School Information
Live adventurously
Sidcot School is a lively and popular co-ed boarding and day school where
students work hard and achieve excellent results. We encourage individuality,
creativity, and challenge our students to think with greater depth to reach a
better understanding of themselves and the world they live in. Sidcot has a wellestablished international community with more than 30 different nationalities.
Every effort is made to integrate the day students with the boarding students
so everyone benefits from the rich mixture of cultures and backgrounds.
Within the boarding houses, international diversity is celebrated and shared.
Sidcot is a Quaker school and welcomes students of all faiths and none.
Convenient rural location
The School is close to Bristol and Bath and only two hours from London.
Bristol International Airport is 20 minutes away by car. In this setting,
students can enjoy the best of both rural and city life: a peaceful
environment in which to concentrate on their studies, and access to the cities
for educational opportunities and weekend activities.
Academic success
We set out to provide a creative and stretching education that inspires
children to want to learn. We help students develop the self-motivation that
will enable them to take responsibility for their own learning. It is no surprise
that these personal qualities go together with academic excellence – Sidcot
has some of the strongest results in the South West, ranking alongside the
best selective schools in the region, including exceptional IB results.
Outstanding facilities
As well as 160 acres of organic farmland, Sidcot has superb sporting grounds,
a 25-metre swimming pool, all-weather pitch, and an equestrian centre. Our
arts centre bridges traditional genres with modern technology and includes
studios for painting, sculpture and ceramics, textiles, photography, a digital
media suite, a dedicated performance hall, practice rooms, recording studio
and music technology suite and drama studio. We also have some more
unusual facilities – for example, an allotment where students get involved
in growing produce for the kitchens, a yurt village and even a well-equipped
observatory enabling students to explore the night sky.
Caring relationships
Quakers place a high value on equality – at Sidcot this is evident in the open
and friendly relationships between staff and students, and between students
of all ages and cultures. It’s often remarked on that our students are
extremely supportive of each other, making newcomers – students, teachers
and visitors – quickly feel at home.
Special characteristics
• A Level, IB Diploma and BTEC
• Outstanding reputation in sciences, maths and creative arts
• Centre for Peace and Global Studies
• Equestrian boarding school
• Year 11 Pathway one-year GCSE course – integrated to give a truly UK
boarding school experience.
Scholarships and Bursaries
Student Profile
Thomas, Year 8, Saudi Arabia It was very easy to make the choice to come to Sidcot as it has a great reputation. My cousin came here and required a lot of learning support and he finished school with A* and A grades. Even though my parents work in Saudi Arabia I still have family living in Devon and an auntie who lives in Weston-super-Mare, a town not too far from Sidcot. My confidence has grown a lot since being at Sidcot – I’m now involved in a lot of sport including octopush and fencing. I even play for Winscombe Rugby Club. I used to be 2 stone heavier before I came to Sidcot but with so many opportunities to get involved with activities and sport I’ve got very fit! One of the best things about Sidcot is you can mix with all ages and nationalities. Being at school in England has helped me understand more about English culture. One of my goals before I started was to make life-long friends and I believe I have done just that. A Sidcot Story: Helena 
I came to the UK to do GCSEs but I chose a school that offers the IB just in case I wanted to stay longer than one year. As IB is an internationally recognised qualification it leaves all my options open – I can stay in England for University or I could easily return to Germany or go elsewhere. The reason I decided to continue at Sidcot following my GCSEs is that I love boarding and I prefer the approach taken by a UK independent school to the approach of the state schools in Germany. The environment at Sidcot is beautiful, well cared for and rich in experiences. We have small classes and lots of practical sessions in the sciences which was never an option at home. The class sizes are small – usually less than 10 – in history this year there were two of us so we had an awesome experience with so much focus and attention from our teacher. At Sidcot, school is not just about lessons – it’s a 24 hour experience with activities and sports on offer. I’ve learnt a lot about myself through being a boarder – I’ve grown more independent and more tolerant – you have to learn to live alongside one another and make it work. I’ve also really benefitted from incredibly supportive staff who are around in the evenings on duty and always ready to help with homework or things I get stuck on.
