Grounds and facilities
Mount Barker Waldorf School is situated in the beautiful rolling Adelaide Hills, and over the years it has been transformed from a cow paddock to an amazing school. The school is set on 20 acres of landscaped grounds, in a semi-rural environment. We value the natural environment our students can interact with, and the school’s role in promoting harmony with nature.
Living Arts Centre (LAC)
The LAC is a purpose built performance centre that was designed and built using the Steiner principles of design. This centre is heavily used by the school for music and dramatic arts performances as well as other functions. A warm fire welcomes you in to the beautiful foyer bathed in light, and features a leadlight window designed by a previous Class 12 student Acacia, as part of her Class 12 Independent Research Project.
The centre is also used by outside community groups for performances and presentations.
Industrial arts
Creativity is highly valued at Mount Barker Waldorf School, and the Industrial Arts is one area where students can create interesting products using a multitude of materials. The space is light and conducive to letting the student’s creative juices flow.
The building accommodates metalwork including jewellery making, woodwork, textiles and ceramics.
Outdoor sports facilities and gymnasium
Sporting students are well catered for with an outdoor court, oval and gymnasium. Our gymnasium is the perfect all-weather facility that hosts multiple sports and activities and incorporates a climbing rock wall. The outdoor court provides additional options for sporting activity during breaks and encourages active lifestyle choices.
Oval
Our oval is the school centrepiece and it is used for sporting activities, festivals and other community events. Having the open space accessible to the whole school promotes game playing and other social interactions. Every Mount Barker Waldorf School student has fond memories of the activities that have been experienced on the oval.
Innovation Resource Centre (IRC)
The IRC is one of our newer classrooms and is used for a multitude of purposes due to its flexible creative design. It is the home for the Class 12 students, who make the most of the kitchen and breakout areas. Staff offices in the building allow additional contact and support for the students in the critical upper years. The building is also used by other groups due to its flexible layout.
Science laboratories
Steiner Education promotes a sense of wonder about how the world works. We have top class science facilities where the students can learn about the scientific side to life, while conducting Chemistry experiments, learn about Biology including studying our resident animals, and delving into Physics.
Library
Our primary Library is a welcoming, warm space where children can continue to develop a passion for reading. It is a natural communal space for sharing the joy of games, conversation and the excitement of finding a new book.
Japanese Classroom
The Japanese Classroom (Nadeshiko) was built by a Japanese craftsman, and was made possible due to the generous donations by Toshiko Ogawa and more than 200 people from Japan. A past student Kyra Wood, designed the building in 2004. It is an authentic Japanese space for the students to absorb the culture from this amazing country in their regular Japanese lessons.
Educational gardens
The Educational Gardens are an integral part of the Steiner curriculum where the students learn all about growing food, the seasons and how to work with the earth. We have the dedicated Educational Gardens, as well as other areas around the school, for the students to engage in hands-on learning. Plants are propagated to be used around the school and are also sold at various fairs.
Outdoor play areas
Throughout the school there are many spaces designed to encourage students to use their imagination and to play creatively. We encourage students to have a sense of connection and care for the spaces around their classes and to feel at home there.
Canteen
Our canteen provides nutritious hearty food to the whole school community. A lot of the food is homemade using quality products, and we have a rotating special of the day to look forward to. In 2023, we have started to have a takeaway dinner option on Tuesdays to help busy families still have a beautiful meal at an affordable cost.
