| Motto | Sic Vos Non Vobis (Thus do ye, but not for yourselves) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1699 |
| Type | Independent school Boarding and day school |
| Headteacher | John Walmsley |
| Location | Oakridge Lane Winscombe North Somerset England |
| Students | 525 |
| Ages | 3–18 |
| Website | www.sidcot.org.uk |
Sidcot School is a British co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils, associated with the Religious Society of Friends. It is one of seven Quaker schools in England. The school is based in the Mendip Hills near the village of Winscombe, Somerset and caters for children between the ages of 3 and 18. Children aged from 3 to 11 are educated in Sidcot Junior School, which is located on its own site adjacent to the main campus. About 130 of the school's 525 pupils (2010) are in this junior school.
In the senior school, nearly half of the 395 pupils are boarders. Over 29 different countries are represented making up 25% of the school. Boarders board in the grounds in one of the 6 boarding houses. The girls houses are Newcombe, School House Girls and Meadowside, and the boys are Combe House, School House Boys and Wing House.
Although a Quaker School, pupils come from a variety of different faiths and cultures. All pupils are expected to join in with a short Meeting for Worship every Wednesday morning instead of assembly.
The three houses at Sidcot school are named after explorers: Nansen, Shackleton and Scott. These are mainly used for sports days and house matches of sport.
Sidcot has built a new creative arts block, with extensive drama, art and music facilities. The official opening ceremony was held on the 20th June 2009. This facility is now open to the public for exhibitions, courses and workshops.
Many past pupils and teachers are members of the Sidcotians (Alumni Network).[1]
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The first Quaker school was established at Winscombe in 1699 to teach boys of Quaker families. The current school reopened in 1808 and welcomed girls, making Sidcot one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in the UK.
The Sidcot School Speleological Society has participated in the discovery of several caves of the Mendip Hills, such as Longwood Swallet, Sidcot Swallet (named after the school) and Charterhouse Cave.
Since 2003, Sidcot has participated in the CILIP Carnegie Medal and Kate Greenaway Medal book awards shadowing scheme. This year has been very successful, with all of the Year 9 higher set participating.[2]
The school uniform is predominantly navy blue. All pupils must wear a blue and white striped shirt and blazer (both of which sport the school's logo of a ship) until 6.30 pm from Monday to Friday. Boys must wear ties, and after the recent bi-centenary celebrations boys have two tie options. Sixth form must wear 'smart-casual' clothing and on Fridays 'interview smart' suits.
The school logo has recently been changed. The ship, because of its historical significance as the logo for many years has been retained, but is now shown forging through the waves. The current colour palette has been built on the school's traditional blue.
Notable Sidcot Old Scholars include: