Being Seen

At the end of term Graduation Dinner, a parent highlighted his own experience of a parent teacher meeting that for him typified why he had sent his daughter to our school. He said that at the other school his daughter had attended, those meetings were often dominated by discussions of his daughter’s deficits - what she isn’t doing well and what she must do to achieve more. He explained that when he came to his first meeting with a teacher at our school the high school teacher spoke of her qualities and strengths with an emotional connection to her. He believed his daughter was truly being “seen” and appreciated for the first time in a school. This vignette reflects the striving of the people who work with our children and we can be proud and deeply grateful they offer this education to the world. Each of us has a chance to “see” the other and offer gratitude for all their strengths. Thank you to everyone who works to develop and strengthen our children to live in the world. 

Budget Matters

At the last School Council meeeting, the main item was the 2025 budget. Fiscal stewardship is a major task of the governing body and much detail is provided about the finances of the school to the Council so that they are both aware and also can act responsibly, in the best interests of business continuity and growth. 

A bit of history: 

In 2006, the School council decided to restart a Steiner high school in Bibra Lake. 

In 2014, the School council made a decision to ensure there were enough places for Steiner school Class 6 graduates from PWS, West Coast and Silver Tree and we started double streaming our high school in 2015. 

In 2019, the council doubled down on that decision and our school triple-streamed the high school from 2022, via the new campus called Parkerville Steiner College. Next year, at Parkerville, Class 7 has waitlists to get in and all other classes have higher than expected numbers. It has been a successful decision supported by government grants and low interest loans for the buildings needed.

Current Situation:

As of this moment there is a forecast change in our headcount from 637 students in 2024 to 687 in 2025. More than 50 new souls will enter our school in 2025. We are one of the largest Steiner schools in Australia with high quality graduates each year. More than that though, we are stable, well governed and managed and we have a strong anthroposophical underpinning via a staff body that has access to quality professional development. For example, many of our teachers and assistant teachers have been attending fully funded anthroposophical studies for 1.5hrs each week this year, to ensure our ethos is being supported and strengthened. 

From a moral and ethical point of view, we are supporting the growth of this wonderful education and meeting the needs of the three other Steiner primary schools in Perth. From a financial point of view we have been able to provide these extra places while still paying our staff equivalent to state school teacher salaries and ensuring that there are enough resources and support for teachers and students, as required or requested. For example, the staff to student ratios across the classes is high. Also, we continue to offer a holistic curriculum that covers everything from craft to camps to physics, phys ed and philosophy. There is no scrimping on the curriculum to keep costs low. 

Outcome: As part of the budget approval process the school council has approved a wage rise that will keep salaries competitive with state school counterparts and it has also approved a tuition fee increase of 6%. This annual increase in fees recognises the cost pressures that are affecting everyone but it keeps the increase below the Education CPI. In order to support families in need, our bursary programme for short term relief will continue to be offered. Our ongoing aim is to remain a low fee paying school while punching above our weight by providing an excellent, student centred, holistic, Steiner education.

This is the final Pabulum for the year. Thank you for the contributions of many people who have made it a great “go-to” source of information but even more so, a wonderful and entertaining record of the life of our school. The science teachers in particular have excelled at keeping us abreast of the latest main lessons with dynamic photos as well. Special thanks to Debbie-Lee Sorensen who has often been behind the graphic art and copy and to Fiona Peters who publishes the Pabulum each week. It’s a complex task with many late entries and missed deadlines to submit and she manages to distribute it weekly, without rancour. Thank you. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year

May Advent provide opportunities for us all to reflect on the gifts we have and how we can use our talents and our humanity to make a positive difference within our circle of influence as well as to the world. Peace be within you and may we all have a safe and prosperous 2025.