Specialist Subjects

Specialist Subjects

The Class Teacher provides the Main Lesson each day, but each class interacts with and enjoys the experience of a wide range of specialist subject teachers on a daily basis.

Gardening

Learning how to produce what one needs to live, through physical work and a little bit of planning, instils in the child a sense of confidence in the world. Growing food is one of the most important and fundamental tasks a human being can do but many of us have little opportunity in today’s modern world to engage in this simple and satisfying activity.

Music

An integrated and holistic music program creates and encourages a school culture in which joyous, enlivened musical activity is embedded into the daily experience of every student and teacher. To achieve this, we provide:

• A music and instrumental program that is informed by the picture of child development and is connected to the core classroom curriculum content and seasonal festivals.
• A dynamic instrumental, classroom and choral program that provides a solid musical foundation, balancing the social nature of music-making with development of the art form of music.

Craft

Working with our hands to create items needed for life has long been an integral aspect of the general education of the human being. Historically, craftwork has arisen out of necessity, however it is clear when we observe hand crafted items that aesthetic sensibility is also of significance for the craftsman.  This important meeting of beauty and function is what lies at the heart of the handwork program in a Steiner school.

Over the full span of their schooling the students, through the Hand Work curriculum, develop their aesthetic sense working with colour, design and form. They learn how to respond to natural materials and develop a wide variety of manual skills.  The craft lessons require students to sustain their effort and interest in a project over an extended period of time; they must find the will to see the process through to its completion.  The development of this kind of perseverance has obvious application in and benefit for all other areas of school work and life.

German

“Language penetrates us differently and reveals human nature in a different way, which is why we must complement the effect of the mother tongue with other languages.”
Rudolf Steiner

The study of another language cultivates the experience of speech sound, rhythms and intonation that are different from English. By giving the children the experience of another language, they have the opportunity to experience the world from a different cultural perspective and the ‘universal human’ element is cultivated.

Physical Education

The very nature of the environment at Silver Tree lends itself to physical activity. As well as an organised program of skills, games and sports, we have extensive grounds that offer space for ballgames, boulders for clambering, along with sandpits and play equipment set in the natural environment.

Sport is taught with an emphasis on self-competition rather than competing against one another. Our specialist Physical Education teacher leads classes of skill, games and sport, including kayaking and archery.

As with all elements of our integrated curriculum, the games and sport are designed to align with the child’s needs at each stage of development.

Woodwork

Woodworking class is a part of the “Outer path” of education – a field that relates to a sense observation and movement, and also includes drawing, painting, handwork, modelling in clay and wax, music and Bothmer Gymnastics.

Woodwork requires a dedication to observing the results of your efforts. Using this basic principle, woodwork class builds physical and mental strength through overcoming challenges with design, effort, and persistence.

The woodwork curriculum begins in Class 5 and through these classes children learn habits of independence, order, accuracy, attention and industry, development of the power of observation in the eye, execution in the hand, and an appreciation for beauty.