The Holywood School opened in September 1975 in two rooms in Glencraig Camphill Community. At that time there were seven staff children and three from outside Glencraig. The four full-time members of staff were Saralies van der Briel, Margaret Rutherford, John McClean and David Boyd.

In the first eight months the school changed premises four times. By the end of the first year it had grown to 20 children and, in August 1976 it moved to its present site at 'Highlands' on the Croft Road, Holywood. The official opening of the school was celebrated at the end of the academic year in June 1977, with many guests.

Initially 'Highlands' was too big for the school and two families actually lived in the extra rooms. However this was soon to change and in 1978 we were planning a separate kindergarten. This building, completed in 1979, is now the school hall.

The Kindergarten marked the beginning of the development of the school site. Soon the upper school started and new class rooms were needed. As money was scarce we obtained a secondhand temporary building from Glencraig. This is now the woodwork room but began as Class 9's classroom

The new Kindergarten 1997

New classrooms 1993

More temporary buildings were erected on the site to accommodate the growing school and eventually we had seven such classrooms. However, it was not possible to obtain planning permission for more temporary buildings, so in December 1987 plans were made for 12 new permanent classrooms, a new Kindergarten and a hall. The construction was to be undertaken in phases as money was raised, and a building appeal was launched. The first two phases involving the construction of four classrooms was completed on 1993. In 1997 our new Kindergarten building was completed, funded by a generous grant
from the national lottery.

As the school buildings grew so did the academic life of the school extending to class 11. In common with other Steiner schools a compromise had to be reached concerning public examinations and it was decided to take them in class 11 to allow children as much of the Steiner curriculum as possible while ensuring that they could continue their education elsewhere.