Course leader Dorothy Marlen reflects on the inspiring journeys of past students and the paths they’ve taken since completing the program. 

In my role as course leader I have been asked to write a piece about the Holistic Baby and Child Care course  focusing on where graduates are working now. It has been  a deeply heart warming experience for me to put the request out to  past students in the 2021-2022 cohort and hear back from many them and  a few from further back too.  In this short article I will share their responses. First though a short summary to explain a little about the course.

The Holistic Baby and Child Care (EYE) Level 3 Diploma is a nationally accredited course which has a Birth to Three emphasis, synthesising Rudolf Steiner’s insights into early child development with the Pikler approach from Hungary and EYFS requirements. The course is quality assured by Crossfields, which gives the course certificate, and it is one of the professional training courses offered by Emerson College in Sussex. It is a part time blended course with days at Rudolf Steiner House, London, on-line teaching and two residentials at Emerson College.

The course was designed to give students the knowledge and tools to be able to work in a variety of early childhood settings – childminding, parent and baby/child group work, 1-3 sessional and day care and as kindergarten assistant.

The course will complete its fifth time of running at the end of this year 2024.

Here are some of their responses to my request for an update from graduates of the 2022-2023 cohort.

• Starting a new Saplings 2-3 year old sessional group at Michael Hall this autumn. Another graduate will assist.
• Leading two Parent and Child groups from this autumn at Lindens, in Stroud.
• Starting the Swan Puppet Theatre
• In Czech Republic – running 2 parent and child groups and soon launching a parent and baby group. Organising child development and craft workshops for parents, celebrating festivals and outdoor hikes. Big plan to create a Women’s circle support group. Also looks after small children once a week from the local Waldorf kindergarten.
• Running parent and child groups at Michael Hall and Deputy Early Childhood Lead and Deputy EYDSL
• Starting as a Kindergarten assistant at the Steiner Academy this autumn, with bigger plans once own children are older.
• Working as a kindergarten assistant at South Devon Steiner School. From this autumn starting a 2-3 year old provision.
• A student on the London Steiner Waldorf Kindergarten training now whilst assisting in a Kindergarten in a London Steiner School. Plans in the future to bring this work to more families in London.
• Running parent and Child groups until sadly school closed. Working with under 2’s in a nursery with plans to open a childminding setting in own home.
• Working in a mainstream nursery and planning to start a parent and child group.
• Homeschooling and part of a global network of homeschooling. Making dolls. Starting a parent and child group soon.
• Working as a kindergarten assistant at Michael Hall with permission now to start a Forest kindergarten. Plans to become an early years Mental Health lead next year.
• Kindergarten assistant and handwork assistant at York Steiner School. Starting a PGDip Steiner education course this autumn
• Running two parent and child groups and assisting in afternoon care at Greenwich Steiner School
• Myanmar – pioneering an early childhood centre with kindergarten and parent support
• India – pioneering an early childhood setting
• France – Starting parent and child groups and parent support.

A student from the 2020-2021 course who responded

“I am working at a Waldorf kindergarten near Frankfurt (in Oberursel), in the nursery room so we have 1-3 year olds and I benefit daily from all our teachings from our course. It has been most beneficial and quite often I will go back to our assignments and documents to read up about a specific topic. 3 years on I find that a lot of the teachings start to really settle in my mind, it really is a beautiful process. I absolutely adore working with the 0-3 year olds and this course was the best thing I have ever done.”

I hope this list gives a flavour of the variety of work that graduates from the HBCC course have entered in to. It is interesting that many of our students are mums in their 40’s who have young children, discovering Steiner education through attending a parent and child group. Others are  already childminders, nannies and alternative health practitioners wishing to extend their understanding and practice.

I have so enjoyed catching up with these past students and seeing their dedication to caring for our youngest children and supporting parents and carrying the work forward. I feel the course is doing what we hoped it would.

The next course starts in September 2025 and you can find more information here or contact the registrar to register your interest. Any questions please email me.