Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925) was a highly respected and well-published scientific, literary and philosophical scholar who was particularly known for his work on Goethe’s scientific writings. He later came to incorporate his scientific investigations with his interest in spiritual development.

His background in history and civilisations, coupled with his observations of life, gave the world the gift of Steiner Education. It is a deeply insightful application of learning based on the study of humanity with a developing consciousness of self and the surrounding world.

His interests were not only in education, but also in a wide range of fields such as medicine, agriculture, nutrition, social renewal, and the environment. He believed that humanity needs to work organically in cooperation with nature, not against it.  He sounded warning bells about many issues, such as sustainability and the depletion of human and natural resources, which are of wide concern today.

In 1919, Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher, scientist and artist, was invited to give a series of lectures to the workers of the Waldorf Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart, Germany. In the chaos of post WW1 Germany Steiner questioned the senselessness of war and the need for new social forms. He concluded that to meet the needs of the future, individuals needed to be educated differently.  

Inspired by his message, the factory’s owner, Emil Molt, asked Steiner to establish and lead a school for the children of the factory’s employees. Steiner agreed to do so on four conditions:

• The school should be open to all children
• It should be coeducational
• It should be a unified twelve-year school
• The teachers working directly with the children would take a leading role in the running of the school, with a minimum of interference from governmental or economic concerns

Molt agreed to the conditions and after a training period for the prospective teachers, the first Waldorf school was opened in September 1919.

The names Steiner and Waldorf Education are interchangeable, the latter referencing the very first school.

The best overall statement on what is unique about Steiner education is to be found in the stated goals of the education: “to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives”.

The aim of Steiner education is to educate the whole child, “head, heart and hands”. The curriculum is broad, and balances academic subjects with artistic and practical activities, always placing the child at the centre. 

Steiner teachers are dedicated to creating a genuine love of learning within each child. By using arts and activities in the service of teaching academics, an internal motivation to learn is developed in the students.

Some distinctive features of Steiner education include the following:

• Teaching is based on supportive and close relationships with teachers and strong, lifelong bonds between students.Teachers develop a deep understanding of children’s individual needs, their behaviour, personality, temperament, parents and family, which helps teachers to understand how they will learn and how best to teach them. Strong relationships with parents and guardians help families to understand some of the philosophy behind the practice so that it can be reinforced at home
• Steiner education has a consistent philosophy of child development underlying its curriculum.  It purposefully meets each child at their developmental phase to optimise learning through recognised stages of emotional and cognitive growth.
• Steiner schools are grounded in working artistically, practically, spiritually and intellectually. As well as being integrated, the curriculum is broad, interdisciplinary and culturally rich.
• Certain activities which are often considered 'frills' at mainstream schools are central at Steiner schools: art, music, craft, gardening, and foreign languages to name a few. Work is presented to students in a creative, artistic way. 
• In early learning, we nurture a child’s development by facilitating creative, self-directed play, as we believe that the initiative, imagination and flexibility fostered through play underpin later academic learning and are the basis for innovative thought in adult life.
• Music is an integral part of the curriculum at all age levels. All students learn a stringed instrument from Class 3 onwards. This includes small group tuition as well as orchestra. In the secondary years, students are encouraged to take on a second instrument, and participation in ensembles continues. 
• Learning in a Steiner school is a non-competitive activity. We emphasise personal progress and development within subjects rather than marks or grades. The teacher writes a detailed evaluation of the child at the end of each school semester.
• The use of digital devices and media by young children is discouraged in Steiner schools.
• The Main Lesson is a unique feature of Steiner education, designed to deepen, enrich and unify the learning experience. The Main Lesson structure commences in Class One and continues through the secondary school, allowing the students to develop a deep and holistic understanding of each subject.

Steiner schools honour and protect the wonder of childhood. Every effort is expended to make Steiner schools safe, secure and nurturing environments for children and to support their need to play, be a part of nature and build strong foundations for future success. 

Steiner education has a consistent philosophy of child development underlying its curriculum.  It purposefully meets each child at their developmental phase to optimise learning through recognised stages of emotional and cognitive growth from Prep to Year 12. The curriculum emphasises the development of the whole student – physically, intellectually, emotionally, and ethically.

The curriculum is rich with discovery, imagination and deep engagement, where students learn, grow and develop a sense of purpose and direction, both as individuals and as part of a community. 

Steiner education develops flexible, agile thinking, problem solving skills, emotional capacity and the social skills needed to work collaboratively – all skills that allow us to succeed in a modern world.

Steiner schools develop enquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who strive to create a better world through understanding and respect. Steiner students develop a positive attitude to learning that prepares them for tertiary studies and lifelong learning. We produce well-rounded graduates who are academically advantaged and who consistently gain admission to top universities. More importantly, we produce graduates who thrive in the world in whichever pathway they choose. They leave school with a love of learning, lifelong friendships, and a strong sense of community and social responsibility.

