Welcome to Madu Waldorf

This is where we teach students skills they need to transform themselves, others, and our global communities.

Learning Begins With Us

An education system steeped in beauty, creativity, gentleness, imagination and reverence for nature has found its home in the hills of Bali….

Purpose-built bamboo and wooden classrooms next to rice-fields provide an exquisite setting for our kindergartens and school…

Our local Balinese staff exude grace, warmth, care and expertise…

Our families are a fascinating mix of international cultures who have come to Bali for its friendliness, alluring culture and laid-back lifestyle…

We invite you to taste the Madu experience (Madu means honey)

Madu Waldorf at a Glance
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“Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility—these three forces are the very nerve of education.

Rudolf Steiner

Program Overview

At Madu, we aim at offering all our students a broad and balanced curriculum that provides rewarding and stimulating activities to prepare them for the best social and cultural life.

Language Arts

A rich oral tradition of stories, songs and rhymes accompany the children throughout all ages, building a bridge from mental pictures to the abstract world of letters and words.

Nature Study

Children at Madu imbibe a natural sense of wonder and awe for Bali’s exquisite natural surroundings. Time spent outdoors plays an essential role in better learning and overall health, well-being, and brain functioning .

Mathematics

Waldorf students jump, skip and toss bean-bags as they learn counting and the four math processes. A kinaesthetic and multi-sensory approach reinforces concepts in a way that children understand and retain.

Arts & Crafts

At Madu we strive to use our hands creatively. Steiner said: “… When you know that someone is good at working with their fingers, you also know they are likely to have supple thoughts and ideas…”

F.A.Q.

About Waldorf Education

Waldorf education, established by Rudolf Steiner and Emil Molt in 1919, has its foundations in Anthroposophy.  At the heart of Anthroposophy is the belief that humanity has the wisdom to transform itself and the world, through one’s own spiritual development.  To that end, Waldorf education holds as its primary intention the ideal of bringing forth—in every child—his or her unique potential in a way that serves the further development of humanity.  The curriculum, pedagogy, and teaching methods are designed to nurture this potential.   from AWNSA website

Waldorf schools are non-sectarian and non-denominational. They educate all children, regardless of their cultural or religious backgrounds. The pedagogical method is comprehensive, and, as part of its task, seeks to bring about recognition and understanding of all the world cultures and religions. Waldorf schools are not part of any church. They espouse no particular religious doctrine but are based on a belief that there is a spiritual dimension to the human being and to all of life. Waldorf families come from a broad spectrum of religious traditions and interest.  from AWNSA website

These two educational approaches began with a similar goal: to design a curriculum that was developmentally appropriate to the child and that addressed the child’s need to learn in a tactile as well as an intellectual way. The philosophies are otherwise very different.  For more information, please see https://blog.sgws.org/waldorf-vs-montessori/   from AWNSA website

Our goal is to foster passionate readers who continue reading for pleasure throughout their lifetimes. To that end, we introduce reading in a developmentally appropriate way, when students are more comfortable with the written word and fully ready to engage with them.

Waldorf teachers begin teaching reading in the first couple months of first grade by teaching consonants and vowel names and sounds through an artistic approach of drawing, painting, movement, and speech. This artistic, deliberate process engages the children with great interest, and by the end of first grade, children are writing and reading sentences and short texts.  Students typically begin reading printed readers with their teacher during the second half of second grade. This thorough and artistic approach to teaching literacy has been proven to build a solid base for advanced comprehension and vocabulary skills in later years.   from AWNSA website

Waldorf schools are not art schools. The curriculum offers a classical education in all academic disciplines that fully integrates the arts into its teaching methodology. Why? Because research continues to show that the inclusion of the arts in academia increases aptitude and creative thinking in areas such as math and science, and has a positive effect on emotional development as well.  from AWNSA website

Waldorf teachers appreciate that technology must assume a role in education, but at the appropriate developmental stage, when a young person has reached the intellectual maturity to reason abstractly and process concretely on his or her own, which is at around the age of 14. Society might challenge this principle, as many young children are well able to complete sophisticated tasks on a computer; the Waldorf perspective is that computer exposure should not be based on capability but on developmental appropriateness. While many applaud adult-like thinking in young children, we observe that a child’s natural, instinctive, creative and curious way of relating to the world may be repressed when technology is introduced into learning environments at an early age. ~ Excerpt from NYTimes Opinion, 5/2014, Author, Beverly Amico

Computers and digital technology are not part of the curriculum at Madu, although mechanical technology and the practical arts are incorporated at all levels.

Children who transfer to a Waldorf classroom from a more traditional setting are typically up to grade in basic academic skills, and have little problem adapting academically. Students new to Waldorf will need to learn to integrate the arts in all their school work and may be required to take music lessons or other classes. We find that most students new to Waldorf education embrace this engaging and artistic style of learning with excitement and enthusiasm.

Children who transfer from a Waldorf school into a more traditional school setting during grades 1-3 will likely need to spend time over the summer refining their reading skills, as Waldorf schools’ approach to teaching reading is a more graduated approach. On the other hand, students often find they are more advanced in speech and language, social studies, mathematics, and artistic activities. Children moving during the middle and upper grades should experience no academic problems. In fact, in most cases, transferring students of this age group find themselves ahead of their classmates and with an eagerness to learn. from AWNSA website

A Waldorf teacher typically remains with the same class for five to eight years.  In this way, the teacher is better able to assess each individual’s development, needs, and learning style—and the children, feeling secure in this long-term relationship, are more comfortable in their learning environment.  from AWNSA website

A Waldorf class is something like a family.  Problems between teachers and children, and between teachers and parents, can and do arise.  Schools typically work to resolve such problems through a conflict resolution or grievance procedure.  With the goodwill and active support of the parents and the teacher concerned, schools do make the necessary changes needed to ensure the best situation for all concerned.  from AWNSA website

Children at Madu do not sit formal tests. Assessment is on-going, through the close teacher-student relationship and the teacher’s trained observation skills. Teachers strive to observe and assess the child holistically, not just academically. Children’s progress is discussed at regular meetings with parents. Parents also receive a twice-yearly written report.

Waldorf students have been accepted in and graduated from a broad spectrum of notable colleges and universities. Waldorf graduates reflect a wide diversity of professions and occupations including medicine, law, science, engineering, computer technology, the arts, social science, government, and teaching at all levels.    

According to a recent study of Waldorf graduates:

  • 94% attended college or university
  • 47% chose humanities or arts as a major
  • 42% chose sciences or math as a major
  • 89% are highly satisfied in choice of occupation
  • 91% are active in lifelong education
  • 92% placed a high value on critical thinking
  • 90% highly values tolerance of other viewpoints

  from AWNSA website

please contact us for the current fee schedule

Our oldest grade is currently (2024-25) Grade Six, where most children are turning twelve in this academic year (August 24- July 25). We are planning to continue to class Seven and Eight in future.

Please contact us at:

WaldorfschoolBali@gmail.com or on WhatsApp  +62 823-4049-4527 

We will endeavour to answer your enquiry as soon as possible regarding space at Madu. If there is space, we would be happy to give you a tour of the school and take your enquiry further. The relevant teacher will then contact you for a meeting. Finally, a registration fee will secure your place.

Br. Mas, Sayan Ubud- Bali, Indonesia

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