If you are a fan of the hit kids’ cartoon, Bluey, you may have noticed the scenes that feature Bluey’s school. It may have you wondering “What kind of school does Bluey attend?”.
For those whose children attend a mainstream public school, particularly in the U.S., the scenes featuring Bluey’s classroom might seem more than a bit out of the ordinary.
Some will argue that it’s a Montessori school, some say it’s a Waldorf (Steiner) school, and others argue that it’s simply a play-based school with no clear affiliation.
Let’s get to the bottom of it.
Does Bluey go to Kindergarten?
In Australia, kindergarten means different things depending on where you are talking about.
In Brisbane, where Bluey lives, kindergarten refers to a school program for ages 4 and 5.
Bluey, though, is 6 years old in the show, which means she’s at the age where she’d be attending what’s referred to as “primary school” in Australia.
So, no, Bluey does not go to kindergarten.
If westernizing this explanation helps you, Bluey attends the functional U.S. equivalent of kindergarten.
What is the school in Bluey?
Bluey attends a school called the Glasshouse Primary School.
What kind of school does Bluey attend?
If you are unfamiliar with the episodes in which Bluey’s school is featured, here are the characteristics of the classroom and activities:
- The use of invitations to play (a Reggio concept used in Waldorf classrooms)
- Natural materials throughout the classroom (indicative of Waldorf, Reggio, or Montessori)
- Learning through mostly fantasy play (indicative Waldorf)
- The outdoor area encourages fantasy play (indicative of Waldorf or Reggio)
- Plenty of dress-up costumes are available (indicative of Waldorf)
- Toys are spars and displayed on shelves (indicative of either Waldorf or Montessori)
- Items for reality-based imaginative play are available (indicative of Waldorf, Montessori, or Reggio)
There’s one type of schooling that shows up in each classroom characteristic – can you spot it?
That’s right, it’s Waldorf.
Joe Brumm, the creator of Bluey has been open with his feelings about the importance of play in childhood.
He draws much of the inspiration for the show from his own childhood, as well as that of his children.
While he has not come out and said that Bluey attends a Waldorf school, it is clear that the school (featured in the video below) is either a Waldorf school or a play-based primary program that is strongly inspired by the Waldorf philosophy.
Either way, the show gets its point across about how children should be learning at a young age.
If you are interested in having your own child attend a school like Bluey’s, you should expect to pay a pretty penny, in the U.S., at least.
The cost, of course, will depend on where you live, but it’s not uncommon to find Waldorf schools with yearly tuitions of over $20,000 USD.
If you’ve got a good eye, you can find magnet schools that follow various educational philosophies like Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio, however.
There are even great magnet PYP international baccalaureate schools that work on the lottery system in the U.S.
So, here’s a question for you.
What type of school do you think Bluey attends? Do you agree that it’s a Waldorf school?
If not, how did you come to your conclusion?