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View all current vacancies at Waldorf UK and our member schools below



  • Job Title

    Kindergarten Teacher

  • Location

    Dartington, Devon

  • Posted

    3rd May 2024

  • School

    South Devon Steiner School

  • Salary

    £28,500 - £32,000

  • Hours

    Full Time

  • Description

    South Devon Steiner School are excited to announce we will be extending our Kindergarten provison to 2 year olds. From September 2024 we are opening a 4th Kiindergarten specifical ...

  • Job Title

    A Level and GCSE English Teacher

  • Location

    Forest Row, East Sussex

  • Posted

    28th April 2024

  • School

    Michael Hall School

  • Salary

    £28152-£35073

  • Hours

    Full Time

  • Description

    Would you like to work in a natural and holistic environment that will breathe life back in to teaching, learning and education? The details of this role are as follows: Working h ...

  • Job Title

    Class Teacher

  • Location

    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

  • Posted

    19th April 2024

  • School

    Cambridge Steiner School

  • Salary

    £28,350 - £32,550 Gross per annum

  • Hours

    Full Time

  • Description

    Steiner Waldorf Class Teacher – Class 3-4 ‘Our aim is to provide a truly inspirational education where our children develop a love of learning and are prepared to go out into our ...

  • Job Title

    Exams Officer

  • Location

    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

  • Posted

    18th April 2024

  • School

    Cambridge Steiner School

  • Salary

    Hourly rate - £12.50

  • Hours

    Full Time

  • Description

    Exams Officer Position: Full time Core Hours: Variable hours dependent on time in the year. Full days during exam periods, less hours during rest of the year. Salary Range: Hourly ...

  • Job Title

    Teaching and Learning Support Assistant

  • Location

    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

  • Posted

    18th April 2024

  • School

    Cambridge Steiner School

  • Salary

    TBC

  • Hours

    Part Time, Term Time

  • Description

    One to One Teaching and Learning Support Assistant Hours: Term-time 25hrs/week term-time, including INSET days Core hours: 9:00am – 2pm Monday-Friday; Meetings or additional dutie ...

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Why Waldorf Teaching?

Inspire and be inspired.

Waldorf teaching is different. With the relationship between the teacher and the child or young person at the heart of everything we do, we go beyond the delivery of a set curriculum. Waldorf teachers are creative, and our schools create the space and opportunity for that creativity to flourish.


Waldorf teaching is an art, a craft and a science.

Teaching as an art involves learning to understand the needs and voices of children and young people. It means choosing and preparing just the right material at the right time so that pupils’ imagination is sparked and they are able to dive into the subject with joy.

Teaching as a craft is about deep knowledge of and enthusiasm for a subject, and using this alongside pedagogical understanding and professional intuition (knowing-in-practice) to enable healthy and effective learning within a broad curriculum framework.

Teaching as a science means using the pedagogical anthropology (understanding of the developing human being) that underpins Waldorf education to inform your teaching. It involves engaging with relevant and contemporary educational theory and research in a process of ongoing professional development.

Waldorf teaching is not an ‘easy’ option – it demands commitment, passion, research and creativity. There are no ‘off the shelf’ curricula, no commercial schemes and programmes, and no ready-made powerpoint presentations (in fact no interactive whiteboards at all in the lower school!). Within a broad framework, you will become a curriculum designer for your class or subject. You will need to learn new skills – singing, movement games, storytelling and maybe even playing the recorder. But Waldorf teaching also affords the opportunity to develop as a person and as a professional within a collaborative organisation: to play a vital role in an education that truly has children and young people at its centre.


Teaching different ages and stages:

Early Childhood Practitioners focus on work with children aged 0-5. They work in a variety of settings, from childminding to ‘playgroup’ provision for 2-4 year olds in schools.

Kindergarten Teachers and assistants work with children aged from 3 to 6 in mixed age groups. There are independent kindergartens, and also kindergarten classes within schools. There is no formal, academic teaching in kindergarten – children learn through practical activities and play.

Class Teachers usually work with the same group of children for up to eight years. They will often start in Class 1, when children aged 6-7 begin their formal learning journey, and cycle back round after Class 5 or Class 8. Some class teachers specialise in the Class 6-8 age range. Similar to a primary school teacher, class teachers will teach most subjects across the curriculum, but much of the teaching is done through cross-curricular ‘blocks’ lasting 3-4 weeks.

Subject Teachers teach across a range of classes, offering specialist teaching in world languages, crafts, handwork, games and movement, eurythmy, music, drama and outdoor learning.