Address
Open on Google Maps- Address Oakridge Lane
- Borough Winscombe
- Zip/Postal Code BS25 1PD
- Phone: +44 (0)1934 845236
- Fax: +44 (0)1934 844181
- Email: admissions@sidcot.org.uk
- Website: www.sidcot.org.uk
News
Sidcot students walk, run and cycle to raise money during Random Acts of Kindness week
Students at Sidcot School took the initiative during Random Acts of Kindness Week to raise money for some well deserving causes. The Sixth Form charity office holders, selected one local and one international charity to support and mobilised an impressive fundraising effort. The students decided to support the Weston and Cheddar Valley food banks and Brumana
International Baccalaureate success for Sidcot students
Sidcot School students are celebrating a fantastic set of International Baccalaureate results. The IB is an internationally renowned alternative to A-levels and this year Sidcot students achieved an average point score of 31.4. This maintains the School’s place above the world average and puts Sidcot students in an extremely strong position to accept places at
Sidcot’s IB success story
It has been yet another successful year for students studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Sidcot. Two students, Kenrick Yuan and Polina Skliarevitch, achieved 43 out of a possible 45 points, the equivalent of four A*s and an A at A Level. Kenrick is going to study Business Management at Exeter University and Polina, Veterinary
Sidcot students: destination Oxford!
Two students from Sidcot School have achieved the grades they needed to go to Oxford University. Molly Scull from Winscombe and international student Youren Yu will be studying German and Mathematics at St Hilda’s College and Corpus Christi College respectively. Molly who gained A*AA is delighted to have secured her place at Oxford. The
Sidcot School National Exhibition of Art by Students and Teachers
A unique exhibition of artwork from more than 35 schools across the UK opened this week at Sidcot Community Arts Centre. The multi-media exhibition which includes photography, sculpture, film, painting and drawing showcases the work of students alongside their teachers and is a rare opportunity to see how each is influenced and inspired by the
Sidcot recognised as a “leading independent school”
Somerset-based Sidcot School has been awarded membership of Headmasters’ and Headmistress’ Conference (HMC) which represents many of the world’s leading independent schools. The school, which provides an education to day and boarding pupils between the ages of 3 to 18, was subjected to a rigorous assessment of every aspect of its work from the quality
GCSE RESULTS COMPLETE AN OUTSTANDING YEAR FOR SIDCOT
STUDENTS at Sidcot School in Winscombe achieved outstanding results in GCSEs with 92.5 per cent of students gaining a minimum of 5 A* to C grades. 90.7% of grades were A* to C compared to a national average of 69.4%. Forty three per cent of grades awarded at the independent day and boarding school were
Sidcot School Celebrates the Appointment of a New Junior School Headteacher
Sidcot School is celebrating the appointment of Claire Lilley as the new Junior School Head. The 37-year-old Cambridge graduate first taught at the independent day and boarding school in 1999. She went on to become Deputy Head of the 105-pupil Nursery and Junior School and has been Acting Head for the past year. Claire said:
Sidcot Celebrates a National Champion
Sidcot celebrates its very own National Champion, Year 8 student Jack Slingsby. Jack was selected for the North Somerset Indoor Athletics Squad after Sidcot came second in the District Championships. He went on to represent Avon in the South West Championships where his team qualified for the National finals held recently at The NEC, Birmingham.
Sidcot School launches new school-wide scholarships and bursaries in September as new Headmaster arrives
SIDCOT School is launching new school-wide financial assistance from September for Primary aged pupils right up to Sixth Form students. The Winscombe-based school is holding an open morning on Monday, May 7th for prospective parents to find out more about the scholarships and bursaries. Up to 50 per cent of the annual day fees will
Sidcots Dymond Public Speaking Competition
BBC presenter and host of Radio 4’s Today Programme, Justin Webb explains how Sidcot’s oldest and most prestigious student contest, the ‘Dymond Public Speaking Competition’ was the making of him. Celebrating 100 years this summer, the Dymond Speech Competition is an annual contest, that was instituted in 1911 by a descendant of Henry Dymond, a
World book day winners
World Book Day is a worldwide celebration of books and reading and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The main aim is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading. Peter’s short story, “The White Wolf”, will be one of 12 stories published in the 2010-2011 World Book Day
