Inspectors’ report hails Camphill as ‘very good’

Camphill School Aberdeen is celebrating a glowing report after an unannounced visit by inspectors.

The school, based across three campuses in Bieldside west of Aberdeen, was graded “very good” in all four areas by the Care Inspectorate, after the August visit.

They found pupils there experience compassion, dignity and respect, and get the most out of life.

Also, their health and wellbeing benefits from the care and support on offer and that quality assurance and improvement is led well

Inspectors judged Camphill in the areas of young adult day services, residential services, and children’s services.

Alex Busch, executive director of Camphill School Aberdeen, said: “These results are a testament to our hard work, and we are delighted the Care Inspectorate has recognised this.

“It’s important to us that we create a safe environment for our pupils where they are free to learn and develop through a variety of activities that they may not have had access to otherwise.

“Camphill School Aberdeen is a ‘home away from home’ for many and I am thrilled that this has been acknowledged.”

The charity was set up by Austrian refugees who fled as war loomed in 1939.

The school opened 1940 at a time when children with additional support needs were excluded from society.

Its founders were led by the principles of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), the Austrian philosopher and educationalist.

These are the cornerstone of the Waldorf and Camphill schools. There are more than 1,200 Waldorf schools globally, and more than 100 Camphill communities.

Steiner’s guiding philosophy was: “We should not learn to teach out of any book, other than the one lying open before us and consisting of the children themselves.”

His theories – followed by Camphill School Aberdeen – involved integrating education and craft workshops with the principles of modern medicine, psychiatry and the circular economy, before they were widely recognised.

Camphill in Aberdeen was considered highly innovative at the time, especially when people with learning disabilities were often institutionalised.

In the more than eight decades since, it has provided day and residential support to children and young people with disabilities.

Today, it offers a mix of day and residential services that integrate education, life-long learning and care, supporting more than 100 youngsters.

They take part in meaningful work, develop life skills, build friendships and grow in confidence and independence.

The idea is for each person to reach their fullest potential, no matter how vulnerable they appear.

The Care Inspectorate report said: “People regularly had fun and were able to be involved in a wide range of activities and interests. This included workshops in bike maintenance, pottery and felt making.

“People were able to see the tangible output from their work, for example, from creating a piece of art or a fully operational bike, which provided a sense of achievement and pride.”

One parent told inspectors: “My child is making more progress than we could ever have imagined, in a safe and nurturing environment where they were absolutely the centre of all decisions.”

Inspectors were also impressed with the staff, who “worked together well, in a positive and calm manner” and who were found to be “approachable, helpful and friendly”.

A parent said of the staff ’s relationship with their son: “They don’t just care for him – they care about him.”

Set over 50 hectares of open space and peaceful woodlands among alpacas and horses, the school’s services have developed greatly over the decades.

They now include an integrated nursery, primary and secondary school, which blends a therapeutic approach to education with the formal curriculum.

There are 10 residential homes, leisure and recreational facilities, alongside onsite medical care and 15 vocational arts, land and craft workshops.

Workshops include an organic farm and walled garden, traditional handmade candle making, lino printing and woodwork using traditional tools.

There is also a zero-waste refillery and organic farm shop called Fruver.

Inspectors noted that the young people working at Fruver were “smiling and proud of the responsibility they had.”

Integral to the sharedliving community is mutual care and respect for each other and the environment, enabling healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

This includes growing their own organic produce, reducing waste and carbon emissions and practising circular economy principles.

Sharing day-to-day life is also “really important”, the school has said.

Daily activities like cooking, enjoying meals, laundry, and cleaning, as well as outings and celebratory events, are therapeutic for the young people and ensure everyone makes a contribution.

Camphill School Aberdeen aims to raise £10 million in 10 years as part of its Building Futures, Transforming Lives campaign.

This will allow it to increase its capacity by 60%, ensuring more young people access its services.

TV presenter and musician Fiona Kennedy recently helped break ground on a sustainable 11-bedroom residential home on the charity’s Murtle Estate.

It is due for completion by autumn 2024 and will include a zero-waste social enterprise called Murtle Market.

RECOGNITION: The Care Inspectorate found Camphill School Aberdeen’s pupils were at ‘the centre of all decisions’.