News and Events

Spaces at Oakens

Spaces at Oakens

We have a limited number of spaces available to join our thriving group!

For children born Sep 2015 to Aug 2017.

Oakens is a Waldorf-inspired group offering a gentle daily rhythm that balances academic learning with creativity, movement and time in nature for home educated children.

The group is held in Fishponds 3 days a week (Tues/Wed/Thurs) during term time.

Through story, movement, hands-on making and time outdoors, children explore numeracy and literacy alongside art, handwork, crafts, baking, music, gardening and seasonal celebrations.

Our tutors guide learning with intention and warmth, meeting children where they’re at and supporting them to grow socially, emotionally and academically.

Parents are an essential part of our community. By working alongside and supporting our tutors, families help create a steady, caring environment that truly holds the children. Together we nurture a sense of belonging, connection and shared responsibility, so no one is doing this alone.

This is a place for children to feel seen, capable and inspired, and for families to find community, trust and continuity in their home education journey.

If you’d like to hear more or book a visit, please get in touch: oakensappletree@gmail.com

Of Apple Juice and Dragons

Children performing a dragon procession outdoors during a Michaelmas celebration

Michaelmas, from ‘Michael’s Mass’, is the festival of St Michael and all angels, celebrated every year on September 29th, which is around the autumn equinox.

The autumn equinox is the point at which both hemispheres are equally illuminated by the sun. In the northern hemisphere it is when nights start to draw in and it is a time for reflecting on the changing seasons. Michaelmas is traditionally the end of the harvest and while not celebrated widely nowadays it used to be one of the four quarter days, when rents were collected, wages paid, farm hands hired.

St Michael is one of the archangels and defeated a dragon. Michael represents courage, justice and defence against darkness.

To celebrate Michaelmas this year, the Oakens gathered with a few other Bristol home education groups to sing songs, juice apples and prepare and share vegetable soup.

They did a performance of their songs and of St Michael fighting the dragon, then one of the tutors shared a story about dragons and how fighting dragons wasn’t always about mythical beasts but also about the things we struggle with inside ourselves. As the seasons turn it can be a good time to look inwards and try to fight our inner dragons. It is so lovely for the children to be able to take the time and space to do this. It’s also much easier to face your dragons when you are eating delicious homemade apple crumble surrounded by a supportive home ed community.

There are some lovely ideas for how you might want to celebrate Michaelmas here.

The Oakens High Street

Earlier this year, the Oakens were learning about themselves. They discussed their memories, looked at maps of their local area and thought about who they are.

They were then given the following challenge:

“Visit your local high street. Whether it’s Kingswood, St Paul’s, Frome or Fishponds. Choose one shop that interests you and recreate it in 3D form. You can use any medium.

Full size replicas would be impressive. But I’m going to give you the footprint of 17cm x 21cm. That is the plot of land you can build on. If it’s a very tall building then please go as high as you think. If it is a very big building please use 2 or even 3 of these footprints.”

The Oakens carefully constructed their business, then assembled them into one lovely Bristol high street. Here is a video tour of the lovely road they made.

You may recognise, Molii studios, FED 303, Wai Yee Hong Chinese Supermarket, The Fish Shop.

What else can you spot?

Oakens Spring Craft Fair – Saturday 25th April 2026

Oakens Spring Craft Fair

Come along to the Oakens Spring Craft Fair on Saturday 25th April 2026. The fair will run from 11am – 3 pm at All Saints Church, Fishponds, BS16 2BW.

There will be stalls with local and handmade goods plus second hand items.

There will also be music, craft activities and refreshments including homemade cakes.

Stalls include:

We hope to see you there!

Discoveries – Economics

For their economics block, Tom set the group a challenge. They were to make some products to sell at a Christmas market. He gave them a ‘loan’ to source their resources and charged ‘interest’ which they returned from the total of their sales. The interest was then shared between some charities, chosen by the children including Macmillian, Unicef, RSPCA, Greenpeace, South & East Bristol Foodbank and Shelter. The profits were split between the children to keep or reinvest. It was a great project, enjoyed by all and included market research, budgeting, product design and crafting. We’ve got some savvy entrepreneurs in the making!

Discoveries – Goodbye & Welcome

The Discoveries gathered at the end of the year to say goodbye to tutor Tom and welcome tutor Athene to the group. There were some gifts for Tom to take on his travels including a t-shirt, featuring his “I trust you”, designed by one of the children. Athene takes the lead with the group from January, alongside Anna & Natasha assisting.

Bristol Community Ferry Boats

If you are local to Bristol, you have at some point no doubt seen these iconic boats around the harbour. Bristol Community Ferry Boats is more than just a ferry service, it is a community-owned and operated business where every pound spent on their waterbus service, private hire, or public trips is reinvested back into the company. This means that by choosing Bristol Ferry Boats, customers are directly contributing to the sustainability and growth of a vital community asset that benefits everyone in the city.

They work with community groups and charities across the city who are actively supporting local people – providing a floating safe space for people to relax and enjoy the city, from  the unique vantage point of Bristol’s waterways. Their boats are an integral part of Bristol’s identity, and as part of their community outreach some of the Apple Tree children along with their families were invited to experience the joy that comes from being onboard.

The Discoveries took the lead on this and invited their siblings from the Oakens and friends along for a trip around the harbour. Not only was it an extremely enjoyable experience for all the children and families on board, they ensured everyone enjoyed the experience by waving at everyone they saw and bringing a smile to the faces of all passers-by!

While out on the boat they were surprised to spot an elf and a crocodile!

You can find out more about the Bristol Community Ferry Boats outreach and other services by visiting their website here.

Apple Tree – Advent Spiral

Rooted in an ancient Bavarian tradition where farmers adorned tables with moss, twigs, and candlelit apples to create enchanting illuminated gardens, the Advent spiral emerged in the 1920s as a symbolic celebration. Over the years, this meaningful festival has been embraced by Waldorf schools around the world, offering a deeply reflective and heartwarming experience.

In the stillness of a darkened room, evergreen boughs, symbols of life’s enduring spirit, are carefully arranged into a spiral on the floor, with a single large candle glowing at its heart. One by one, each child enters the spiral, holding an apple with an unlit candle. Guided gently by teachers or parents, depending on their needs, the children journey inward along the spiral’s path, moving toward the radiant center. There, they light their candles from the central flame, a gesture rich with meaning, symbolising the light we carry within ourselves. On their way back, they place their lit lanterns along the spiral, slowly illuminating the room with a growing, gentle light, before quietly returning to their seats.

The Advent spiral reflects the soul’s journey during this season, as we move through the darkness of shorter days and longer nights, carrying the light of hope within us toward the return of the sun’s brilliance after the winter solstice.

For our own Apple Tree celebration, small groups gathered in the serene setting of the hall at All Saints to partake in this beautiful and magical ritual. We were especially fortunate to have talented musicians among our parent community, who filled the evening with a serene and uplifting soundscape, enriching the atmosphere and deepening the shared experience of the spiral’s quiet wonder.