Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Written evidence submitted by The Steiner Academy Hereford (CWSB136)

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools’ Bill.

Evidence to the House of Commons Committee

Introduction.

1. The Steiner Academy Hereford welcomes the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and commends the government for its commitment to taking the steps needed to meet the needs of all children and improve both education provision and wellbeing. However, we are concerned to ensure that the Bill includes the necessary flexibility to protect and develop our unique offer.

2. The Steiner Academy Hereford Trust is a single school - The Steiner Academy Hereford (SAH). It is a unique and highly successful all-through Waldorf school within the state sector providing education for children and young people aged 3-16. It has a consistent record of strong Ofsted inspections and the most recent OFSTED report rated it as ‘Outstanding’ in three areas and ‘Good’ overall. The report noted the school’s high aspirations, its ambitious curriculum, the pupils’ exemplary behaviour and attitudes, and how well pupils are prepared for the next stages of their lives. The school’s Progress 8 scores have been consistently high and in the recent Fairer Schools Index the Steiner Academy Hereford was identified as the best-performing state school in England when adjusting for contextual variables including the socio-economic background of its pupils.. Every class is significantly oversubscribed.

3. The school’s ethos and approach meet many of the government’s stated aspirations for education including the delivery of a broad curriculum that prizes skills as well as knowledge, that values and nurtures creativity alongside academic success and where children are happy and can be themselves. It is a provision we would like to expand. Please see here a short film (3.55 min) about our school made recently by the Edge Foundation.

4. SAH transferred from the independent school sector under the previous Labour administration, with approval for the school being granted in April 2005 (opening in 2008). Its ethos, funding model, which includes its ‘charitable objects’ are grounded in the established principles of Steiner Waldorf education which is an historic and internationally recognised educational model. Its curriculum is broad, distinctive and informed by a specific understanding of child development. This was the basis upon which the school was brought into the state sector. We are concerned that certain sections of the Bill would undermine the school’s ability to continue to offer this successful model of schooling and to stay within the Trust’s charitable objects. The two main areas of concern are in relation to the proposed requirements to:

( i ) Follow the National Curriculum (Clause 41); and

(ii) Apply the statutory pay and conditions arrangements for teachers would compromise the school’s ability to continue delivering its curriculum (Clause 45).

Clause 41- National Curriculum.

5. Under this clause the school would be required to deliver the National Curriculum. We appreciate and support the concept of ensuring all children receive a core offer and note that the Curriculum and Assessment Review being conducted by Professor Becky Francis may make recommendations for change to the current National Curriculum. However, whilst the Waldorf curriculum is aligned with the English National Curriculum and includes all the same subjects with the same aims and purpose of study, there are ways in which it differs based on longstanding and recognised principles..

6. We note that under the National Curriculum Programmes of Study under Section 91 of the Education Act 2002 (which forms part of this Bill), there is an option to apply for exemptions from and modifications to the National Curriculum. This appears to mirror the process under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework whereby providers with "established principles" can apply for exemptions from or modifications to the EYFS ( see guidance ). SAH has been granted such exemptions and modifications to the EYFS deemed necessary to maintain a cornerstone of its curriculum which is to have a longer early years phase and for formal learning to start later than under the EYFS and the National Curriculum. We therefore request that the Committee makes any such amendments necessary to ensure the school can continue to work within these, and any other, "established principles" deemed necessary to operate within its current funding agreement and charitable objects (see appendix).

Clause 45 – Extension of statutory pay and conditions arrangement to Academy teachers.

7. Whilst we welcome government aims to improve the pay and conditions for teachers, we are concerned at the financial impact on our school. It was agreed with the last Labour Government that in setting up the Steiner Academy Hereford, the number of teachers needed to deliver the curriculum would be more than the standard school so that specialist subjects could be provided. It was agreed then that pay and conditions for staff would necessarily be different as a means to allow the flexibility needed for the school to function within the funding model set by the government. Hence, our FA specifies that teachers’ levels of pay and conditions of service will be the responsibility of the Academy Trust. If the school could no longer work effectively as a Steiner Waldorf school our teachers would have no other option to work as a Waldorf teacher within the state sector. We ask that consideration is given to an exemption process being added to the Bill for schools, such as ours, who offer a diverse and unique model and therefore require more flexibility around pay and conditions.

Appendix.

Annex 1 of the Funding Agreement

Memorandum of Association of Steiner Academy Hereford.

The name of the Company (hereinafter called "the Association") is "Steiner Academy Hereford"

1. The Registered Office of the Association will be situated in England.

2. The Association’s objects ("the Objects") are to advance for the public benefit education in the United Kingdom , in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing by establishing, maintaining, carrying on, managing and developing a school offering a broad curriculum in accordance with the ethos and teachings of the late Dr Rudolf Steiner and specialising in the natural environment ("the Academy").

Kate Andrews

Academy Principal

January 2025