Philosophy

Our Philosophy

“The Steiner approach focuses on experiential learning; making, doing, creating and producing, with learning based on what is relevant and appropriate to the student’s stage of development.”

We believe we should celebrate and nurture the positive qualities in everyone and harness these to achieve positive social change for all. Growing self-confidence and independence through facilitated group support reduces the impacts of disability and enables each person to develop meaningful relationships with colleagues, support staff,  friends, family, neighbours and the wider community.

Our approach to individual development, training and work at Pericles has been developed out of the work of Rudolf Steiner and John Ruskin. We aim to integrate our clients with the local community through participation in community-oriented activities.
 This not only helps them to develop practical skills and gain confidence, it also supports local community businesses and provides employment for local woodcraft and forestry experts.

We work to encourage and support the continuation of rural skills and knowledge, and our projects and activities put emphasis on the immediate land around us. We also teach the importance of natural heritage and local history and traditions, and we like to follow the cycle of the year with its different seasons and festivals, such as Candlemas, Easter, Pentecost, St. John’s, Michaelmas and Christmas.

Focusing all the time on what we can, not on what we can’t achieve, has become our main strategy of work and we aim to take away the misconception about disability supposedly meaning ‘less’ or ‘unable’.  Potential exists within every human being and we passionately challenge the negative concept that people with a learning disability are somehow secondary in our society.  Our vision is to help create a future where people with a learning disability/complex need are enabled to fulfill and share their true potential.