Dear St Paul’s Steiner School community,

We are coming to the end of the school year 2023/24 and I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support of St Paul’s Steiner School and the unique education we provide. 

We now have a Labour government, and as an independent school, we are still waiting to hear when the business rate relief and exemption on VAT will end. The expectation is in April or September 2025, as the first Labour budget will come in September 2024, at the earliest. We are monitoring the situation, and we support the fellowship, Waldorf UK, in their wish to work with the government in implementing the VAT in phases and with a VAT-free threshold for fees.

We are incredibly grateful to Belle Benson for her time as Chair of Trustees at St Paul’s, and we thank Matt René for taking over until a long-term replacement can be found. Belle became the Chair of Trustees at the same time as I became Headteacher, and it has been so valuable to have the support, and challenge, from her board. During her time, the working relationship between the strategic board and operational school leadership has been made clear and productive. We managed the challenges of COVID, and we have recovered from the falling numbers as we are now in a strong position to meet a new set of expected and unexpected events. Personally, I will miss our relationship, which has the perfect balance of total agreement on the fundamentals and at times robust disagreements!

Most of all this is down to the belief in the necessity of the creative, reverent, and child-centred wonders of this education, which is crucial in our time. Steiner-Waldorf schools are in a unique position in the educational landscape, offering a true head, heart, and hands education. I hope many of you will see the woodwork and handwork exhibition on Wednesday and meet Ms Garland and Mr Hammond.

The End of Year festival will focus on Mr Reeves’ Class VIII students who will be stretching their wings and moving to their next school to continue their education, for some, after a full 11 years at St Paul’s. This class started with Mrs.Gudka as the class teacher, and I know that Mr Reeves has a deep gratitude for the foundational habits she instilled in those first years. It is beautiful how in the first Rose festival in the autumn, Mr Reeves’ Class VIII welcomed Mrs.Gudka’s Class I and how this festival is happening in reverse at the end of the year when Class I is leading the farewell. I know Mr Reeves is so proud of each one of the students, and we all wish them the best on their journey. Every class has a particular character, and it is often a reflection of the teacher. This class has met the challenges and rewards of Class VIII with dedication and calmness. A special mention to parents, Tamara and James who are leaving the school after so many years.  

I am aware that many more would have wanted to be in the Nave and celebrate the end of the year together and it is with regret that it is not possible. I hope that the many opportunities to see work in the school has alleviated the loss. In particular, the Class VIII project presentations and Shakespeare play, in which they shined.

The summer weeks are coming up, and I hope that we can all take the opportunity to leave our screens as much as possible and be conscious of being fully present in our families, nurture friendships, and spend as much time as possible being creative and in rhythm with nature. I wish all the children enough boredom to find their own games this summer!

The quality of communication is something we will focus on next year and bring as much reverence back as possible.

A huge thank you to all the staff and teachers who make the school the special place it is, to all trustees who give their time to St Paul’s, and to all parents who continue to support the education.

Warm wishes,

Anna Retsler

Head teacher

St Paul's Steiner School

Our entrance nature table for Pride

Class VIII were amazing in their production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.  They worked so hard with director Mrs Akuwudike to achieve stunning performances and an incredible stage design.

The very first thing we did as a class to prepare for the play was to write the whole story down in detail. This took several months and nearly two blank books, and really helped us get to know the characters and the story properly in the long term, rather than just learning the lines and blindly following what the script told us to do. If we hadn’t done this, I don’t think our final production would have had nearly as much life and energy as we wouldn’t have been familiar enough with the plot, and wouldn’t have been as able to put in our own opinions of how characters would have reacted etc.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was definitely adapting to the personality of my character, Benedick. This was especially difficult, as last year, in our Class 7 play, I was a narrator and didn’t have as much role playing experience as some of my other classmates. I managed to overcome this challenge by simply letting go of my self-consciousness, and just trying to be more relaxed in the way I acted.

I was actually surprised at how easy the first performance seemed, but most of that was probably from the huge rush of adrenaline that I got from the whole experience, but nevertheless, I really expected it to be way more stressful than it actually turned out to be.

Kai

Doing Much Ado About Nothing as our Class VIII play has been the most extraordinary experience, for some parts it even felt like the rehearsals and the repeats were more fun than the actual performance, this was probably mainly because Much Ado is such an amusing play and even though my role isn't specifically funny (Hero) it was still great to watch my classmates show their funny characters. One rewarding comment I heard from the audience was that the party dances were really humorous and fun which made me feel like all the work that was put into the dances was definitely worthwhile, even if our breaths were limited at the time.

Maria Paz

The experience of the play was clearly very challenging for me and my classmates. I found it really interesting to think back now on how things changed over the process of the play and how much I had to give as we went further into the play. It was difficult for me to be pushed past my comfort zone, however, I think despite that I managed to get through and eventually found myself enjoying things I didn't think I could do. Separating myself from my character was difficult for me, as I had to display the emotions my character had to feel, but at the same time I didn't really want to feel those things, I found that a sudden break of character as soon as I left stage helped me with the separation as well as being a kind of fun pastime for me. I found the play both insanely difficult and really fun, but I think the one thing I have taken from this experience and something I would tell others is, that you cannot approach it weakly. I had to approach it in a positive way making everything terrifying and difficult into something I could do.

Lila

Hero, the innocent and beautiful daughter of Leonato/a, was my character, whom I enjoyed playing very much, for many reasons, one being that I was allowed to explore the real depth of her character, even though there were no Shakespeare words for Hero to speak at the end of the play, I was able to express what she most likely felt through dance, accompanied by my own music composition. I loved producing this part of the play with everyone because I was supported and respected by my classmates and teachers. There weren't really any challenges I faced, maybe it was a bit challenging acting out the scenes where Hero and her beloved Claudio are all ‘lovey-dovey’, but I got over it and I remembered that I was only acting. I also realised looking into someone's eyes for a notable time was not a challenge for me. As I said at the beginning “This play has been the most extraordinary experience” and I hope to have many more like this in the future.

Performing Much Ado About Nothing has been a great journey for me. It was particularly rewarding for me to hear how much the audience enjoyed the performance because it made me realise that all the work and effort, we put in paid off. I also learned a lot of useful things along the way. The biggest teaching, I had was to judge on my own if I had given my all and put hard work in, instead of always seeking other's opinions. A very enjoyable character for me to play was Dogberry, a silly police officer whose vocabulary is riddled with malaprops. The role allowed me to channel all the Guy Richie films I’ve watched. My biggest challenge throughout the play was singing a solo, as I’ve never been much of a singer. I had to really push my limits, though eventually, I relished the opportunity to wail a dramatic love song in front of an audience.

Juri

I think the main thing that changed in me from before the play up to the end of the play is the confidence to fail. I was always scared of disappointing someone that I cared about, and I used to feel that when I failed at something, I let my parents, family, and friends down. Only after the play did I realise that I don't need to worry about disappointing them, instead of thinking about it, just put more work into whatever it is, which makes my chances instantly increase.

I also understand that I need to start thinking and doing stuff for myself and not for others like I used to do all the time. What I mean by that is, I used to think too much about how other people judge me for my actions, and that led me into doing stuff I didn't really want to do, or just giving up on things that I wanted to do, only because I was scared of what they will think of me, or worst stop being friends with me.

I also started playing games with other classes because my class usually chooses to talk instead of play which is fine. I just prefer to play a game or do a type of sport, I especially started playing with Classes 4,5 and 7 more often. I just stopped caring about what other people think of me and just doing what I love, even now sometimes it's still hard for me not to think what other people think of me. Just enjoy!

Bad days give you lessons and good days bring you memories. Be grateful for everything and try to see the good in anything, it’s going to be hard but I promise it will pay off in life.

And trust me when I’m saying it helps so much in so many ways including the Class 8 play.

Ariel

One of the biggest challenges for me was getting to the other side of the stage while putting on a costume and while getting all the props, before bursting through the door onto the stage. In many scenes, like Verges telling Leonata about some criminals and then straight

into being Friar Francis [the priest] leading the wedding between Claudio and Hero, I had a quick change. Another challenge was trying not to laugh, this might seem simple but in some of the Dogberry/ Verges scenes, I would always crack a smile and laugh when we got off stage.

Most lines were easy to learn just reciting it over and over again but some were really annoying to remember, for seemingly no reason at all.

Overall, I think overcoming these challenges made it fun and interesting to do the play, without the worry if I would be able and how I would be able to do such a performance.

Leo G
 

While playing my part as Benedick, I had to really try to understand and empathise with what his reactions and emotions would be. The play was of course a comedy/romance so much of the acting was overly exaggerated, but I think that as myself, I'm quite a chatty person, I enjoy social conversation, so to be Benedick, I had to be start being this witty outward kind of guy, Benedick loves to announce and give speeches.

Interacting with classmates in the play was extremely interesting as we had to learn to listen to what each other's characters were saying and react appropriately. When we were actually playing our parts in rehearsals or performances, I tried not to feel genuine love or anger toward my classmates but rather to feel that to their characters. Other than that I think the making of the stage and the props brought me and my classmates a lot closer.

There were times when Mrs Akuwudike would “comment” on certain faults in performance, this was extremely aggravating but it was also definitely beneficial, moments like this were by far the most entertaining moments in rehearsals. Overall I think that doing this play doesn't just teach us to improve our acting but also helps us learn to have a lot of discipline. Personally, I have very little discipline and find it hard to motivate myself, this is why I think doing a challenging Shakespeare play is particularly good for us, it forces us to have self-discipline to learn our lines and perform as best we can because if we don't we shame ourselves in front of an audience.

Leo S

Class VIII was awarded for their work on the play with a trip to Nimes.  Highlights included visiting art museums, swimming under the Pont du Gard, Roman temples, French fine dining experiences as well as picnics from French markets!

For Windrush this year, we once again welcomed a steel band who played music for us all to dance to.  We enjoyed an amazing array of Carribean food cooked by our Jamaican Office Manager and a team of enthusiastic parents- thank you!

Class V took part in the national Waldorf Class V Olympics at Forest Row as part of their Ancient Greece block.  They camped there for a week to train, then families watched a wonderful Opening Ceremony in the morning followed by the Games themselves.  They each received a medal for taking part.  We are so proud of Class V's hard work and team effort!

Class VII spent a week at Plas Y Brenin, an Outdoor Centre in Snowdonia.  They spent the week gorge scrambling, climbing, coasteering, wild swimming, orienteering and climbing a mountain!  Their enthusiasm and bravery were fantastic, truly bonding as a class, working together, and conquering their fears!

Class III made some beautiful drawings for the set of their play.

Mr Okello has been with us since January, teaching Maths to Classes V - VIII.  We asked Class V to describe him and talked to Mr Okello about his time so far at St Paul's...

'Funny', 'Amazing', 'Good at explaining', 'Kind', 'Quick-witted', 'He has a calculator mind', 'Great at showing us new methods and tricks for timetables and processes'

Mr.Okello has seen Class V’s confidence grow increasingly this term. 

''We have been concentrating on percentages and relating them to everyday life, having discussions like ‘why do we get discounts on things in bulk, and how is it viable?’  The students are given a ‘pot of money’, encouraging them to budget together as a team.  In Class V we focus on laying the foundations for Middle School.  The aim is to understand the 4 processes- if they have these Maths basics, they can progress and take on any Maths challenge.  After many years teaching Maths in mainstream secondary schools, teaching at a Steiner Waldorf School has been a unique experience.'' 

What Mr.Okello most admires about St Paul’s is the way the students are wrapped in confidence that is generated by themselves. 

''St Paul's students don’t need a lot of protection as they are resilient, confident, and look after themselves, expressing their needs well.'' 

When Class VIII leave and go on to do their GCSEs at another school, Mr.Okello is confident that they will be ready and prepared for their journey in Maths. 

'‘Our students have had time to question and learn at their own pace, to fully understand topics and not be restricted by exams and targets.  They will leave grounded and adept at applying their skills to any situation.  St Paul’s is like a family, a small school with a big heart.  Students are given confidence and a strong foundation so that they leave fully resilient, and able to thrive wherever they go.’'

He admires the Waldorf ethos and has praised St Paul’s to his former mainstream colleagues, commending our students.  We have learnt so much from his years of experience and are very grateful to him for his inspiring outlook.

Thank you Mr.Okello for preparing our students for their future and giving them a strong foundation in Maths!

Thank you to the SPCG and parents for making this year's Pea Fair another memorable community event!

SEEKING A STEINER TRAINED TEACHER for private lessons

Oscar is an energetic, curious, loving, home-educated, 6 YEAR OLD boy.
He lives in Bristol but often stays with his Nana in STOKE NEWINGTON.
Circumstances do not allow him to be Steiner Educated but the family would love him to have a taste of the Steiner approach, and are looking for someone who would be interested in a couple of half days here in London per month.

Please contact Deborah Dawkin on 07786638008 if you think this might be for you.
 

Rose Bowl Summer Holiday

Activities 8-12s

Drop in for a range of activities including arts and crafts, dance, cooking, indoor and outdoor games. We also have football and multi-sports delivered by Access to Sports. On Thursdays we have trips.

There is a free lunch included as part of Islington's Holiday Activity and Food programme. If you have any special dietary requirements please email in advance and let us know.

There is no need to book, you can just turn up but new participants need to be registered by parents.

Dates: every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from Thursday 25 July through to Wednesday 17 August.

Times: 10.30 - 3.30pm

Ages: 8—12

More info: email rosebowl@isledon.co.uk

The new edition of the Family First magazine is out now-

https://familyfirst.co.uk/magazines/family-first-issue-3-2024/