ANNUAL REPORT 2001-2002
Direction of work
The work of the Trust has this year taken a new direction. The first seven years were ‘formative’ on the administrative side and ‘informative’ to the Steiner Waldorf schools movement, in assisting with the development of the outdoor classroom and practical skills curriculum. The Trust received a number of very encouraging reports on how schools were developing and integrating practical skills based projects into their curriculum. Rudolf Steiner Education, vol 36 No1, on ‘Experiential Education’, published three articles describing schools’ and teachers’ experience of incorporating Hiram Trust initiated activities into their landscape and curriculum.
Last year the Trust asked the Steiner Waldorf schools movement how it could best assist them now. The response from the schools was clear. ‘We recognise the value of experiential education within an environmental context and we have appreciated the various practical projects, such as the Lime Kiln to support the Class 7 chemistry main lesson. As class teachers we now require further training in basic practical skills so that we can better implement and develop a sustainable practical skills curriculum in our schools.’
Practical Skills Teacher Development Course
The Trust took this request seriously and drew up what is called the Hiram Trust Practical Skills Teacher Development Course (PSTDC). This course is offered to teachers who wish to develop practical skills and redevelop their teaching skills and capacities. The planning and structure of the programme was to serve as a model for schools wishing to accredit practical skills on ‘home ground’, which is possible through the Open College Network. Thanks especially go to Katie Zienko for her work in writing the programme units and inducting myself into the administration and delivery requirements.
The sub title of the course is ‘Living and Learning with Nature’: the programme combines practical skills and projects, working with materials sourced from the three kingdoms of nature. It is hoped that the course will be run as a rolling programme to inspire and offer support for teachers and schools in developing outdoor classroom activities and models of education for sustainability. Working in the outdoor classroom on relevant projects offers young people an opportunity to discover real life vales and many practical skills. This approach to education seeks to address young people’s needs for meaningful opportunities to become active participants in shaping their own lives and working towards a sustainable future.
By winter 2001 Upper Grange could offer boarding accommodation and there was a greenwoodwork shelter in the garden, the latter made possible by a £1000 grant from the Pumphouse Trust. This useful and adaptable outdoor space supported the launch of the PSTDC at Upper Grange.
The first course was small in number: initially 5 participants, with 3 completing, but providing valuable experience in managing the course. This first course was offered over a series of 12, almost consecutive Mondays in autumn 2001. The day was divided between practical workshop experience and a late afternoon seminar session. This format was possible for the small number of participants, but on reviewing the course, we realized that larger groups would require a different structure and more time to achieve all that has to be covered on the course.
The second course was offered over a series of 6 weekends spread over a year, starting Friday late afternoon and ending Sunday lunchtime. This course was delivered primarily to teachers from Scotland. This was in part a follow-up to the recent work carried out by Bernard Graves for the Trust at the Moray Steiner School. Four teachers from Moray Steiner School were joined by three teachers from Edinburgh Steiner School. There were two further participants: one was the felt workshop tutor, Frances Graves, the other my co-leader for the seminars, Richard Aldred. The latter agreed to this on the basis that he could also do the whole course. It proved very valuable to have Richard with us sharing his life long experience of teaching 3 generations of children.
A suitable location was found: Garvald Home Farm, just outside Edinburgh, where participants were hosted with true Scottish hospitality. Garvald Farm provides residential/day educational visits to individuals and classes from Steiner schools. They have now included some of the activities from the course into their own educational programme. Colum Beagan, the farmer at Garvald, was the greenwoodwork tutor for the PSTDC.
The final weekend, held in June, included a well-received contribution from Margaret Colquhoun, exploring ‘How to read a landscape’. Margaret is the director of the Life Science Trust, which is an educational charity based on the artistic and scientific works of Goethe. The Life Science Trust runs the Pishwanton Project, an environmental educational resource, as part of the work of the North European Centre for Goethean Science.
Feedback from both courses has been constructive and very positive. Reports from teachers completing the course show activities and practical projects are being implemented back at school.
