Curriculum

Curriculum at the Armidale Waldorf School.

Our school curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the students as they grow developmentally. It is approved by ACARA (the national curriculum body) and by NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority). In addition, our school follows a Waldorf curriculum, created by philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf curriculum is designed to allow fully for the development of three essential aspects of the child’s being: willing, feeling and thinking, thereby learning about the world and becoming active in it in a healthy and constructive way.

A unique aspect of our teaching practice is the delivery of the ‘Main Lesson’. For the first two hours of every day one subject is presented as a block. This in-depth study continues for three to four weeks. Then the subject changes: the rest of the morning is used for revision and expansion on these themes and academic skills; the afternoons for physical education, art and hand crafts.

Our rich and robust curriculum is delivered in such a way to capture the imagination, and for the children to learn what is age-appropriate. The social tone of the school, the designed buildings and the nature of the environment combine to provide an extraordinary place for children to thrive.

Below is a sample of our school curriculum. Further detailed information is available in our Parent Handbook (available upon request) and by Viewing the High School Prospectus

CLASS 1

English (pictorial introduction of the alphabet, writing, simple spelling and the beginnings of reading)

Maths (introduction to numbers including Roman Numerals, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division: the 4 processes)

Fairy tales, Aboriginal and nature stories

Form Drawing

Watercolour painting, kinitting, weaving, baking, beeswax modelling

Descant recorder, singing, Eurythmy and circle games and dances

French

CLASS 2

English (spelling, reading and writing simple stories)

Maths (practice of the 4 processes, maths facts and tables)

Animal Fables, Legends of the Saints, Folk Tales and nature stories

Cooking, purl and plain knitting, modelling beeswax

French

Music – including singing, recorder and percussion

Dreamtime Stories

CLASS 3

English (basic elements of grammar, spelling, reading, cursive writing and beginning composition)

Maths (practice of the 4 processes, maths facts and tables)

Old Testament Stories

House building, Farming and Crafts

Crochet

Music – singing, recorder, percussion and violin

French

Aboriginal Myths and Legends

Local geography/history

CLASS 4

English (spelling, reading, grammar and composition); history of writing

Maths (fractions introduced and practice of all operations), Geometric drawing

Local geography including mapmaking

Australian discovery sea voyages

Aboriginal perspective of white settlement

Human and animal study

Norse Myths

Cross stitch, embroidery, crochet, modelling with clay, choir/ensemble, Eurythmy

Music – singing, recorder and violin

French

CLASS 5

English (vocabulary, grammar and composition, reading and poetry)

Maths (decimals introduced and practice of all operations)

Local History: exploration of Australia from Sydney to Armidale

Botany

Ancient Myths of India, Persia, Egypt and Greece

Ancient Greek history and Olympic training

Music: singing and treble recorder

French

CLASS 6

English (vocabulary, grammar and composition, reading and poetry)

Maths (percentages introduced and practice of all operations)

Geometry

Physics of sound, light and heat

Astronomy

Australian geography and exploration

Roman and Medieval History

Music: singing and treble recorder

French

CLASS 7/8 (Stage 4)

Subjects are studied in an odd/even year cycle to fit the composite class model. While the following list identifies subject by area, the teaching approach is interdisciplinary, with subjects interlinking for deeper learning.

ODD YEARS:

English: grammar, composition, illustrated texts, wilderness adventure, King Arthur, Canterbury Tales (drama classes and play performance)

Maths: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability, Mathematics Around Us

Science: Mechanics, electricity and magnetism (physics); Combustion, acids, bases and the lime cycle (chemistry); Caring for Our Life Processes (human biology and PDHPE); Diversity of Life (ecology)

Human Society and Its Environment: The Middle Ages; Voyages of Discovery; fieldwork on camps (Aboriginal Colonisation and Contact History, Water in the World, map-making and orienteering)

Art: Drawing the World Around Us; Perspective; Printmaking

Music: Medieval Music, Instruments of the Orchestra, Composition

French: conversation, grammar, history and culture

PDHPE: Identity, risk-taking and healthy relationships; caring for your body; Aboriginal Peoples and Their Games; sports program at school and at the Sport UNE facility; fire performance, camps

EVEN YEARS:

English: grammar, composition, novel studies, poetry, multimedia, The Power of the Word (history of our language, persuasive speech), A Midsummer Nights Dream (text study and performance)

Maths: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability, Maths in Society

Science: Human Anatomy, The Cloak of Gaia (geology); Alchemy to Industry (chemistry); Off the Planet (astronomy); Connections and Birthing (human biology and PDHPE); The Physics of Flight

Human Society and Its Environment: The Lay of the Land (landscapes and landforms, archaeology); Rebellion and Immortality in Ancient Egypt and China; Worlds Together, Worlds Apart (geographical regions contrasts and connections); fieldwork on camps

Music: Jazz and Blues, Classical Music, Australian Music, Electronic Music

Art: The Human Form; The Renaissance; The Moderns; Individual student projects

French: conversation, grammar, history and culture

PDHPE: Indentity, risk-taking and healthy relationships; puberty and reproduction; Aboriginal Peoples and Their Games; sports program at school and at the Sport UNE facility; fire performance, camps

CLASS 9/10 (stage 5)

Subjects are studied in an odd/even year cycle to fit the composite class model. While the following list identifies subject by area, the teaching approach is interdisciplinary, with subjects interlinking for deeper learning.

ODD YEARS:

English: Biography and Autobiography, Australian Literature, Tragedy and Comedy (including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet), novel and film studies

Maths: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability

Science: The Periodic Table and Chemical Reactions; Applied Physics and Chemistry (STEM); Human Biology; Astronomy; Personal Interest Project

Human Society and Its Environment: The Making of the Modern World; Australian History to the Modern Era; Ecosystems and Human Culture (Part 1); The Human Community; fieldwork on camps

PDHPE: Health, Wellbeing and Relationships; Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles; Movement, Skill and Performance (including extended camps, visits to Sport UNE, school sports and fire performance)

Broad-based curriculum: clay sculpture, cooking, drama, woodwork, painting, silversmithing, illustrated texts

EVEN YEARS:

English: Sagas and Epics, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Media Studies, Aboriginal Texts (film, poetry, aural stories), Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Maths: number and algebra, measurement and geometry, statistics and probability

Science: The Earth in Movement; Organic Chemistry; Electricity and Communications Technology; Renewable Energy; Applied Physics (STEM); Biology and Ecology

Human Society and Its Environment: The Rise of India and China; The Modern World and Australia; Ecosystems and Human Culture (Part 2); Sustainable Biomes; fieldwork on camps

PDHPE: Health, Wellbeing and Relationships; Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles; Movement, Skill and Performance (including extended camps, visits to Sport UNE, school sports and fire performance)

Broad-based curriculum: mural art, short-film making, photography, leather work