The school’s leaders have lamented a “moment of loss”
Bristol Waldorf School is closing down at the end of the current term(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
A Bristol school which employs alternative teaching methods is set to close down after more than 50 years. Bristol Waldorf School, in Redland, will close at the end of the year due to financial difficulties.
“It is with with profound sadness and deep regret that I write to inform you that the Board of Trustees has concluded it is the intention of the Board to close Bristol Waldorf School at the end of the autumn term, Wednesday 15th December 2025,” a letter to parents seen by Bristol Live said.
The letter continued: “We are incredibly sorry to find ourselves in this position. We understand the impact this will have on our community.
“This intention has not been formed lightly. As a Board, we have explored every possible avenue to continue, but we have not been able to find a way forward.”
Last year, the school — formerly known as Bristol Steiner School — narrowly staved off the threat of closure by raising nearly £1m through a combination of donations and loans. However, that has proved to be a temporary stay of execution.
“We recognise the founders who dared to imagine something different, all the families and alumni standing behind us, and most recently, the parents and supporters who saved the school from administration,” the letter continued.
“This is a moment of loss, and we acknowledge the grief many will feel.” Bristol Waldorf school was founded in 1973 and teaches children aged three-11.
The school, which had 91 children on roll as of June, teaches using the controversial Waldorf education method. The method is based on the theories of Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner, who died in 1975. Many of Steiner’s views have been dismissed as pseudoscientific, and he claimed to be a clairvoyant.
Bristol Waldorf was the subject of a damning recent Ofsted report. The report said safeguarding measures at the school were severely lacking, and blamed its alternative curriculum for creating gaps in children’s knowledge.
In schools which employ the Waldorf method, there is much less standardised testing than in mainstream education. Teachers are given high levels of autonomy as to how to run their classes and children typically do not start learning to read until the age of six or seven.
The teaching methods used at the school have been criticised(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
Bristol Waldorf’s motto is “where education is a journey, not a race”. According to the school’s website, “Waldorf education offers a more rounded experience. Knowledge, skills and competencies are developed in tandem to support growth in the capacities needed for life-long learning.”
“At Bristol Waldorf School, formal academic learning begins at age six, which is slightly later than in the national curriculum but aligns with other successful education models worldwide.”
The independent school determines the fees it charges parents using a ‘sliding scale’. Fees range from £5,000-£12,500 depending on income and net worth, it states, though the figure listed on Ofsted’s report was £5,250 to £13,700.
The school’s letter to parents said that model had not generated enough income to keep Bristol Waldorf open, while also attributing the closure to a number of other factors such as VAT being applied to school fees and leadership and staffing challenges.
“We have recently received analysis of fee agreements from parents for this academic year confirming student numbers and contribution levels,” the letter said. “Following this, it is evident that we have insufficient forecasted income to support continuation beyond December 2025”.
Bristol Waldorf’s leadership said it was committed to helping children in its care with the transition process to a new school. A meeting will be held at the school at 6pm tonight (October 16) to answer questions about the closure.
Bristol Waldorf School was contacted for further comment.