The Hiram Trust Summer Annual Conference
The Hiram Trust Annual conference continued with the theme, ‘The Education of the Senses out of the Environment’, This, the second of three conferences, was planned to share and discuss the increasing challenge facing all educators, namely the ‘attack on the senses’, particularly of the younger child.
The theme was seen to be particularly relevant and a challenge to Waldorf education, with its potential to provide a healthy and stimulating environment, that allows for a healthy growth of body, soul, mind and spirit.
This year’s theme focused around the middle senses: sight, smell, taste and warmth. Working with the four middle senses through the 5 workshop activities and discussions provided the opportunity to focus on the education and development of these senses. In particular, they foster relationship with the environment and can be seen as the ‘interactive senses’.
However, the education of the ‘lower senses’ (touch, balance, movement and life), or body senses as they are sometimes known, takes into account their transformation in the development of the ‘higher senses’ (hearing, word-speech, thought and sense of identity). ‘Movement’ in the body, for example, begets the development of higher soul faculties. The contemporary neurologist would refer to this aspect of human learning as ‘will developed intelligence’.
23 Teachers representing 11 Steiner Waldolf schools and 2 curative schools attended. This year there were many newcomers to the conference, in particular teachers from lower classes. This shift was an encouraging confirmation that more teachers are wishing to equip themselves with practical experience and skills to bring back to their classes.
Richard Aldred gave a sensitive and inspiring talk, with extensive references to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, with his love and respect for the power and gentleness of nature. Contrasted with the contemporary experience of feeling de-sensitized and less aware of nature, one was left with a sense of urgency and challenge, especially for teachers and those guiding education.
Tutors, most of whom have had a long-standing association with the Trust, led the workshops around the theme of the middle senses.
Margot Cooper kindly supported Martin Levien, who offered a ‘Paints from Nature’ workshop. Martin produced mineral based paints, which he has developed as part of the Class 10 chemistry curriculum. Margot then led the artwork produced by the group. For next year’s conference, the Hiram Trust is hoping to include another ‘Paints from Nature’ workshop.
The soap-making workshop run by Jonathan Code proved very popular again, as an example of practical chemistry for the Upper School. Teachers have subsequently reported successful soap making enterprises back at school.
The seven grains workshop was innovatively handled by Nicholas Allan, devising interesting recipes, both savory and sweet, which were then served to the conference participants as our main meals.
The papermaking group led by Jenny Milne took materials sourced from nature to make a wide variety of interesting and usable papers. This activity has huge potential for children of all ages.
Perhaps for many this year, the ‘Explorations into Nature’ workshop, run by Annick T’Jolle, was a highlight; a wonderful example of how to lead children into nature and discover her secrets and delights. In all that they did, this workshop showed a natural way to prepare for the first chemistry lesson in Class 7.
The Hiram Trust Summer Conference 2003 will conclude this series of three conferences, with the focus on the higher senses: hearing, speech, thought and sense of identity.
Upper Grange
In Autumn 2001, following the end of the 5-year lease on the property by the Ruskin Mill Further Education Centre (RMFEC), the Hiram Trust took on primary stewardship of the Upper Grange house and property (UG).
For the past 5 years the Hiram Trust has enjoyed a very fruitful collaboration with RMFEC. Ruskin Mill tutors have assisted the Trust in developing new workshop activities, valuable examples of experiential education, benefiting both RMFEC and the Hiram Trust.
A new 5 year lease agreement was drawn up with RMFEC, one in which RMFEC are to rent No 1, including the separate flat, for residential use.
Through this new lease arrangement, the Trust receives a valuable income to allow it to maintain the property and develop its work.
RMFEC also collaborated in the re-development and use of the vegetable garden as a model of the ‘Edible school garden’. The garden produce was to supply the cooking programme that was to be launched and run by Nicholas Allan in the kitchen and dinning room at No 2 UG.
The direct link with food growing to food preparation, serving, eating and clearing away, devised for Ruskin Mill students, was envisaged as an example of education for sustainability to show local schools and the Steiner schools movement.
