Digital illustration of a large ocean wave with the sun low in the pink sky, three birds flying near the horizon, and a dark blue mountainous island in the background.

Nipakawa Steiner School is an emerging independent school based in Carlton on Hobart’s Southern Beaches in Lutruwita/Tasmania.

Nipakawa means ‘wave’ in palawa kani, the language of the Tasmanian Aborigines. It’s pronounced ‘nip-a-cow-wa’.
We were given this word to use by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre from the palawa kani language.

A diverse group of children and adults gather outdoors in a grassy area surrounded by trees, participating in a community event centered around a sculpture of a whale made from a cardboard box. The scene is sunny, with participants revealing a mix of curiosity and engagement.

Our name grounds us in the beautiful Southern Beaches east of Hobart in Lutruwita/Tasmania. It represents the waves and rhythms of learning, childhood and nature that our school embodies for our whole community.

Group of people, including children and adults, walking and standing in a line on a grassy outdoor area near a house with a staircase, with trees and bushes in the background.
“Our highest endeavour must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives.”
— Rudolf Steiner

We offer children a gentle, flowing and intimate approach to education with small class sizes and lessons guided by Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy, where there is learning for the whole child.

Nature plays a large part in our school, with an on site vegetable garden and adjacent bushland offering a beautiful outdoor classroom.

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