For parents seeking a comprehensive, holistic education for their children or adolescents that focuses on in-depth, meaningful learning and academic excellence, Steiner schools offer a well-established path.

Steiner was an innovative, and visionary thinker, and intended his pedagogy to evolve and adapt to the needs of diverse communities while staying true to its core values.

Sophia Mundi has adapted a core Steiner curriculum to its own cultural and environmental situation, to meet the needs of its students and the current times, responding to current research and advancements in understanding, while remaining true to the values and intentions of Steiner education. 

In a fast-changing world, Steiner education fosters the breadth of skills, knowledge and attributes to support young people to flourish into the future. 

Literacy and Numeracy are vital foundational capabilities that enable learning across many subjects. In the early years, Sophia Mundi takes the approach that a strong foundation provides the optimal long-term results. Our early Literacy instruction is embedded in a rich, imaginative oral language program. Our students recite nursery rhymes and poetry, perform plays and hear a range of engaging stories, lovingly narrated. They learn to deeply comprehend and appreciate language. In Prep, we focus on phonological awareness as the basis for Literacy. Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in language. Initial instruction of phonics in Prep is consolidated in Class One, where students take this awareness of language and start to apply it to reading and writing. 

Number sense, as the basis for Numeracy, is developed in Prep on a daily basis, through instructional activities, games and hands-on practical tasks. In Class One we introduce formal mathematical operations, and this is built on systematically and thoroughly. A variety of teaching approaches are used including teacher centred presentation, problem solving, group discussion, skills practise and practical activities. We allow time for drawings and diagrams to be completed with artistry and skill to engage the aesthetic sense, to produce an abstract formulation of clear mathematical principles, and to apply these to real world problems. 

Sophia Mundi’s approach is developmentally appropriate and yields long-term rewards. Our students experience their learning in Literacy and Numeracy to be alive, imaginative, challenging, and joyful. Our students are curious, confident, inspired and keen to learn!

Formal, explicit reading instruction begins in Class One. At Sophia Mundi, we have a Focus on Reading program as part of our literacy development. Classes 1-3 spend the first 15 minutes of the day reading - either aloud to a teacher or parent volunteer, or independently. Research shows that a minimum of 15 minutes of reading a day leads to substantial gains in reading achievement. This program ensures that every child develops strong reading abilities that will serve as a foundation for their academic journey and beyond, as well as fostering a love for reading in a caring and supportive environment.

For children who learn to read earlier than their peers, their love of language, story and literature is nurtured without the pressure to achieve. 

We also have a wonderful library program, where students are encouraged to find answers to their questions, discover new things, and above all, to love reading. The library is also open during break times, and you will often find children curled up on a cushion with a book. 

While in the early classes, students at Steiner schools may be viewed as 'behind' their peers in mainstream schools, by Class 3, all the learning and foundational work come to fruition, and they will be reading at the same level as students in other schools.

At Sophia Mundi, we have divided the primary years into Lower Primary (Class 1-3) and Upper Primary (Class 4-6). One Class Teacher guides them through the first three years, and another takes on the second three-year cycle. 

Having a three, rather than six-year cycle means that teachers have more time to become experts in the developmental requirements of their students, as well as be across the external reporting requirements, while still being able to focus on the artistic elements that we value, and give in depth attention to each individual’s learning. 

The Secondary school also has a three year cycle, with a Class Guardian (or lead teacher) staying with the class for Classes 7, 8 and 9, and a different Class Guardian leading the class for Classes 10, 11 & 12. This means a group of key teachers are specialists in the years they are working with, deeply understanding the curriculum and the developmental age. Strong bonds between students and teachers develops through this strategy and differentiates Sophia Mundi from many other larger schools around us. By creating deliberate teams around our learners, our teachers work in concert with each other and increase opportunities for students to work in a multidisciplinary way.

This is a very common concern among parents when they first hear about the 'Class Teacher' method. However, in practice, the situation seems to arise rarely, especially when the teacher has been able to establish a relationship with the class right from the first year. 

Understanding the child’s needs and temperament is central to the teacher’s role and training. When rifts in relationships do occur from time to time, the teacher and the family work together with the support of school mentors and the school’s Leadership Team, to restore the relationship using a restorative practices lens.

Our school is small by design. We have capped our classes to 22 children, which allows our teachers to really know each student, ensuring attuned, vibrant learning with a focus on holistic development from prep through to graduation.

