Wynstones School was founded in 1937 by Margaret Bennell and Benedict Wood, two sociallyinclusive British educational reformers from Crouch End in London, alongside Bettina Mellinger, Rudi Lissau and Maria and Norbert Glas, predominantly Jewish Waldorf teachers who were émigrées from Germany.
It was based on and continues to aspire to a holistic vision of human development and potential articulated by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner and cultivated over the past century by Waldorf schools across the world. Today, with more than 1,000 Waldorf schools in 83 countries, Waldorf Education is the fastest growing independent educational movement in the world.
The school sits within an extensive estate near Gloucester in a village constellation of buildings designed to integrate the arts and crafts as well as sports and movement into the academic development of pupils, mirroring the pedagogical principle of ‘head, heart, hand’ increasingly used in progressive, child-centred education. Admissions are nonselective, whilst outcomes for pupils in state examinations are frequently towards the top of league tables.
Steiner Waldorf education recognises that every child is unique. For 80 years Wynstones has focused on enhancing each individual child’s strengths with a rich, creative curriculum that carefully meets the growing child's developmental needs. We strive to guide pupils to become unprejudiced, well-informed, confident and creative young people who are responsible and practical contributors to society.
We believe that it is not only what we learn that matters, but when and how we learn. Children pass through markedly different life stages and a Steiner-Waldorf education provides a coherent curriculum that takes its cues from the child’s needs at each life stage. Our approach develops faculties, rather than delivering information, it respects the essential nature of childhood, and encourages a lifelong love of learning.
At Wynstones we are more than just a school. We are a strong community of pupils, teachers, families and friends. Our education acknowledges the vital role of parents and other carers and we work to build effective parent-teacher partnerships. We have in our school community third generation pupils following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents.
