Waldorf School in Zagreb

Holistic Primary Education - with Individual Approach to Each Child

A School that Really Prepares Children for Life

Watch this amazing video and check out why successful Silicon Valley managers choose Waldorf Elementary School for their children:

For more information on Waldorf educational approach and benefits, please feel free to e-mail us or give us a call:

E: info@wuz.hr | T: 01/6609-609 & 01/6609/598 | M: 091/2010-609

Part of a Large International Network

At present, Waldorf Schools are successfully operating in over 60 countries on 5 continents!

Our elementary school in Zagreb is active for over 20+ years and has enriched hundreds of children with benefits of the unique Waldorf curriculum.

Over the years, children from all over the world have attended our school, including from New Zealand, Australia, USA, China, Turkey, Sweden, Hungary, Montenegro and others. Welcome!

Here is a live experience with our School from Mrs Ostroman from Australia:

"My children started Waldorf in Year 2 and Year 4 respectively. They have experienced many challenges moving to a different country, far removed from our Australia. The first obvious challenge for my children was the language barrier, they knew somewhat of the culture and traditions (being our heritage is Croatian) but still struggled with the language. My husband and I thought in-depth about their education and decided Waldorf School would be the right choice.

Almost 2 ½ years have past and I see how much they have grown not just physically but also spiritually. They absolutely love their school. They have established a relationship with their teacher that feeds their intellect and soul. They learn through actions, singing, dancing and eurythmia, and from subjects such as drawing, woodwork, needlework, geometry, they are constantly developing fine and gross motor skills. They have become so creative and artistic - this drives them to learn more. So they have found themselves with minimal knowledge of the Croatian language. The children in the school have always been welcoming and friendly and the staff at the school are warm and kind, you feel a sense of family belonging. My children are still learning the Croatian language but their development has not been hindered by this sole factor. They are forever growing.
LP Michelle"

The School for Inspired Learning

Waldorf schools - also known as Steiner schools - offer a developmentally appropriate, experiential, and academically rigorous approach to education. Waldorf Education aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and to enable them to fully develop their unique capacities.

Founded in the early 20th century, Waldorf Education is based on the insights, teachings and principles of education outlined by the world renowned artist, and scientist, Rudolf Steiner. The principles of Waldorf Education evolve from an understanding of human development that address the needs of the growing child.

Music, dance and theater, writing, literature, legends and myths are not simply subjects to be read about and tested. They are experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world.

Professors who have taught Waldorf students across many academic disciplines note that Waldorf graduates have the ability to integrate thinking; to assimilate information as opposed to memorizing isolated facts; to be flexible, creative and willing to take intellectual risks; and are leaders with high ethical and moral standards who take initiative and are passionate to reach their goals.

Teachers in Waldorf schools are dedicated to generating an inner enthusiasm for learning within every child. This eliminates the need for competitive testing, academic placement, and rewards to motivate learning and allows motivation to arise from within. It helps engender the capacity for joyful life-long learning.

Waldorf Education is independent and inclusive. It is a truly Inspired Learning.

Developing Creative Thinking and Leadership

We know that education is more than the acquisition of information, rigid academic curricula, and high stakes testing. In fact, the world is changing so rapidly that no one can really predict what information our children will need to know in the future. However, it is clear that intellectual flexibility, creative thinking, independent judgment, moral discernment, refined written and oral communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively will be essential to success in today’s ever changing, global community. The Waldorf curriculum, pedagogy, and teaching methods are designed to nurture these capacities and more.

It is the goal of a Waldorf teacher to cultivate a sense of wonder and to inspire children to view the world as magnificent - prompting each student to embrace life with enthusiasm, initiative, and purpose. These aims are met through an education that is rich with meaningful sense experiences, classical academics, and artistic beauty in all subject matters.

Whether our graduates become doctors, scientists, artists or musicians, the capacities developed through a Waldorf Education provide them with a foundation for success in whatever field they pursue. Professors in various academic disciplines and in a wide range of colleges and universities who have had Waldorf graduates as students corroborate this. They note that Waldorf graduates have the ability to integrate thinking, to assimilate information as opposed to memorizing isolated facts, are willing to take intellectual risks, and are leaders who take initiative.

Scientific Research on Waldorf Schools

A 2006 PISA study of Austrian students found that Austrian Waldorf students are above average in science. The Waldorf students did best in understanding the questions raised by science and the ability to solve scientific problems and were also above the OECD average for their joy and interest in science.

A 2012 study of Waldorf pupils in Germany concluded that, in comparison to state school pupils, Waldorf students are significantly more enthusiastic about learning, report having more fun and being less bored in school, more often feel individually met, and learn more from school about their personal academic strengths. 85% of the Waldorf students reported that their school environment was pleasant and supportive, compared to 60% of the state school students. More than twice as many Waldorf students report having good relationships with teachers. Waldorf pupils also have significantly less physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, or disrupted sleep. There was no statistically significant difference between the state and Waldorf pupils’ achievement on state examinations; this is also true when test scores are compared based on the type of high school diploma granted.
In 2005 a UK Department for Education and Skills report noted significant differences in curriculum and pedagogical approach between Waldorf/Steiner and mainstream schools and suggested that each type of school could learn from the other type's strengths: in particular, that state schools could benefit from Waldorf education's early introduction and approach to modern foreign languages; combination of block (class) and subject teaching for younger children; development of speaking and listening through an emphasis on oral work; good pacing of lessons through an emphasis on rhythm; emphasis on child development guiding the curriculum and examinations; approach to art and creativity; attention given to teachers’ reflective activity and heightened awareness (in collective child study for example); and collegial structure of leadership and management, including collegial study. Aspects of mainstream practice which could inform good practice in Waldorf schools included: management skills and ways of improving organizational and administrative efficiency; classroom management; work with secondary-school age children; and assessment and record keeping.

