Early childhood Education
Term 4, 2026
Overview
The Term 4 of this one-year part-time course will offer parents and early
childhood educators and teachers in all settings the opportunity to develop new skills and deepen their understanding of Rudolf Steiner education for the foundational 7 years of early childhood.
It is also suitable for home-schooling parents, therapists, and anyone who is interested in caring for young children or hoping to seek employment in Steiner / Waldorf settings.
The online course is live-streamed,
allowing you to engage directly with the tutors, experienced Early Childhood
Steiner / Waldorf teachers. It will also be recorded for later viewing.This course will give you a certificate of professional development hours referencing the Australian Teacher Professional Standards.
Dates: 14 October to 18 November 2026
Days & time: Wednesdays 7-8.30pm (Melbourne time)
Duration: 6 weeks | Live Online: 1.5 hours per week
Tutors: Kim Roche & Leanne Moraes
Term 4 Time Table
Tutor: Kim Roche (14 & 21 Oct)
Family Play Group and Working with Parents
Tutor: Leanne Moraes (28 October, 4, 11, 18 Nov)
The Year’s Circle: Celebrating Festivals and Rhythms
- Discover the significance and reasons of celebrating festivals throughout the year and understanding their rhythms. You will learn how to thoughtfully plan festival elements and prepare children for these meaningful events.
Leanne Moraes has been a kindergarten teacher all of my adult life. She retired in recent years after entering her 40th year of teaching, taking a only a couple of years off to parent her three children. She taught at the Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School for 28 years, working across the sector from family play groups, kindergarten and prep.
"I love my work, as it embraces a wide breadth of learning and skill set: story telling, parent liaison , festivals, nutrition , gardening , the arts and crafts , environment care and sustainability, to mention a few . There are always new and wonderful things to learn and discover within the curriculum but more importantly with the meeting of new children and their families each year. I have been involved in teacher training here and in India, and have participated in the Vital Years conference. I have also previously been in the association supporting early childhood in Victoria and Australia. In my spare time I have three young grandsons to share in my life."
Kim Roche's introduction to playgroup was when she attended a Steiner playgroup with the first of her three children. This experience of being part of a soul-nourishing community was so profound that it put her and her family on the path to living a rich family life supported by Steiner education. She is now a Playgroup Leader herself within a Steiner school setting. She has a background in teaching primary school aged children and has trained and worked as a counsellor in both a school setting and private practice. Kim is passionate about supporting families to help them navigate modern life and to bring together community. She has a love of singing and storytelling and enjoys gardening with all the challenges that growing some of your own food can bring .
Fee$445 per term
Withdrawing and refunds Please notify us by email if you will be withdrawing from a course.
If you withdraw prior to course beginning we will refund any fees paid less a $100 enrolment processing fee.
If you withdraw after the first session of the course, we will refund any fees paid, less $155 administration fee.
If you withdraw after the second week, no refunds can be given.
Our part-time courses come with a certificate of Professional Development hours, subject to meeting the course requirements. Each evening will be live streamed and recorded. We require your attendance of 100% of sessions, viewed either live or by the recording, in order to gain the acknowledgement of PD hours completed.