An important underpinning principle of Steiner education is that young children need to communicate and play. The ‘unplugged’ experience is seen as crucial for children to develop a healthy self-image and self-efficacy. There is increasing research about the negative impact of excessive screen use on memory retention and executive functions such as perseverance, imagination and more.  At Sophia Mundi, computers are used to support learning on a regular basis. Digital technology lessons are introduced to support students' acquisition of the necessary skills throughout secondary school. 

In Secondary school, the use of technology includes:

• How digital technologies work – sequential steps, algorithms, and data recording and analysis.
• Creative use of digital technologies – activities to meet challenges, communicating ideas, and technological safety.
• Research and analysis – creating complex patterns and representing that using pictures, charts and diagrams, and understanding how numbers and symbols can represent data.

Steiner schools are non-denominational, and classes in religious doctrine are not part of the Steiner curriculum. Children of all religious backgrounds attend Sophia Mundi and share their cultural celebrations with the school community. 

Sophia Mundi aims to awaken the child’s natural reverence for the wonder and beauty of life and a corresponding, age-appropriate social responsibility. 

Whilst recognising the spiritual dimension of the child, Sophia Mundi does not include instruction in religious creeds, but draws instead on the diverse literary traditions associated with religions from around the world to inform the festival celebrations and the rich narrative elements of the broad based, culturally rich curriculum. 

Rudolf Steiner’s approach to Christian spirituality is not taught to students. 

At Sophia Mundi we value assessment as a meaningful tool to monitor each student’s development, so as to tailor our teaching and support accordingly. The word assessment comes from the Latin root “assidere”, which means “to sit beside”, and this concept guides our approach. Each students’ progress is closely and consistently monitored, both through testing and by observing each child’s balance, social and emotional skills, drawings, craft, fine motor skills and play so as to get a full picture of a child’s development.  

Regular feedback and reports are provided to parents. Where there are difficulties, suggestions are made, and Individual Learning Plans developed.  Other professionals may be consulted and, where recommended, remedial work according to the child’s needs may be undertaken.

It is a requirement for all Australian schools to offer NAPLAN in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9, however parents at all schools have a choice whether their child participates or not. Every effort is made to ensure that the experience is not stressful, particularly in the younger years.

At Sophia Mundi, we also use the Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) . Progressive Achievement Tests provide important insights for determining the strengths and weaknesses of our numeracy and literacy program by providing us with detailed comparative data against national norms.  They are also used to monitor individual student progress over time, and to differentiate to each child’s level of need - whether by giving extension work or additional support, if applicable.

 The results of the PATs have shown that all our classes, as a cohort, are achieving at above, or the same level as the national norm. Some of our classes, as a cohort, are achieving significantly higher. 

In the secondary school assessment is done at regular intervals rather than final exams, however there are final examinations in most subjects in the IB programme. Visual Arts and Music have different assessment procedures. 

Sophia Mundi has an excellent and dedicated Learning Support team. Members work collaboratively with class teachers and parents to design Individual Education Plans and Student Adjustment Plans as required. 

A given child’s challenges in one area, whether cognitive, emotional or physical, will usually be balanced by strengths in another area. It is the teacher’s job to try to bring the child’s whole being into balance. 

A number of independent allied health professionals  work alongside the school, including an occupational therapist, speech pathologist and an art therapist.  While independent of the school, these specialists work with the selected students, parents and their class teachers to provide tailored and integrated support. These valuable connections provide us with expertise and experience, enhancing our capacity to meet the diverse needs of our students.

There is an increasing amount of evidence from various bodies that the passivity inherent in watching content on screens and using other electronic media is counterproductive to learning and healthy development in the young child. Research suggests that excessive screen time in children, especially young children, is likely to lead to unhealthy outcomes in the short and longer term. There is strong evidence that too much screen time in the early years has negative effects on health, motor and cognitive development, social and psychological wellbeing, and family cohesiveness. Evidence also suggests that too much screen time can lead to behavioural problems, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention difficulties, depression, low self-esteem and poor psychosocial health, particularly in 5-17 year olds.

In choosing a Steiner education parents understand that they are choosing a philosophy that strongly advises against the use of electronic media, especially in the junior years.

Without regular exposure to electronic media, children benefit greatly both in the short and long term. In the classroom these children tend to exhibit greater interest in their work, show considerable will to engage in all activities and most importantly of all retain that most vital joy of childhood.

Setting aside time daily to engage in meaningful activities - like walking, baking, gardening, drawing, make-believe, building cubbies and other delights of childhood - creates a rhythm and connection within the family. Less screen time allows more time for children to do these activities. The educational ramifications are enormous and pronounced:  improved ability to concentrate at will, to participate in lessons, creative imagination, flexible thinking and improved sociability.

Children – young and old – who are used to creating, playing and working with their imaginations tend to emerge as self-empowered, resourceful and independent individuals, setting them up for future success.

