Class 1, 2 & 3

In Class One, the children make the important transition from the Preschool into the more formal learning environment of the traditional classroom. As the children enter Class 1, they experience an emerging independence and begin to experience a sense of wholeness and connectedness within their class community. During this first year the class acquires the good habits of classroom life and work. Cultivating reverence for nature, care for the environment, respect for others, interest in the world and the creation of a class that is socially cohesive are the moral aims for Class One.

The Class Two child is more alert to the world around them and keen for challenge and adventure, though still living strongly in pictorial imagination. Imagination is changing though, and they no longer faithfully accept the magic of the fairy tale world, but are beginning to recognise causes and conditions. The intellect continues to awaken through artistic activities, colour and music.

Between the 9th and 10th year, the child encounters what is known as the crossing of the Rubicon. It is the transitional phase from an unconscious perception of the world to a more conscious one. During this time the child is becoming more aware of the outer world and their position in it. At the same time, the child experiences their own unique individuality in relation to their environment. As the Class 3 child becomes more aware of themselves and the physical environment in which they live, a new interest in the practical, material world emerges.