In a previous post I tallied the numbers of Steiner-educated children on roll across the 18 British Steiner Waldorf schools that survived the 2019 Steiner schools crisis. In this post, we’ll look at how the numbers compare with those of Germany — the heartland of the European Steiner education movement and of Anthroposophy, the belief system underpinning its pedagogy and practice.

The national umbrella organisation for Steiner Waldorf education in Germany is called the Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen. According to the Bund’s figures Germany now has around 257 Waldorf schools and 585 Waldorf kindergartens and Early Years (EY) settings. On the ground, Waldorf schools appear to cluster in the wealthier western and southern parts of Germany whereas they are sparse or entirely absent in much of the former GDR area to the east and north-east.

Comparisons of German and UK schools/pupil tallies reveal a stark divide:

Waldorf education: Germany vs UK (2024/25)
• Schools:        Germany  257 | UK 18
• Pupils:           Germany ≈ 90,000 | UK ≈ 4,000
• Pupil share: Germany ≈ 1 % | UK ≈ 0.038 %
• EY settings:  Germany ≈ 585 | UK (few dozen)

Whatever way you look at it, Germany’s Waldorf movement dwarfs the UK scene. It’s also worth pointing out that, whereas newly established schools in Germany continue to appear each year, the UK sector is at best static, with some schools now struggling to remain viable. As far as I’m aware, Waldorf UK is not currently accepting new member school applications.

Financial and organisational factors help explain the German Waldorf education movement’s buoyancy as compared to its sluggish UK counterpart. In Germany, private schools receive substantial state subsidies that cover most of their operating costs. Additional support comes from charitable and philanthropic foundations which have direct links to Anthroposophy. These bodies channel millions of euros each year into Waldorf teacher training, research, and new-school development – both in Germany and abroad. One such prominent supporter is the Software AG Foundation (SAGST) — without its £1 million sponsorship the state-funded Steiner Academy Hereford would never have got off the ground.

Regarding organisational differences, the Bund in Germany represents all Waldorf schools to government, coordinates teacher training and curriculum standards, and provides legal and administrative backing to member schools. Its British counterpart is Waldorf UK (formerly the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship), a much smaller membership association with no regulatory authority and a modest income. It offers advice and training – lately with a strong emphasis on CPD and a bespoke post-grad teacher training course. Waldorf UK also routinely submits evidence and policy responses to government.

In short, Germany’s Bund acts as a true federation of schools, able to represent and support its members at every level of policy and practice. Waldorf UK, though professionally managed and active in advocacy, performs more of a consultative role – offering training, advising, and lobbying, but without the authority or resources to directly control its member schools.