Students do not access their mobile phones during school hours. Students’ phones are signed in at the office at the start of the day, and signed out when they leave. This means that the students spend their break times interacting with, and conversing with their friends. We believe that it is vitally important for students to be physically active and social at school rather than using break times to engage with social media. Interestingly, student feedback is supportive of this approach.

The arts have a central role in our pedagogy, but we are not an “Art School”. The arts are incorporated meaningfully across all subject areas, rather than being an “add on”. We believe that the arts creatively communicate to deep levels of our shared humanity, helping us to make meaning, to celebrate and appreciate life. Artistic experience is fulfilling. It is enjoyable, deeply satisfying and contributes to wellbeing. 

Our task is to find teaching methods that continually engage the whole human being. We would not succeed in this endeavour if we failed to concentrate on developing the human sense of art.  Rudolf Steiner

In the primary years, our students learn to paint, to draw, to knit, sew, weave and crochet, to play musical instruments, perform plays, write stories, to sing together. We carefully and intentionally build on skills in a well-designed, purposeful program. 

In the Secondary school, studies of the Arts form a valuable and rich part of our curriculum, and the creativity aspect of the IB programme encourages students to engage in and explore artistic pursuits and innovative projects, fostering imagination, originality and personal expression. Visitors to our school are impressed by the creativity, beauty, pride, and attention to detail evident in the students’ work.

To get their secondary certificate, students must complete a government accredited course. In Victoria, there is choice between the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC), Vocational Education and Training (VET), the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). 

We believe that the IBDP is the best fit for our students and our school as it echoes the Steiner approach of working and educating in a threefold manner (thinking, feeling and willing). We see the two methodologies as aligned and complementary, with the IB programme integrating beautifully with Steiner’s considered curriculum approach.

 At Sophia Mundi we are committed to fostering a learning community with an international standard of excellence that puts the learner at the centre. Sophia Mundi is attracted by the IB’s international curriculum focus, development across all disciplines and the continuation of student involvement in the community, creative pursuits and activity which the IB Diploma Programme brings. The balance of the Diploma Programme and Vocational pathways is particularly beneficial to the education of our students, with universities becoming increasingly concerned with the narrow focus of most students’ educational contexts.

Surprisingly, the IB Diploma Programme in Australia is perceived as “elitist” and “only for the academically advanced”. This is in fact not in line with its intentions and vision. Like Steiner Education, the IB programme was designed to be for all students, and can be - with considered intention - adapted to meet the needs of the learner. 

One of the great advantages and strengths of the IB Diploma (as opposed to the VCE) is the broad spectrum of study and breadth of skills students are exposed to. Allowing students to study a broad range of subjects helps them to find the interconnectedness between different concepts, getting a deeper, more contextualised understanding. It also helps students to develop strong organisational and time management skills. Students are not tested on their ability to memorise facts and theories, but rather their ability to understand how facts are presented and how theories are applied. This not only empowers students to take ownership in their own learning, it also helps them develop future-ready skills to make a difference and thrive in a changing world.

Both the IBDP and Steiner education develop conscientious and rounded learners.

Sophia Mundi produces well-rounded graduates who are academically advantaged and who consistently gain admission to university. More importantly, we produce graduates who

thrive in the world in whichever pathway they choose. They leave school with a love of learning, lifelong friendships, and a strong sense of community and social responsibility.

While some graduates take a gap year to explore Australia and the world, most go on to study at university, and are accepted into their chosen course. 

Sophia Mundi graduates have been offered places in the following areas of study: Science, Psychology, Environmental Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Journalism, International Studies, Business, Sports Science, Veterinary Science, Paramedics, Outdoor Education, Nursing, Midwifery, Wildlife and Conservation, Horticulture, Design, Biology, Arts, Architecture, Medicine and Law.

Sophia Mundi develops enquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who strive to create a better world through understanding and respect. We foster the breadth of skills, knowledge and attributes to support young people to flourish into the future.

Absolutely. Our students are confident, resilient individuals who learn to love learning, think flexibly, solve problems and work collaboratively. What better preparation is there for meeting the needs of the ‘real world’? 

In a world where AI is becoming a significant part of everyday life, the ability to solve problems, think critically and creatively and work well with others will set our students up to find meaningful work and thrive in the modern world. 

Some parents may be concerned that the ‘real’ world can be harsh and students need to be prepared to meet it. The method we apply for strengthening young people to meet the challenges of life is to offer them a deeply nurturing environment, one that provides stable relationships and strong connections within a healthy community. Our students learn to aim high, to think creatively, to value relationships and to diligently develop their capacities so that they can be of service to the world, capable of making a positive difference. This is ‘real world’ readiness.