Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tarremah a religious school?

Tarremah is non-denominational and welcomes families from all religious and cultural backgrounds.  The children are taught about the beliefs of many cultures over the course of their schooling and many festivals are recognised and celebrated.

Does Tarremah offer a foreign language?

Most Steiner schools in Australia offer both a European and an Asian language.  At Tarremah, German and Japanese are offered from Class 1 through to Class 10.  Children learn both of these languages during the primary and early secondary school years.  In high school, many students choose to travel to either Japan or Germany on exchanges and cultural visits.

The earlier you start teaching a language the easier it is learnt.

Rudolf Steiner

Does the school offer any Outdoor Education experiences?

Tarremah is situated adjacent to a bush reserve and the children visit the creek and walk through the bush regularly, from Kindergarten onwards.

The formal Outdoor Education program begins in Class 3 (when the children do an overnight camp on the oval) and each year camps are held progressively further away from the school. The children are encouraged to become self reliant and resilient and from an early age they pack their own bags and cook for themselves.

I loved the feeling of victory when I arrived at a campsite with nothing but my pack and managed to set up my own home.

Fern – Student

School camps incorporate formal learning about geology, history, mapping, indigenous studies and surveying.  Ultimately the children walk the Overland Track in Class 10.

Does the school offer before and after school care?

Whilst we have explored before and after school care, there has not been a large demand for it in the past.  However, other schools in the area do run programs, which Tarremah students may attend.

I have heard that children learn a string instrument?

The music program at Tarremah is very comprehensive, with singing incorporated into every day activities from an early age.  In the Kindergarten, many instructions are sung to the children allowing for gentle and calm transitions from one activity to the next.

From Class 1, children attend formal singing classes and learn the recorder.  String instruments are introduced in Class 4, when children choose between the violin and the cello.  Choir and Instrumental classes continue throughout the child’s schooling.

I love to see students’ faces when they first realise how good the music they are making sounds – or when they master a difficult piece or passage after some struggle – and the faces of their parents when they do their best at a festival or concert.

Sue – Music Teacher

How do children transition into a new school when they leave Tarremah?

Tarremah has a close relationship with local colleges and teachers have commented on the mature approach of Tarremah students. Our encouragement of self-directed learning and cultivated ease of relationships with adults gives them a distinct advantage in transitioning to the school culture in the Colleges.

We are often told, at a college level, that our students are most likely to ask questions that the other kids in the classrooms are probably wishing to ask but were too afraid.

Brett – Secondary Teacher

If children leave Tarremah in the younger years they may find that certain topics have not been covered, whilst in other areas they are far more advanced.  This is because subjects are introduced at different stages in the Steiner school curriculum.  However, the level of social competence and the ‘love of learning’ which is instilled at an early age can often help children to quickly integrate into main-stream schooling.

My child has dyslexia, will they get extra help?

Each child is assessed by the Class Teacher, Learning Support Teacher and sometimes by educational and medical experts. Tarremah provides Learning Support to many children in both secondary and primary school and Teacher Aide assistance for some children with diagnosed special needs.