The Kildare Steiner Waldorf School is a thriving independent, multi-denominational and co-educational school situated in the rolling countryside of County Kildare, bordering County Wicklow.

The aim of Steiner Waldorf education is to inspire, in each student, a lifelong love of learning and to enable them to develop fully their unique capacities. It offers a nature-based curriculum tailored to your child’s deepest needs and stage of development and focuses on educating the whole child—balancing academic, artistic and practical learning. There is a strong emphasis on 21^st century skills such as independent thinking, self-confidence, resourcefulness and creativity, along with small class sizes, a very positive peer group and inspiring teachers.

In the one hundred or so years since it was first developed, Steiner Waldorf education has become the largest independent educational movement worldwide. The Kildare Steiner Waldorf School is one of more than 1000 schools and 1600 kindergartens and early childhood centers throughout the world.

As an independent school, we do not receive any funding from the Department of Education & Skills and is dependent on fees, fundraising and donations to cover the costs of running the school.

Our School’s History

The School was founded in 1988, by a group of parents and teachers who were inspired by this method of education.

The school was initially based on Templeogue Road, with a kindergarten of 18 children. Within a year it had moved to its own premises at 28 Maxwell Road in Rathmines and continued to grow. This necessitated a move to find a bigger premises and the decision was made to relocate to Co. Kildare, initially in Dunshane, near Kilcullen.

The school then moved to its permanent site at Rathargid, Gormanstown, Co. Kildare, a beautiful 4.2 acre location near the Wicklow border.  The school continues to flourish, with a dedicated team of inspiring teachers and small class sizes.

All parents are actively involved in the life of the school community, working together to ensure the best possible education for their children.

The Kildare Steiner Waldorf School is a member of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship of UK and Ireland. The Fellowship represents 31 schools in the UK and Ireland and co-ordinates Steiner curriculum research and development, supports teacher training programmes, and provides advisory and mentoring services to member schools. The Fellowship is part of the international European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education (ECSWE) comprising 26 national Steiner Waldorf Associations, representing over 680 schools in Europe.

The Kildare Steiner Waldorf School is a registered charity (CHY14243) and is an approved provider under the Department of Children and Youth Affairs’ Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme.