Two-Year Programme
The Two-Year Programme is a structured journey toward self-knowledge. Each block course, devised by the tutor and taught at the appropriate level, explores a subject and related subjects in depth. The students are able to work on the subject on many levels and from different perspectives, through science, art and the practical.
Art and science have long been separated in the Western mind. At Waldorf College we endeavour to bring art and science together so that one informs and enlightens the other. Science has always had a creative aspect in experimentation. When our students make soap, they are working with acids and bases in a chemical process and they create their own bars of soap that have colour, perfume and form.
Our Course on Bees in April and May will allow the students to explore the world of plant and animal through observation and recording in drawings and the course will evolve into a Social Sculpture on Bees. Social Sculpture is a group project created for the public to inform them about Bees through a social and artistic event.
In the first year, the students cover a wide range of subjects from the sciences, arts and humanities through intensive block courses, each lasting between 3 and 6 weeks. The emphasis is more on the natural and environmental sciences and technologies, with sustainability being a theme.
The second year curriculum is designed to cover a broader range of the humanities, arts and sciences and gives the students skills for work and their future lives. The block courses bring in a more universal and global perspective and require the students to do more independent research.
At the end of each block course, the students' project work is assessed by the tutor and then internally and externally verified by Open College Network (OCN). By the second year, most students are capable of working at OCN level 3 (A level standard) for their course work. OCN provides clear progression, quality assurance and a recognised route to university entrance.
All of our students who have applied for University entrance have gained their first choice based on their portfolios and interviews.
Independent Year Study
In addition to the second year curriculum, students choose a subject they want to study in depth as their Independent Year Study, that spans the whole of the second year. The College tutors support the students in researching and exploring on their own. The Independent Year project is presented to the whole College and parents at the end of the year and is accredited.