With this Schools’ Edible Garden & Kitchen Programme, the Trust was in part revisiting aspects of its earlier work. Many of the workshop activities, mentioned below, were pioneered and developed at Upper Grange and over the years have become established workshops at Ruskin Mill. Documentation of the various projects were written up and distributed to the Steiner Waldorf schools. Over the years the Hiram Trust has also hosted a number of workshops at Upper Grange with teachers from Steiner Waldorf schools to hand over various practical projects developed at Upper Grange.
Experiential Science Programme Developed At Upper Grange
1996-7 Development of Upper Grange, Garden & Water Storage Michael Frosch & RMFEC students
1997-8 Development Garden project and Food Preparation Michael Frosch, Helen Birmingham & RMFEC students Bernard Graves joined the Trust as Consulting Director and worked with RMFEC tutors on Experiential Curriculum
1998-9 Development of Food Education with Fermentation and Food Preservation Bread Making, Cheese, Wine and Beer Making Michael Frosch Food education programme changed at UG, with Helen Birmingham moving to Horsley Mill to set up a canteen for RMFEC. The above workshops and their programmes ceased at UG and were further developed at RMFEC. The Garden at UG was in part redeveloped to provide plant materials required in soap making.
1999-2000 Proposed experiential science workshop, Essential Oil Extraction and Distillation, Experimentation with making Plant Pigments Gary Ward and Soleil Mannion (to work garden ) & Linda Frosch (art therapy)
2000-1 Soap making programme developed by Jonathan Code and delivered within the Open College Network accreditation framework. UG Garden taken on by Yvan Rioux (new RMFEC house parent at No 1) and RMFEC students for 3 mornings weekly.
UG Education Garden registered with HDRA
End of 5 year lease arrangement with RM and new lease to be drawn up for Sept 2001
However, the Trust was not able to procure a gardener till spring 2002. Tasos Sakkas, a Greek gardener who had just completed his bio-dynamic training in England, together with students, resurrected the educational garden to supply vegetables for the kitchen programme over the summer. With Tasos’ return to Greece at the beginning of September and the end of the 5 year lease arrangements with RMFEC, the Trust was faced with the question of how best to work and maintain the grounds of Upper Grange. The Trustees suggested we look for another organization to continue the practical educational research work at Upper Grange. The Waldorf College Project, located down the hill in the centre of Stroud, was invited to consider whether they would want to develop their own outdoor classroom and workshop spaces in the garden of Upper Grange.
Administration
Katie Zienko, who had been a textile tutor at RMFEC and for the Trust, took up work assisting Bernard Graves part-time in the office. Katie’s previous OCN administrative experience was valuable in helping to launch and develop the Practical Skills Teacher Development Course.
Enquiries to the office continued to come in both from the UK and abroad by email, phone or post. Practical advice and information are often supplemented with relevant booklets produced at the office.
Library
Over the years the Trust has slowly built up a small collection of books, in the main donated by Sarah Brook, Trustee. The library and resources room, adjoining the office, has been much used and appreciated by our guests and course participants.
PRIORITY SCHOOLS (To Summer 2002)
Three new schools were given priority status this year: Iona School, Nottingham; Moray Steiner School, Scotland; Michael House, Ilkeston. The Waldorf College Project, Stroud, retained its priority status. These schools, with the exception of Iona school, have all had earlier contact with the Trust but had not managed to sustain the initial enthusiasm and momentum in evolving their own outdoor curriculum. Each school was asked to consider in which way the Trust could assist them in the forthcoming year. Though all the schools welcomed the offer, not all schools could arrange for much to happen during this year.
Iona school - Nottingham
Iona School was particularly interested to have the Trust work with the teachers to find appropriate ways to work in and with their newly extended educational grounds, developed by Grounds for Change and acquired through a successful lottery bid. Teachers Paul Smith and Richard Moore visited the Trust to discuss in which way the Trust could advise the school to tackle their newly landscaped grounds and develop a realistic and sustainable outdoor curriculum. From this meeting it was proposed that Bernard Graves visit the school and address a PTA meeting on the educational value of children working in the outdoor classroom.
