Primary Teaching Foundation (PTF) – first year course

The first-year Primary Teaching Foundation course (PTF) 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).

Course Participants

This is the foundation course and entry-level for those who wish to become a Rudolf Steiner Primary Teacher, as well as for non-teaching individuals such as Parents, Carers, or homeschool providers who wish to learn more about Steiner Education to inform their own parenting or home-education environment. A previous teaching qualification is not required for enrolment in the course, but an Australian tertiary qualification is required for teaching professionally at any level of education in Australia.

Please note that programs and tutors are subject to change

There are two pathways available to complete the Primary Teaching Foundation program, PTFT or PTFW.

PTFT 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 second-year Certificate course. For PTFT there is also the option of enrolling in the full course without Seminars (PTFA), with the expectation to complete both Seminars at a later date. For this option, students may enrol in the Seminars separately.

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

PTFT – Full course with assignments and Seminars: A$3,700

PTFA – Full course with assignments, not including Seminars: A$2,000

PTFW – Webinars only: A$1,200

Payment Options

1.    Pay in Full; OR
2.    Monthly payments* (over 10 months); OR
3.    Quarterly payments (4 equal payments due at the beginning of each quarter); OR
4.    Pay per term (4 payments, due at the beginning of each term, does not include seminars)

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 PTFT 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.

To complete the Foundation Course (PTFT) 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 (PTFW) 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 for Primary Teaching (PTFT) will enable the student to progress to the second-year Certificate course. Completion of both the first and second year program for Primary Teaching will equip the student with the required Steiner/Waldorf qualification for teaching in a Steiner/Waldorf primary/elementary school setting, as recognised by Steiner Education Australia.

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.

All our courses are endorsed by Steiner Education Australia (SEA).

“I found the course content and delivery to be incredibly well structured, relevant and simply beautiful! My expectations were far exceeded and I am even more glad to have started this journey of bringing Steiner education to the world through my own values and passion.” – PTF Student, 2023

“The course content and delivery brought Rudolf Steiner’s work and Steiner education so beautifully alive for me. Every lecture felt nourishing and met with me on every level so as to enrich me, grow me, inspire me and fill me with love.”  – PTF Student, 2023

The seminar has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me. Over and above the content and lectures it has been a joy to connect with the other students doing the course. The connections we have made will carry us forward feeling so much more supported and enriched. – PTF Student, 2023

“The content was rich, inspiring and practical. There was so much deep wisdom, experience and passion expressed to us by our incredible teachers. The delivery was honest and engaging, making it a joy to listen to, understand and integrate.” – PTF Student, 2023

“The course content was extensive and very beautifully articulated by all the lecturers. There was much passion in creating the curriculum, as it really covered everything a new Waldorf teacher would require. Delivery was executed in a way a Waldorf child would be taught. This allowed me to see how it should be brought about to a child.” – PTF Student, 2023

“I am deeply grateful for all the efforts, energy and love that was behind the organisation of the course.” – PTF Student, 2022

“The lecturers were warm and provided so much wisdom. They and the content they were delivering was engaging and able to be applied to work and personal life.
I feel I grew both as a person as well as building on my anthroposophy knowledge within the PTF course.” – PTF Student, 2022

“I was honestly impressed with the calibre of the teachers. These courses were very much hands-on and I came away with many new and exciting resources to take back to the classroom. I feel enriched and inspired. I learnt techniques that were fresh and exciting along with a new delivery approach for my students. Thank you for your dedication to give us such an enlivened experience.” – PTF Student, 2021