Friday Flyer - 19th September 2025

Dear Michael Hall Families,

Welcome to our third Friday Flyer of the year.

I hope that everyone is in good health and in good spirits.

I am aware that my Friday musings are presently sharing my journey into Waldorf education, but hope that through this I am communicating both elements of myself, as well as the how, what and why we are doing as a whole school.

I arrived to Michael Hall School with quite a tapestry of travel, education, language and related experiences. Constantly curious I look for concepts and themes, and then begin to examine how the concepts are applied. I have been discussing, noticing and listening to how the term ‘holding’ is being applied in our beautiful school.

From my observations the concept is multi-faceted and combines physical, emotional and spiritual approaches. And it is also not all one way, but depends on relationships to be effective. I stumbled across this paraphrased note in my reading ‘The children need to feel that the teacher carries them, that the teacher holds them in love and in full recognition of their being’ which has been part of my thinking around this area.

Our fantastic teachers hold our pupils in a secure setting with high levels of predictability and certainty. They are held in the strong daily, weekly and termly rhythms we create through our timetables and through our annual celebration of festivals. My colleagues are committed to this ‘holding’ of our pupils through word and actions and I have really felt privileged to see the intention in all that they do.

I mentioned in the parent meetings which were held towards the end of the last academic year that I loved the level of pastoral care which can be offered through teacher continuity, particularly from classes 1-8. This allows for in depth understanding from pupil to teacher and vice versa, creating an emotionally and developmentally safe space; holding in a pastoral sense.

Spiritually, I know that our pupils are held in the teachers mind as they think, plan and action every lesson. But they also hold the needs of the whole child in their thoughts, not just the classroom/gym/studio/lab/playground activities but the conversations and the purpose behind every interaction to help them grow.

I am quite sure that there are amazing research papers that could relate the Waldorf ‘holding’ concept to attachment theories, trauma informed practices and improved metacognition, but for now I will enjoy seeing it and living it in the real world. I hope that you see it from us, and that your children feel it in every interaction.

I hope that as the Michael Hall community we can hold each other in strong support of all of the children who come to our school. A shared set of values, a shared level of care, a shared belief in the education and a shared belief that we are all here for the betterment of all of our pupils. In a world that is increasingly fractious let us strive to be more harmonious.

Have a joyful weekend.

Stuart McWilliams
Principal