Paul and Richard had also expressed an interest in coming to Ruskin Mill to camp and have some craft activities provided for their Class 4/5. A visit to Ruskin Mill was made and dates for the camp agreed for the summer half term. The camp proved to be a great success: the children enjoyed a number of different craft processes around wool & felt, pit forging, clay work and working with the donkeys. Thanks go to Ruskin Mill management and in particular the tutors for making this possible.
At the advice of The Trust, the school also joined the HDRA which runs a national organic network for schools, supplying useful information packs to schools on how to grow organically in the school grounds.
Moray Steiner School - Scotland
The Trust first visited the school with a workshop weekend in October 1998. On that occasion, parents, teachers and children were introduced to green woodwork as an activity that could be appropriately developed within the school’s grounds, with its generous wooded areas. An introduction to the School Site Survey was given along with a task for the school, should it wish to work with the idea of developing the ‘outdoor classroom’ and related craft curriculum.
The initial enthusiasm for this development work waned, as at that time the school was not certain if it could purchase the school site at that time rented from the Findhorn Foundation.
Subsequently the school purchased the site and part of an adjacent field, and then decided to renew its endeavour to ‘take hold of’ its grounds and enter into the School Site Survey process.
The Trust visited the school for a second time in November 2001 and facilitated a weekend where the following three workshops were offered: felt, basketwork, pit forging/charcoal making as examples of handwork and craft activities that could be incorporated into a school environment. A formal review of aims and School Site Survey procedures was also carried out, with teachers committed to completing it by summer 2002.
Later in the year it was reported that, as a result of the above mentioned workshop, the school together with parents held a three day workshop and completed building their own outdoor classroom, a grass turfed craft shelter. Pit forging and greenwoodwork have come onto the curriculum and the school is getting ready for basketry by making a willow ‘soaking up’ bath and preparing a site to plant a ‘withy bed’ . As they are on light and very sandy soils they are also designing a way to harvest water to irrigate their willows. A school garden plot has been opened up with the view to offering more regular garden lessons than has previously been managed.
Michael House School
Following our letter of invitation in Sept 2001 to receive priority status, Rachel Caunce, the new Hiram Trust contact person at the school, agreed it would be worthwhile for the Trust to revisit the school and together look into real possibilities for work in the forthcoming year. Rachel’s husband was following through the school’s application for a grant from the Land Fill Tax scheme, which has successfully reached the second stage of that process. The grant is needed to have an area of contaminated earth left by the Coal Board removed, new soil bought in, and the land developed as a compound garden and outdoor classroom area.
In preparation for a visit by the Trust, Rachel undertook making an audit of how the school currently uses its environment and to look at the areas of grounds and curriculum the school wishes to develop in the future. She put together a very comprehensive report and plan outlining the full educational potential of the grounds, compound garden and woodlands, showing both their development and recent use. This document was sent to the Trust and has been circulated among teachers for their feedback on how they could see their classes being involved.
A still later report lists a number of valuable and ongoing outdoor activities and projects that have become securely embedded into their curriculum. The Trust awaits an invitation to visit the school, anticipated in the next academic year.
The Trust appreciates that for any school to develop an outdoor classroom, much time, discussion and curriculum research has to be undertaken to ensure that the endeavor and input are both relevant and sustainable.
Waldorf College Project
The Trust has been supporting the Waldorf College Project over the last 2 years in a variety of ways: general curriculum development, with the setting up of OCN accreditation for the thematic projects and, with its second year, the Independent Year Study units forming the core curriculum for the second year students.
This innovative project is pioneering new ground in combining key elements of the Waldorf school curriculum within a College structure. The college aims to facilitate a process of experiential learning based on an integrated and cross-curricular approach for young people aged 16-19 years. Students are challenged to take up co-responsibility for their learning and the functioning of the College.
This year saw the graduation of the first pioneering group of students. Their individual presentations of their year project studies were a testimony to the success of the College. For many of the students, their particular chosen area of study was life changing, with some of the students going onto higher education.
