Family asks why Steiner ethos of no formal literacy teaching in early years has been ditched, in former Steiner free school

A state-funded school, which was set up on the basis that it would delay the teaching of reading and writing until children were seven, abandoned this principle despite it being in effect enshrined in the constitution it agreed with the government, a family has claimed.

The former Steiner Academy Bristol has started teaching children to read and write formally by year one, despite families having opted for the free school on the basis that this would not happen, parent Melanie Green* has stated.

In what seems a dramatic departure from this former ethos, the school appears to have opted last year to sign up for resources and training offered by the high profile synthetic phonics advocate and government adviser Ruth Miskin.

Last November, following a highly critical Ofsted report, control of the school was shifted to another academy trust, which is under no obligation to continue with less formal early years teaching. It is now teaching reading, writing and mathematics formally in the early years, it is claimed.

The dispute comes as controversy continues to dog this and two other former Steiner free schools, which were transferred to an academy chain – Avanti Schools Trust – last November. Avanti is shortly to conclude a review of the schools’ curricula, which some parents who opted for the academies on the basis of their Rudolf Steiner ethos fear will leave little of it remaining.