central to our Waldorf ethos and our provision is for children to come on a regular daily basis. Children wanting to stay for full days (9-5.00pm) can additionally book into our Afternoon Care from 1pm until either 3.20pm or 5.00pm, which, unlike our core Kindergarten mornings, can be booked on an ad-hoc daily basis.
How do children move from Kindergarten to Lower School?
Children progress from our Kindergarten into Class 1 in our Waldorf school in the school year that they will turn seven.
School places are limited and also open to external applicants.
Offer of a place in school is subject to school interview. Priority application is given to children who are applying for a Class 1 place from our Kindergarten.
Visit Us
You’ll find us in leafy SE3, close to Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Blackheath and Kent and easily accessible from all areas of London and beyond.
Our Kindergarten, Lower & Middle School are based at Woodlands, Myceane Road, our Upper School is in Charlton House.
Hours
Monday–Friday
8.30am–5pm
Phone
020 8858 4404
0-3 Years
We currently only offer provision for children 3 years and older.
Local independent Waldorf-inspired playgroups include ‘Acorns’, which runs Indoor & Outdoor Parent & Child sessions and a Bump & Babes group. www.greenwichacorns.org.uk