The Vancouver Waldorf School
Our two campuses are situated on the unceded ancestral territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations located in the north shore mountains of North Vancouver. We have programs for families with infants up through students in twelfth grade. Our Lynn Valley campus is home to our Early Childhood programs (Parent & Tot, Preschool, and Kindergarten) and our Grade School which serves students from grade one through eight. Our Edgemont campus is home to our High School programs – grades nine through twelve. Just minutes from downtown Vancouver and surrounded by green spaces, our locations offer a unique and beautiful balance of natural and urban landscapes.
Students learn from an early age to engage in their own learning process. The imaginative play and grace of the Kindergarten years evolve into an experience of meeting the beauty and complexity of the world with sensitivity and hope. This foundation leads to a rich academic high school experience that supports youth in realizing their full potential as students, as people, as members of the human community.
In addition to imparting knowledge, we foster in children a sense of reverence and respect for life. The close relationships between students and teachers enhance learning and the ability to explore new interests and take on new challenges. Students are engaged in a learning experience both artistic and academically challenging.
We admit and welcome students of any race, colour, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at VWS. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national and ethnic origin in the administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, tuition assistance program, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
We are a registered charitable society (Registration no.: 108167917RR0001) and a full member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.
Respect – For ourselves, for each other, for the earth, for the education
Integrity – Act with authenticity, act with transparency, act with uprightness
Commitment – Have dedication, have courage, take responsibility
Reverence – For childhood, for rhythm, for wonder, for humanity, for our spiritual intentions
In carrying out the Vancouver Waldorf School’s mission, we endeavour in all circumstances to:
- Deliver Waldorf curriculum in alignment with the shared principles for schools, as set out by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
- Foster a lifelong love of learning
- Provide opportunities for learning and development for the faculty, staff and community
- Strive for a socially, physically and financially vibrant and sustainable environment that nurtures the students, supports the faculty and staff, and engages the alum and community
- Provide and maintain a beautiful and healthy environment that supports the education of the students
- Inspire a community where individuals participate and contribute to the school’s vision and mission while working out of our core values
- Embrace cultural, social and economic diversity within the life of the school
- Operate out of a recognition of the threefold principles of life, and create a school that is a living, evolving organism
What is Waldorf Education?
Waldorf schools offer a developmentally appropriate, experiential, and academically-rigorous approach to education. To enhance and enrich learning, arts are integrated with all academic disciplines from preschool through twelfth grade. Waldorf education aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and enable them to fully develop their unique capacities. The principles of Waldorf education evolve from an understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child.
The curriculum is not simply made up of 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 be of service to the world.
At the heart of the school is an innovative education, a 100-year-old, humanistic approach to learning taught at more than 1,200 schools worldwide. Waldorf teachers share the vision that education is transformative, and collectively, they strive to help students become free, resilient, creative human beings who lead lives of purpose and direction.
What is Anthroposophy?
Anthroposophy is a philosophy that denotes a method of inquiry and a path of research rather than a fixed set of ideas. Founded by philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 20th century, anthroposophy is most often applied in formal education, therapeutic, and creative systems. Maintaining the principles central to Steiner’s early anthroposophical insights, specific Waldorf pedagogical methods continue to evolve to serve the modern age. Waldorf education and biodynamic farming are examples of applied anthroposophy—practices that bridge science, the arts, and ethics to nurture humanity’s physical, emotional, and social health while remaining connected to and in harmony with nature.
Our Affiliations
VWS is a full member of the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America (AWSNA), the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN), and an Associate Member Society of the Federation of Independent School Associations in British Columbia (AMS/FISA BC). VWS is accredited by both AWSNA and the BC Ministry of Education.
“The need for imagination, a sense of truth and a feeling of responsibility – these are the three forces which are the very nerve of education.” – Rudolf Steiner.
