Our Story

How the school came to be.

The impulse which led to FWCSS was first expressed when the Geelong Steiner Association was established in 1991. Steiner-inspired playgroups began, and “Friend-in-hand Kindergarten” opened in 1996, with teacher Felicity Girvan-Cough. The school was registered in January 2000 and opened in leased premises in Humble Street, East Geelong with teacher Jude Wade Lloyd and 20 students.

A permanent home became possible when a school family, the Colemans, offered a nominal lease on 2.8 hectares of their farm in Freshwater Creek. The “Farm School” opened in Term 1, 2004 in bare paddocks. The wetlands, regeneration of the land, and continual development of buildings and grounds has been achieved through the dedicated commitment and hard work of the school community.

FWCSS development is guided by our deep commitment to creating spaces that enhance the intention of Steiner education and reflect the environmental and cultural values of the school.

Spaces are designed to enhance physical and imaginative learning and exploration; they are warm, natural and inclusive. As a member of Resource Smart Schools, environmental sustainability and land regeneration is integral to our practice. The Wadawurrung Room names*, Kandlelop nong wetlands and the school’s Cultural and Nature Trail are living examples of our friendship and collaboration with the Wadawurrung traditional owners of this Country. The Room names were hand carved by a great friend of the school, Evan Hardie, an example of the continuing contribution by our community.

News article - Push for Steiner Schools 1991

News article - Launch of Steiner Kinder 1991

We are forever grateful to the visionaries who worked tirelessly to bring our school into existence and to those who continue to carry our school from strength to strength.

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Wetlands building: Wurrwirrt, GoYin, and Karrung Karroong areas

2003 The House on 735 Anglesea Rd was used for playgroup; 5 portables were purchased for the kindergarten and classrooms.

2004 The Kindergarten and school moved to Freshwater Creek. With generous donations and loans from school families, the adjacent block at 735 Anglesea Rd was purchased with the intention to combine the two blocks and gain full ownership of the school site.

2005 Wirrin*, the current Craft room and Library, was architecturally designed by a school father and funded by the Vic Independent Schools Building Grants Authority (VISBGA).

2006-7 The school Wetlands (Kandlelop nong*) was developed, improvements were made to the Kindergarten and Grounds.

2007 Outdoor Kitchen facilities were built, courtesy of a second VISBGA grant. This was later walled in to become the “Honey House”.

2010 The Wetlands Building, now housing the Go Yin* Classroom, Wurrwirrt* Administration area, and Karrung Karroong* Office was built as part of the Building Education Revolution (BER) Commonwealth Grants initiative.

2015 Classroom portables, Kanjul*, Mon Garrk*, and Yandal* were expanded, and the Biodynamic kitchen garden was relocated and redeveloped.

2016 Yingyinga* the Prep room, was built using school funds. The large general purpose “Rose Room” followed shortly after, named in honour of two special people who played a vital role in the school’s development since its inception, Mary Rose Coleman and her mother Rosemary. Shipping containers were brought onsite and were modified to provide extra work space and storage.

2018 It became clear the plan to combine the school site with the block at 735 Anglesea Rd was not feasible, so the block was sold. This provided funding to purchase additional land from both neighbouring farms and to apply for a subdivision.

2021 The school was granted a title to its own 11-hectare block on March 4th, 2021. A Master Plan was launched for permanent buildings, Specialist spaces, the Early Childhood, and Primary School. Although High School buildings were included, planning for High School was put on hold due to legal and environmental limitations of the block that were revealed in full, during the planning process. The Cultural and Nature Trail was conceived.

2023 The school successfully applied for a third VISBGA grant, for two new classrooms, with building due to commence in 2024. With the assistance and generosity of our school community, the Cultural and Nature Trail was landscaped, and planting commenced.