With the end of the second year, the Steering Group with whom Bernard Graves worked closely (representing the Trust’s interests in supporting experiential education) was dissolved to allow for a new beginning in autumn 2002.
Website: www.waldorf-college-project.org.uk
TEACHER TRAINING
Rolle School of Education, BA Hons in Steiner Waldorf Education
The Trust continues to provide two weekend workshops annually, consisting of practical work and seminars, one in spring for the new Level 1 students and then in the autumn for the same group as Level 2 students. With each new intake the Trust is challenged to redirect its approach to how students are introduced to the value of the school grounds as a learning environment. This year the Level 1 students were asked to break from tradition in their assignment work. Rather than write individual essays, they were asked to pair up with each other, so that a pair comprised one student who had taken part in the wool and feltmaking group, and one who taken part in the willow basketmaking group. Each had to instruct the other in the craft process undertaken. They were asked to take special note and make a log of their teaching method/styles and the effect on the fellow student learner. What were the real moments of learning?
The second year workshop (October) had focused on aspects of the mineral kingdom, with half the group doing clay work, building & firing a paper kiln, while the other half built and fired a lime kiln and made charcoal. The assignment required students to think about ‘when, where and how’ to introduce and integrate mineral kingdom themes. These workshops also offer students a practical approach to some elements of the chemistry curriculum.
London Waldorf Early Years Training Course
The Trust is now into its 6th year of working with this training course, Each new course has a possible 4 workshops contributed by the Trust, spread over two years and held during their residential weeks at Hawkwood College, Stroud. There are usually in the region of 30 + students which makes for interesting & creative teaching practice.
These workshops offer practical experience and supporting knowledge of materials from the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms: ‘From Fleece to Felt’, ‘From Willows to Baskets’, ‘From Grain to Bread’, concluding with a workshop on ‘Designing the Outdoor Play Space’. The fourth workshop aims to bring together the three kingdoms of nature introduced separately in the first three workshops, with a view to creating the outdoor ‘classroom’ in relation to the four seasons of the year and the four elements. The Hiram Trust component complies with the criteria required by the national framework for early years qualifications.
In April 2002 Bernard Graves, for the Hiram Trust, and Nicholas Allan (the RMFEC cook at Upper Grange) ran the ‘Grains to Bread’ workshop at Upper Grange. In this workshop different grains and their qualities are explored in making different ‘world breads’. A variety of basic cooking techniques are practised, from using simple earth and desert sand ovens to cooking in a traditional outdoor clay bread oven. The workshop was much enjoyed and appreciated by the ever-increasing number of students who have never had the opportunity to make bread.
OTHER WORK & CONSULTANCIES
Ruskin Mill FEC
This year the Glass House Project, in Stourbridge, requested Bernard’s assistance in redeveloping the blacksmith workshop located in the woods. This was a one-off event aimed at introducing primary blacksmithing activity by building a pit forge.
At Ruskin Mill itself, Bernard Graves was asked to contribute to the staff induction course primarily directed towards the needs of new residential staff. This year 3 day sessions were offered introducing the theme, ‘Adolescence - a Descent into Matter’. On each of the days, participants also experienced a different workshop activity at Ruskin Mill.
Moscow: Ita Wegman Teacher Training Course
Requests to Bernard Graves arrive for consultancies abroad related to Hiram Trust work, which are then carried out as independent consultancies by Bernard Graves under the auspices but not the financial support of the Trust.
Bernard had run workshops and given seminars in Moscow to a group of teachers several years ago. The teacher training course attracts teachers mainly from Moscow but some attend from as far away as the Ukraine. Steiner education is gradually growing throughout Russia and much support is needed to assist the teachers in developing their own self-directed teacher training courses.
Bernard gave a week’s workshop, offering a variety of activities: wool to felt, wood carving, copper beating and lyre making. The seminar themes were ‘The Handwork Curriculum’, ‘Adolescence, an Overview’ and ‘Will Developed Intelligence’.
