First Year Foundation Course for Steiner Early Childhood Education (ECF)

Course Overview

The first-year Early Childhood Foundation course is delivered part-time over 4 terms. Each term comprises one online lecture per week for 6 weeks, with a total of up to 25 webinars over the course of the year.  In addition to the weekly webinars are TWO compulsory in-person seminars that take place in Sydney (5 days each during the Autumn and Spring school break).

Please note that programs and tutors are subject to change

Download the 2025 Prospectus

There are two pathways available to complete the Early Childhood Foundation program, ECFT or ECFW.

ECFT is the full Foundation course for educators, aspiring teachers and professionals and includes all webinars, seminars module study and tasks toward a Statement of Completion, which is the pre-requisite for the Certificate course.

ECFW is suitable for individuals who do not require a Statement of Completion and includes the online webinars only, for a Statement of Attendance.

ECFT – Total course fee: A$3,700

ECFW – Total course fee: A$1,200

Payment Options

1.    Pay in Full (10% discount applies before 10 December); OR
2.    Quarterly payments (4 equal payments due at the beginning of each quarter); OR
3.    Monthly payments* (over 10 months)

Please note:

• Term payments are due on the following dates: Feb 2, May 2, August 2, Oct 2
• *The Monthly payment option is available for ECFT only
• A $200 non-refundable deposit is required to complete your enrolment and to secure your place. This amount is included in the total fees payable, and is not additional to the course fees. The remainder of your fees will be payable from February 2025 and invoiced to you based on your preferred payment plan.

A 10% discount is applicable to fees paid in full before 10 December 2024.

Please Consult your tax advisor about tax deductibility.

Please submit your application to proceed to enrolment.

Enrol Now

To complete the Foundation Course (ECFT) and receive a Statement of Completion, students will need to have successfully completed all webinars, module study, tasks and seminars. Alternatively, students can elect to complete the Webinar option (ECFW) to receive a Statement of Attendance, however this will not result in achieving credit for completing the course. Seminars can also be attended as stand-alone elements as these provide the opportunity to engage in artistic work, craft, singing and workshop discussions in person.

Successful completion of the full first-year Foundation Course in Early Childhood (ECFT) will enable the student to progress to the second-year Certificate course. Completion of both the first and second year program for Early Childhood will equip the student with the required Steiner/Waldorf qualification for teaching in a Steiner/Waldorf early childhood setting, as recognised by IASWECE (International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education), Steiner Education Australia, and SECA.

Please be aware that while a previous teaching qualification is not required for enrolment in this course, an Australian tertiary qualification is required for teaching professionally at any level of education in Australia.

Why study at Sydney Rudolf Steiner College?

Our courses are well-established and guided by a staff of highly experienced and respected tutors. We offer flexibility in our delivery, the opportunity to engage with the content and receive a thorough grounding in the foundations of Rudolf Steiner education. The student also has the opportunity to meet others who will support their journey and work in a class environment of like-minded people. In addition, our programs support the transition from mainstream into Steiner education. Our rigorous courses are recognised both in Australia (SEA and SECA) and internationally (IASWECE).

Career Path and Employment

There are excellent employment prospects for Steiner-trained teachers who have completed our Primary Teaching Foundation and Certificate Courses. There is an ever-increasing demand for qualified Steiner/ Waldorf teachers as Steiner Education continues to expand in Australia and throughout the world. At present, there are over 40 Steiner Schools (including State schools with Steiner Streams) in Australia requiring on average 2 or more new Steiner Teachers each year. There are currently over 1,100 Steiner schools worldwide in 64 different countries and nearly 2,000 Early Years settings in more than 70 countries.

“The ECF course was everything I expected plus MORE!” – ECF Student, 2024

 

“I am in awe of the knowledge and wisdom given to us. I am very grateful for having had this opportunity.”  – ECF Student, 2024

 

“I was quite blown away by what I have learnt and the life-giving implications of my new understandings. It was a wonderful group of fellow students and every teacher was inspiring, warm and generous.”– ECF Student 2023

 

“The course has exceeded my expectations. I didn’t think I would look forward to an online course so much. The in-person seminar was even better. The program is well run and organised. The teachers delivered beautifully, their depth of knowledge and passion coming through completely.” – ECF Student 2023

 

“This is an extremely worthwhile investment. I have taught in mainstream kindergarten for 3 years and transitioned to Steiner education. I have learned and gained a deeper insight as my purpose as an educator and who the child is.” – ECF Student 2022

 

“An experience I will treasure for my lifetime. To truly connect with my peers, my teachers and the content. I feel my journey is truly underway now.” – ECF Student 2022

 

“The lecturers were all excellent- they were such an inspirational mix of wisdom, experience and joy.” – ECF Student 2022