A 1995 survey of U.S. Waldorf schools found that parents overall experienced the Waldorf schools as achieving their major aims for students, and described the education as one that "integrates the aesthetic, spiritual and interpersonal development of the child with rigorous intellectual development", preserving students' enthusiasm for learning so that they develop a better sense of self-confidence and self-direction.

Waldorf students are less exposed to standardized testing; such tests are generally absent in the elementary school years. Despite this, U.S. Waldorf pupils' SAT scores have usually come above the national average, especially on verbal measures. Studies comparing students' performance on college-entrance examinations in Germany found that as a group, Waldorf graduates passed the exam at double to triple the rate of students graduating from the state education system and that students who had attended Waldorf schools for their entire education passed at a much higher rate (40% vs. 26%) than those who only had part of their education at a Waldorf school.

A major quantitative and qualitative study of senior secondary students in the three largest Steiner schools in Australia was undertaken byJennifer Gidley in the mid-1990s. It investigated the Steiner-educated students’ views and visions of the future, replicating a major study with a large cross-section of mainstream and other private school students undertaken a few years prior. The findings as summarised below contrasted markedly in some areas with the research from mainstream students at the time:

Steiner-educated students were able to develop richer, more detailed images of their 'preferred futures' than mainstream students.

About three-quarters were able to envision positive changes in both the environment and human development; almost two-thirds were able to imagine positive changes in the socio-economic area;

They tended to focus on ‘social’ rather than ‘technological’ ways of solving problems;

In envisioning futures without war, their visions primarily related to improvements in human relationships and communication through dialogue and conflict resolution rather than a 'passive peace' image;

75% had many ideas on what aspects of human development (including their own) needed to be changed to enable the fulfilment of their aspirations. These included more activism, value changes, spirituality, future care and better education;

In spite of identifying many of the same concerns as other students – global-scale environmental destruction, social injustice and threats of war – most of the Steiner students seemed undaunted in terms of their own will to do something to create their 'preferred future';

There were no gender differences found in the students’ preferred futures visions or in the richness and fluidity of their creative images.

A study comparing the drawing ability of children in Steiner/Waldorf, Montessori and traditional schools concluded that "the approach to art education in Steiner schools is conducive not only to more highly rated imaginative drawings in terms of general drawing ability and use of color but also to more accurate and detailed observational drawings," while another study found that Waldorf pupils average higher scores on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Ability than state-school students.

An American study found that Waldorf-educated students scored significantly higher on a test of moral reasoning than students in public high schools and students in a religiously affiliated high school. Waldorf students were also far more likely to volunteer opinions about the survey and research in general, suggesting possible improvements in the survey technique and offering alternative ways of resolving the moral dilemmas raised in the survey.
In 2006 studies have found Waldorf pupils to have a lower incidence of allergies and allergic-like symptoms, an effect which correlated with the extent to which they lived an "anthroposophic lifestyle" generally - in particular with reduced use of antibiotics, and antipyretics.

The Thomas E. Mathews Community School in Yuba County, California serves high-risk juvenile offenders, many of whom have learning disabilities. The school switched to Waldorf methods in the 1990s. A 1999 study of the school found that students had "improved attitudes toward learning, better social interaction and excellent academic progress." This study identified the integration of the arts "into every curriculum unit and almost every classroom activity" of the school as the most effective tool to help students overcome patterns of failure. The study also found significant improvements in reading and math scores, student participation, focus, openness and enthusiasm, as well as emotional stability, civility of interaction and tenacity.

Practical Benefits for Your Child

Some of the practical benefits of education in our school include:

01. Children develop an inner desire to learn

02. Children go to school with joy and happiness

03. Learning with understanding instead of just memorizing

04. Developing creativity in all aspects of life

05. Developing capabilities to adapt to new situations

06. Developing soft skills, such as presentation and communication skills etc.

07. Developing organizational capabilities and teamwork

08. Achieving higher levels of self-esteem

09. Individual approach to discover unique talents

10. Developing artistic capabilities in all children

11. Achieving better left-right hemisphere balance and thus a better balance in life

12. Advantage in foreign languages

13. Developing healthy habits and connection with nature

14. Encouraging a positive attitude towards Life

15. And last but not least:
Mastering educational content in a much simpler and more natural way, with a far less stress or struggle and far more contentment.

Experiential & Creative Learning in Practice

A Touch of Nature in School's Large Yard

Contact Us & Find Out More

Extensive info on Waldorf school in Zagreb is available in Croatian language on our official web page as well as the Facebook page:

W: www.waldorfska-skola.com | F: web.facebook.com/waldorfskaskola.uzagrebu

...while for any additional question please feel free to e-mail us or give us a call:

E: info@wuz.hr | T: 01/6609-609 & 01/6609/598 | M: 091/2010-609

We look forward to your contact!