Kindlehill School is a K-12 Steiner School that sits on a hill above the Wentworth Falls Lake, in the Blue Mountains, NSW. We are an independent school working creatively and in a contemporary way, out of the foundation of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy for education.
Kindlehill was founded in 2000 with fiery enthusiasm by a small group of parents and teachers. They shared a common vision for an education that allowed children to grow strong, resourceful and resilient in our ever-changing and often stressful world. From humble beginnings, with a student body of only 17, Kindlehill has blossomed into a school of more than 100 students.
Read more about Kindlehill’s History
In 2010 we purchased land, upgraded and renovated the old building, and built a new kindy garden and performance hall.
In 2011 following a Welcome To Country by Aunty Carol Cooper, the new kindy garden and performance hall were opened.
In 2012 the High School was launched with classes from year 7 to 10.
In 2013, we welcomed our first Japanese exchange students to the school, hosted by Kindlehill families and joining us in shared cultural experiences from Kindy to high school.
In 2014, our first Year 10 graduates were celebrated as they departed for their next life adventure.
In 2015 we completed building our education centre, including library, shared kitchen, tutorial rooms and sound proof music and break out rooms.
In 2016 we welcomed our first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarship students to the school and commenced our after school care service.
In 2017, we advanced the IT room for high school, purchasing Apple MACs for all students and setting up a secure network and server.
In 2018/19, we completed works on 2 High School breakout rooms, dedicated art room, science room and hard craft/woodworking space.
In 2023, we purchased the adjacent battle-axe block 6 Lake St and commenced incorporate the additional space into our Master Plan. We also received NESA registration for Senior School.
In 2024, we commenced our 1st cohort of Year 11 students.
At Kindlehill the families are an intrinsic part of the school. Parents are active in making the school environment the beautiful and welcoming place it is. The participation of parents in the school warms and enriches their children’s experience.
Read more about the Kindlehill Community
Many parents volunteer their time and share their skills in the classroom, and at school fairs and events: artists, musicians, beauty therapists, biodynamic gardeners, professional organisers, teachers, holistic health practitioners, dancers, builders, carpenters and gymnasts all extend the breadth of the educational experience. Each term finishes with a working bee, where teachers, parents and students join forces to prepare and maintain classrooms and shared spaces for the coming term.
Handmade with love – shelves, blackboards, furniture for classrooms, are made by parents in the school out of beautiful timbers and where possible, recycled timbers. We also make every effort to repair broken furniture and tools and rely on parents at working bees to help us in this effort toward reducing, reusing and recycling. The Craft Group produces high quality toys, clothing and accessories as a fundraiser for the school.
Kindlings is our seasonal publication that is distributed to our school, families and regional community. It provides a taste of the richness of life at Kindlehill and creates yet another pathway into the community.
Contributions from parents and students are welcome. Click here to view online. Alternatively, to obtain a hard copy of the latest edition please contact us at community@kindlehill.nsw.edu.au or call 02 4757 4402.
Creativity, community and love have moulded every aspect of our beautiful school. The children and young people who live and learn within these buildings and grounds, have around them the inspiration of people who are working and creating together for a higher good, and in ways that are respectful of Mother Earth.
Read more about Our Environment
The Kindy building is an unfolding spiral, expressing the unfolding life of the children in our care. The spiral continues through the home rooms of the Primary School classrooms, the successive years in High School widening and unfolding into the world. Each classroom has a unique ‘feel’ in keeping with the growth and development of the child.
The Music Room is well equipped and home to the marimbas which are a feature of our music programme throughout the school. The Artisan Workshop is resourced for wood carving, simple wood constructions, leatherwork, copper work, ceramics and screen painting. The Library is also used as a tutorial room for Learning Support.
The High School has a designated stand-alone space including a Science Laboratory, Art Studio and tutorial rooms. It also utilises specialist rooms in common with the Primary School.
The unique and beautiful design was a labour of love by specialists and workers who are masters in their crafts. Visitors from many countries, through a help exchange network, also brought their hands-on enthusiasm to the building project, as did volunteers from the school and local community. The Performance Space is used within the school for plays, movement classes, concerts and whole school events. It is also available for use by groups in the wider community, particularly for activities of an artistic kind.
