In December 2017 our children’s school, Canterbury Steiner School, closed its doors for the last time. This was a school that many of us had been to ourselves as children, and other families had moved from far and wide to make it possible for their children to attend.

One child in Class One returned home after hearing the news that his school would be closing and announced that he wasn’t worried because he knew that the parents would set up a new one and that the teachers would then come and fill this new school back up with love. There was no doubt in his mind that this is what we needed to do.

As parents and teachers, we had a choice of how to respond to the heartbreaking news. We were aware that the choice we would make could offer our children an example of how it is possible to respond with courage and hope in the face of adversity. We decided as a group, to set up our own New School.

Deciding upon our vision was as important first step. As the list of priorities for this new education began to grow, to include ambitions such as developing environmental awareness, encouraging empathy for others, nurturing a sense of curiosity for learning and underpinning all of this with joy, we realised that all of these aspects represented the ‘love’ by which this young boy had felt so surrounded and had held so dear. A love that each teacher feels for each child and for their class as a whole; a reverence for nature that is nurtured through stories, caring for their environment and time spent outdoors; empathy that grows through an honouring of each child’s individuality and a love of learning that comes from offering an unhurried and creative learning environment where children can find the joy in learning and experience the richness of childhood.

There were only 6 months between the time that the old school made the decision to close and the time they finally shut their doors This gave us very little time to find a way to ensure the continuation of our children's education. We decided to set ourselves up as a part time home education support group until we were granted school status. The search for a site began.

​

Canterbury Steiner School trustees put the old school site up for sale and it was bought by a developer who initially had plans to build houses. We rang the developer the day after his offer was accepted and asked if we could remain on the site until his achieved planning permission and he agreed.

On the 19th September 2019, the day that schools across the globe celebrated the 100th anniversary of Waldorf education, the Department for Education granted this new school in Canterbury, Independent School status.

​

​