The children enter Class One in the year they turn seven to begin their Primary journey through to Class Seven, when they transition to the high school campus. All academic work is taught in an artistic and holistic way so that it remains a living, evolving, creative process.

The accredited Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework guides the teacher to deliver a broad and integrated curriculum that fosters a passion for learning, critical thinking, creativity, connectedness and positivity.

All children are involved in music and the arts. They may be involved in choir, singing groups and recorder or string ensembles. From Class One the children all learn recorder and in Class Three they choose a stringed instrument to learn (violin, viola or cello). The children are immersed in dramatic arts activities throughout their schooling and each class performs an annual play.

The children are also given a grounding in practical skills. They are involved in gardening, cooking, building, farming and maintaining the school grounds. In craft lessons they make things they will need to use in their daily school life, like recorder bags, book bags and pencil cases. We undertake these activities with the aim to develop well-rounded, capable and practical adults.

The sports programme in our school is often linked to the curriculum for example when Ancient Greece is being studied, athletics is offered and this culminates in the children hosting and competing in a classical Olympic Games. Co-operative games and team sports are a strong focus of the sports programme. Teamwork, individual effort and mateship are highlighted rather than the competitive aspects of sporting achievement.

The school year is enriched with the celebration of various festivals. The children prepare for these and the excitement mounts as the festival day approaches. At Cairns Hinterland Steiner School, we celebrate Easter, a mid-winter Festival of Lights, the Michaelmas festival, an annual Bush dance, Advent and hold a community Spring Fair.

The Class Teacher

One of the cornerstones of Steiner Education is that, wherever possible, one teacher journeys with the children through the seven years of their primary school education. We believe that a deep understanding of and a meaningful relationship with each child can be developed through this journey. In a Steiner primary school, the path to knowledge occurs through the child’s relationship with the teacher as a loving authority.

Over those seven years the children and the teacher develop a very deep relationship that allows the children to feel a strong sense of security, which brings stability during periods of turmoil that naturally occur along the path of childhood development.

All children participate in specialist lessons, where they learn to relate to other teachers and adults. However, it is the Class Teacher that is the central figure throughout each child’s schooling. The Class Teacher also endeavours to establish strong bonds with the children’s families, so that each child’s needs may be supported by the two spheres of home and school, working together in harmony to support one another.