The flow of the seasons is celebrated throughout the school. Participation in activities that reflect and explore the seasonal changes in our local environment, promotes within our school community, a respect for nature and an experience of our inter-relatedness. The change of seasons also provides a learning focus for all classes across the curriculum, from science to the arts, to the practical activities of cooking, gardening, excursions and camps. The school’s cycle of events and fairs is also embedded in the seasonal flow.
Flowers, vegetables and herbs are planted throughout the school. They are tended by classes and volunteer parents, supported by a gardener. Gardening and cooking provide opportunities to teach and practice environmental and sustainable practices. The ‘Roof Top’ garden above the Office provides our students with fresh ingredients for cooking classes and is also a sunny and quiet place available to students at break times. The school has guinea pigs and chooks.
Every autumn, a giant compost is made, primarily of fallen leaves collected by the students, from local parks. Biodynamic preparations are used in the construction of this compost heap. The whole school participates in its making and, come spring, the rich compost nourishes the gardens throughout the school.
Kindlehill has been awarded a Gold Rating with Low Carbon Living Blue Mountains. In March 2018, Kindlehill received a High Achievement award for our contribution to low carbon living – for “successfully embedding a low carbon ethos in the fabric of the school”
Read more about Sustainability
The Low Carbon Living – Blue Mountains project aims to help Blue Mountains businesses and communities reduce their overall carbon footprint and do their bit to reduce the threat that climate change represents for the region.
More extreme weather events leading to dangerous and damaging bushfires, droughts and floods will have seriously impact on the ecosystems of the World Heritage area and the quality of life of those living in this region.
“Kindlehill is an exemplar of sustainable practice that is embedded both in the fabric of the buildings but also in the philosophy and practices of the school. This includes the use of low embodied and recycled materials in the construction of the school, extensive re-use and recycling and extensive onsite edible production”
https://lowcarbonliving-bluemountains.com.au/education-community/kindlehill-school
Read more about Converting to Green Power
Kindlehill has signed our electricity over to Powershop, carbon neutral provider of electricity to NSW and VIC. We are now actively contributing to renewable energy sources, and have the ability to track our usage daily and identify areas where we want to conserve energy. We can also opt to purchase green power on a month by month basis. This, combined with our solar power production, is a key step in reducing our carbon footprint.
Powershop offset 100% of the carbon associated with their operations, and customers’ electricity usage, at no extra cost to the customer.
Parent company – Meridian Energy Australia – owns and operates 100% renewable generation and are invested in developing even more renewable generation in Australia.
Powershop support community energy projects and have raised over $305,000 for building community energy projects.
See The Green Electricity Guide for information on how to change your footprint.
Kindlehill School is situated on Dharug and Gundungurra land. We pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this land, the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples, whose cultures and customs have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We recognise the strength, capacity and resilience of all past and present Aboriginal people in this region.
Kindlehill offers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships to students for the period of their schooling at Kindlehill. The scholarships are offered in the spirit of enrichment of the education provided to all children and young people at Kindlehill. The scholarships bring richness to the way curriculum is delivered as well as to the life of the community around the school.
Read more about Bridging the Gap and Connecting to Country
At Kindlehill we believe it is our responsibility to bridge the gap of inequality experienced by our First Nations People.
We hope to maintain and deepen our connection with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the Blue Mountains in various ways, including bringing the cultural and artistic expertise of the community into our learning environment.
Scholarships are offered annually with the closing date in September of each year, for students starting in the next school year. A place can only be offered in classes where there is space.
Scholarships do not extend to playgroup or after school care; full payment towards these services is required by families on the scholarship programme.
Please contact the Principal on (02) 4757 4402.
Today we stand in footsteps millennia old
May we acknowledge the traditional owners who whose cultures and customs have nurtured,
and continue to nurture this land,
since men and women awoke from the great dream.
We honour the presence of these ancestors
who reside in the imagination of this land
and whose irrepressible spirituality
flows through all creation.
Jonathan Hill is an Aboriginal poet living in NSW, Australia.
T1: Wed 31st Jan – Fri 12th April
T2: Mon 29th April – Fri 28th June
T3: Mon 22nd July – Fri 20th Sept
T4: Mon 14th Oct – Fri 13th Dec
T1: Mon 3rd Feb – Fri 11th April
T2: Mon 28th Apr – Fri 27th June
T3: Mon 21st July – Fri 19th Sept
T4: Mon 13th Oct – Fri 12th Dec
© Copyright 2024 – Kindlehill School NSW Privacy Policy Website by BFG.Design. Maintained by Still Moving Design