Sante Fe Waldorf School, USA
Some years ago, in response to a workshop given by Aonghus Gordon at a conference, ‘Awakening the Will’, held in Boulder, Colorado, a group of teachers and interested persons formed The Hiram ‘Flowform Group’ in association with ANSWA. The intention was to raise funds to commission a new Hiram flowform from John Wilkes, Virbela flowform productions company. The new set of flowform moulds would then be available to Steiner Waldorf schools across the USA to use when working with water in the educational landscape.
Funds were raised, the redeveloped Hiram ‘Flowform’ cast and shipped to the USA. The Trust was then requested by Steve Warshawer and Barbara Booth for assistance with a maiden casting of the flowform as part of a summer Teacher Training Programme to be held at Sante Fe Waldorf School, New Mexico.
A week’s workshop was arranged and teachers from across America invited to attend. The workshop was called ‘A Descent into Matter: Creating a Will-based Outdoor Classroom Curriculum’. A number of science-related workshops were on offer: clay oven building, lime kiln and charcoal making. The aggregate materials required for casting the flowfom were obtained from a local dry arroyo (dry stream bed) with gravels of the right size, rusty red in color. These outdoor projects were complemented by a ‘wool to felt’ workshop run by Frances Graves. An introduction into how to develop the outdoor classroom was given, highlighting sustainable development.
A plan was set up by the Hiram ‘Flowform Group’ to ensure the new moulds would be looked after, transport boxes made and schools notified that the forms were now available for hire. In all, a very successful project.
The Hiram Trust Summer Craft Camp 2002
The summer Craft Camp provides an opportunity for children and their parents of all ages to engage in meaningful craft activity.
For the second year running Ruskin Mill management and the craft tutors agreed to host the Craft Camp at Ruskin Mill, Nailsworth in Gloucestershire. Numbers were up this year, with 150 participants including contributors. The 12 craft workshops, all led by professional craftspersons, produced an exceedingly fine array of items much appreciated and cherished by the children and adults.
Further information on The Hiram Trust Summer Craft Camp will be available on the Hiram Trust web site www.anth.org.uk/hiramtrust or from The Hiram Trust office.
Publications
Requests world wide from teachers for various Hiram Trust publications continue to come in. This year the Trust published several new articles, including ‘Will developed intelligence‘, with references both to Rudolf Steiner and contemporary neurologists, on how we learn. Hard copies are available for purchase from The Hiram Trust office.
Bernard Graves, consulting director
Chairman’s Report
The year under review has been very significant for the Trust as, whilst new initiatives have led to significant developments, the aims and objectives of the Trust have remained.
The most important development has been the fact that we have received very useful feedback from various schools and from the Steiner Waldorf Schools movement and this has led to the Practical Skills Teacher Development Course (PSTDC).
The other important development is that greater use has been made of the Trust property, Upper Grange, and whilst the very important collaboration with Ruskin Mill Further Education Centre has continued the Trust has taken over primary stewardship of the Upper Grange house and property.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both Bernard Graves and Katie Zienko for their dedication to the work of the Trust.
Despite the new initiatives and the increase in the work of the Trust I am pleased to say that we seem to be maintaining the financial viability of the Trust’s assets.
Ian Tomlin
December 2002
FINANCIAL SUMMARY - Accounts Sept 2001 – August 2002
INCOMES TO THE TRUST:
Workshop & Conferences £ 5,348
Fee incomes
Consultants FeesTeacher Training workshops
Conferences /workshops £ 9,686Rental income £20,914
Other £ 937Total Income: £64,719
EXPENSES TO THE TRUST:
Administration
Audit £ 705Consultants Fees £27,503Insurance/legal £ 400GOCN £ 150Office Equipment £ 549Office/ supplies £ 1,351
Secretary £ 5,455
SWSF £ 60
£37,548
Property House & Gardens
Repair/ Renewal & Wages £ 6,444
UG –PSTDC
EquipmentPublications/ Promotions £ 503School workshops/S.S.S. £1, 315Teacher/Training workshops £ 714
Total expenditure £ 58,682Bernard Graves (for The Hiram Trust) February 2003