Orana School for Rudolf Steiner Education
Member of the Rudolf Steiner Schools Association

Back to Steiner Schools in Australia

The school has their own web site at: www.oranaschool.com

Orana School is situated in Canberra, Australia’s national capital, 250 km south-west of Sydney.

Established in 1981, Orana School currently has 570 students enrolled from pre kindergarten to Senior College (Years 11 and 12). Orana is set on beautiful 13 hectare campus with comprehensive facilities, situated only 7 km from the centre of Canberra: a "country setting within the city".

Orana’s landscaped grounds include ovals, an amphitheatre, architect designed classrooms, library, music room, art centre, science block, woodwork and industrial arts room, drama room and other special purpose areas.

As with other Waldorf schools worldwide, Orana’s educational philosophy, teaching and learning principles are based on the educational insights and indications of Rudolf Steiner, who wrote and lectured extensively in the early years of the 20th century.

Orana implements a rich Steiner curriculum that seeks to develop in students all the faculties and powers of body, soul and spirit in a balanced and healthy way. As well as providing a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy, the school maintains a strong program of music and choir, various art forms, handwork and crafts, eurythmy, games and physical education. The foreign languages taught at Orana are Japanese and German..

Class sizes at Orana average about 28 students, with slightly bigger numbers (up to a maximum of 30) in the junior classes and slightly smaller in senior classes.

Parents are able to regularly experience music, drama and other performances by students at school assemblies and seasonal festivals, and the school has a strong social life which centres on these events.

Orana is coeducational, non-denominational and students of any race, ethnic or religious background are welcome at the school.

Funds for the school’s operation come from parental fees as well as significant grants from both national and local governments. Fees for parents are kept as accessible as possible for parents, and Orana offers discounts for second and subsequent children in order to assist larger families. Details on fees and the school’s enrolment policies are available on request.

Canberra is an inland city of some 300,000 people, about 40% of whom are employed by the national (Federal) government and its support agencies. Canberra enjoys a rich cultural life in the fine arts, crafts, music and theatre. The city has an open plan design with natural land interspersing urban centres linked by major arterial roads to make transport quick and simple. At a latitude of 35 degrees South and at 600 metres above sea level, Canberra enjoys true seasonal variation with beautiful autumn colourings and spring flowers, frosty nights in winter and hot, dry summers.

Canberra is some three hours drive from Sydney, Australia’s largest city, and two hours drive either to the coastal beaches to the east or to the winter snowfields to the south. It is also very close to large national parks to the east, south and west.

For more information about Orana please visit our website www.oranaschool.com

Last updated on 05 June, 2004