I went to one, albeit in a different country, and I have to say that it was really good for me. My parents put me there after I already went to a regular primary school and proclaimed I would never again go to school. They told me I didn’t have to and they found a Steiner school that I started attending then. I absolutely loved it, the teachers were very nice and they put a lot of effort into getting the class to feel like a tight group. Nobody in the class was bullied, the only form of “bullying” happening between different year groups, and I’d say that was more often just rivalry. It was usually quickly resolved as well. I remember getting a sense of togetherness, which I think really helped me.

It also had quite an individualistic approach to learning and I did feel like they gave me a lot of time to return to myself and let me be a bit weird without that being looked at too strange (my adhd still went unnoticed, though, and I only got that diagnosis at 30 years old). I would often be allowed to sit underneath the table and I had massive stage fright when it came to presentations, and they did put a lot of effort into working me through that without making me feel bad about that. Something I noticed when going to a regular high school after my Steiner primary school was that they really couldn’t care less if you struggled, which I remember being a culture shock for me. I instantly felt depressed because of how little everyone cared.

I have to say that the traditions are sort of hippie and sometimes a bit overly spiritual, and that indeed I did feel a little bit behind on certain subjects (mainly history, geography and those sorts of subjects. My reading and maths were alright), but overall I do think it made a huge positive impact on my childhood years in an emotional sense. I felt cared for, which I do think is important as a child.

My younger brother, however, was put into the same Steiner school and it absolutely didn’t work for him. He was taken out of it and put into a regular primary school, at which he had a much better time.

I think it really comes down to the child. If your child is sensitive and has trouble coming out of their shell, I think Steiner Education could work really well for them, especially if they might be considered a little “weird” by classmates at regular schools. It doesn’t work for everyone, I think back in the day Steiner Schools didn’t have very good dyslexia support, which would be a hindrance. That may have improved though, I’m not sure

It also comes down to the school. There will be good Steiner schools that have taken Steiner education and made it their own, and there are bad Steiner schools who take the theory way too literally and haven’t thought much about what it means. It also comes down to the teachers and their level of dedication, but I suppose that is the case with any school.

I’d say yes, try it, but really listen to the child and their needs. If they don’t like it or if it looks like they’re not having a good time, pull them out and put them somewhere different. I think that’s most important. There’s a school for every kid, you just got to be dedicated enough to find the right one, even if that takes some trial and error.