Upper School Teachers teach young people aged 14 – 19. They will usually have a subject specialism, but this might be broader than in other education systems (e.g. humanities, science etc). Waldorf schools offer a range of secondary qualifications, from standard GCSEs, A-Levels and Scottish Highers to independent portfolio qualifications and innovative programmes like the Integrative Education Diploma and the Certificate of Steiner Education.

Getting in to Waldorf Teaching

There are many pathways into teaching in the Waldorf Education movement in the UK.


If you do not yet have any Early Years qualifications, the Early Childhood training programmes are as follows:


Crossfields Institute Level 3 Diploma in Holistic Baby and Child Care (Early Years Educator): https://emerson.org.uk/course/holistic-baby-and-child-care/ (specialising in working with children from birth to five).


Crossfields Institute Level 4 Diploma in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Studies (Early Years Educator): https://loswec.co.uk/ (London) or https://neswec.org.uk/ (York and Stourbridge) (specialising in kindergarten – age 3-6)


Interest-free loans are available for the course fees for these courses. They are all part-time courses and can be completed alongside a full- or part-time role.


If you already have an early years qualification, the above courses all offer a ‘quality mark’ pathway, where the course content is the same, but the assessment burden is significantly reduced.


If you already have a PGCE / PGDE or other recognised teaching qualification: You may be able to apply for a teaching role at a Waldorf school. However, you will be expected to complete a further part-time post-graduate qualification – the Post-Graduate Diploma in Waldorf Education and Creative Pedagogies: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-waldorf-education-and-creative-pedagogies/ This course can also be completed whilst teaching in a state or other independent school.


Interest-free loans and some bursaries are available for the course fees for this course.


If you do not yet have a teaching qualification, but you do have a degree, you can apply for a role as a teaching assistant, a classroom assistant, a learning support assistant, a cover teacher or a training teacher. You can then complete the Post-Graduate Diploma in Waldorf Education with PGCE and QTS: https://www.yorksteinerschool.org/postgraduate-diploma-in-waldorf-education/


Interest-free loans and apprenticeship funding are available for the course fees for this course. You will need English, Maths and Science GCSE equivalents, as well as a degree in any subject.


If you already have a PGCE / PGDE or other recognised teaching qualification: You may be able to apply for a teaching role at a Waldorf school. However, you will be expected to complete a further part-time post-graduate qualification – the Post-Graduate Diploma in Waldorf Education and Creative Pedagogies: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-waldorf-education-and-creative-pedagogies/ This course can also be completed whilst teaching in a state or other independent school.


Interest-free loans and some bursaries are available for the course fees for this course.


If you do not yet have a teaching qualification, but you do have a degree, you can apply for a role as a teaching assistant, a classroom assistant, a learning support assistant, a cover teacher or a training teacher. You can then complete the Post-Graduate Diploma in Waldorf Education with PGCE and QTS: https://www.yorksteinerschool.org/postgraduate-diploma-in-waldorf-education/


Interest-free loans and apprenticeship funding are available for the course fees for this course. You will need English and Maths GCSE equivalents, as well as a degree relevant to your specialist subject.


For non-National Curriculum subjects (such as craft, handwork or outdoor learning) you may need to follow the Class Teacher training route, and develop your specialist teaching independently and based on your previous experience. Eurythmy training is available through Eurythmy UK: https://eurythmyuk.org/


If you already have a PGCE / PGDE or other recognised teaching qualification: You may be able to apply for a teaching role at a Waldorf school. However, you will be expected to complete a further part-time post-graduate qualification – the Post-Graduate Diploma in Waldorf Education and Creative Pedagogies: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-waldorf-education-and-creative-pedagogies/ This course can also be completed whilst teaching in a state or other independent school.


Interest-free loans and some bursaries are available for the course fees for this course.


If you do not yet have a teaching qualification, but you do have a relevant degree: You can apply for Upper School roles as a teaching assistant, a classroom assistant, a learning support assistant, a cover teacher or a training teacher. You can then complete the Post-Graduate Diploma in Waldorf Education with PGCE and QTS: https://www.yorksteinerschool.org/postgraduate-diploma-in-waldorf-education/


Interest-free loans and apprenticeship funding are available for the course fees for this course. You will need English and Maths GCSE equivalents, as well as a degree relevant to your specialist subject.

Waldorf UK Schools

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Map of Waldorf UK schools

Map of Waldorf UK schools

Map of Waldorf UK schools
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Waldorf UK

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