The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship had requested that their schools and kindergartens be exempt from the learning and development section of the EYFS and asked for detailed explanation of how they could work within the EYFS if exemptions were not granted.
In her reply, children's minister Beverley Hughes said, 'The EYFS is designed as a flexible, play-based framework for early learning and care from birth to five. Practitioners of Steiner Waldorf educational philosophy will be able to work within the EYFS without compromising their educational principles, and no school or setting would be penalised by Ofsted simply for following any particular philosophy.'
Janni Nicol, early childhood representative for the Fellowship, said, 'The SWSF believes that there will now be no need for individual parent exemption, although parents can always apply for exemptions if they wish on behalf of their own children. It will not be clear until the regulation is laid whether exempt parents will be able to access the funding.'
Ms Nicol told Nursery World, 'We have accepted that we are going to have to work within the EYFS. The Minister has assured us that we can continue our practice without interference. It will be up to the judgement of our professional practitioners as to how and when the EYFS is delivered.'
Steiner schools take issue with the requirement to submit data to the local authority about each child's learning and development in the EYFS Profile at the age of five. Ms Nicol said, 'The assessment regulations conflict with the Steiner view that the development of the young child resists fixed categorisation because by nature it is fluid and transient.
'Steiner kindergartens take children from three to rising-seven and children tend to continue into more formal school at six-plus.
'Steiner practitioners are skilled at observing children in their care according to their own criteria for that child's development.'
Steiner schools are developing a 'read-over' document to support Ofsted and early years advisors to interpret Steiner practice against the EYFS Early Learning Goals.
Ms Nicol added, 'The booklet will be used to inform Ofsted and local authority early years advisers on Steiner early childhood practice and enable them to understand and interpret this within the EYFS.'
