Children learn early maths skills from natural materials such as stones at Highgate House, a new kindergarten on The Peak that uses the approach of early 20th century German philosopher Rudolph Steiner.
Steiner believed that up to age seven, children should learn in a homely environment, their senses awakened through imitation, the rhythms of daily life and use of natural materials. Art, music, movement and story-telling are also central to the curriculum.
Steiner opened his first school in 1919 for the workers of the Waldorf Astoria Cigarette Factory in Stuttgart, Germany. Today, there are more than 700 Steiner or Waldorf schools worldwide, educating children from pre-school to upper-secondary levels. Highgate House has recruited Waldorf trainers from overseas to run a series of seminars to introduce kindergarten teachers to Steiner's methodology and ideas.