School information Sidcot School

Sidcot School - Bath

Private Mixed Religious

Originally established in 1699 to teach boys of Quaker families, Sidcot opened to girls in 1808 and is one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in the UK. Today, we are a leading boarding school in the South West with a vibrant community of 545 girls and boys aged 3–18 years, from 27 different countries. Boarding is an integral feature of school life at Sidcot and contributes to the inclusive family atmosphere. Students may board from age 11 and nearly half of our Senior School students do. We have always welcomed international students to Sidcot and have excellent academic and pastoral provision that enables our students to make the most of their British boarding experience.

Sidcot is a school which encourages young people to make a difference in the world. We embrace individuality, creativity, and challenge our students to think with greater depth to reach a better understanding of themselves and the world they live in. Our students are given the freedom to succeed and the support to grow as individuals, with their talents encouraged in all their forms.

Facilities

Swimming Pool & Sports Hall

In Sidcot Sports Centre you’ll find a superb 25m indoor pool, a sports hall with a sprung floor and viewing balcony, multi gym and squash court. The swimming pool and Sidcot Swim School are open to the public, and the sports centre facilities are available for hire for pool parties, school swimming lessons, single and block pool bookings, indoor football, cricket nets, netball, hockey and basketball.

Equestrian centre

Having opened to the public in 2010, Sidcot Equestrian Centre is now a BHS approved livery and riding centre and a registered Pony Club Centre with over 90 Pony Club members. It is also an outreach centre for Bridgwater College. It has an excellent reputation for its equine facilities and care.

We house over twenty horses, including our school horses and those that are here on full livery from the UK and abroad. The riding school horses are carefully chosen to provide a range that cater for all abilities from absolute beginners to more experienced riders. As children can begin to ride at Sidcot from four years of age, we have ponies and horses of all shapes and sizes. All our horses and ponies go through a strict selection process followed by a minimum of a four-week trial period where they are put through a vigorous programme to ensure their suitability, and a veterinary examination to assess their health and fitness. All our horses are cared for by our dedicated equestrian team.

Our riding facilities are available to all of our students and also to the general public. Riders can enjoy lessons in our newly refurbished 30 x 40 m floodlit outdoor school, or hack in stunning surrounding across our 160 acres estate in the beautiful Mendip hills. Specialist training can also be arranged for anyone wishing to participate in a specific discipline.

We have a great team of instructors and staff who will do their best to make sure your needs are met and that you and your children are looked after.

Arts Centre

‘Arts for All’ is the rallying cry of Sidcot Community Arts Centre. With this mind we’ve created a dynamic, flexible space that is home to visual arts, performance, music, workshops, talks, and much more. Walk through the door and you’ll feel the excitement – the place positively buzzes with creative energy. It’s lively, it’s inspirational and, most important, it’s welcoming.

Academic success

We believe that this distinctive environment enables our students’ academic abilities to flourish, and we achieve some of the best results in the South West for GCSE, A-levels and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. We aim to deliver exciting, progressive education and particularly excel in the fields of mathematics, sciences and the arts, with most of our students going on to study courses related to these subject areas at university. We have held, several times in recent years, the Good Schools Guide Award for the best Further Mathematics A-level results in the country for boys and are in the top 10% of UK schools for IB Diploma results. The IB, with its broad curriculum and emphasis on individual study skills, community service and internationalism, fits perfectly with our Quaker values.

Beautiful environment

Sidcot is an inspirational environment with fantastic facilities spread over 150 acres of rolling Mendip Hills. There are activities every day that utilise our stunning Arts Centre, Equestrian and Sports Centres to ensure students can stretch their creative, sporty or adventurous side. Over 160 students take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme each year and Sidcot is one of the largest organisations in the South West running expeditions.

Quaker ethos

As a Quaker school, our values encourage our students to be adventurous in life and think of others. We believe this enables them to develop a natural confidence and go out into the world wanting to make a difference. We excel at building students’ self-esteem by looking for all their strengths and not just academic excellence. Our students are easy with themselves, get on with people at all levels and have a genuine respect for others.

Open days

Situated in a beautiful, safe and rural environment only 10 minutes from Bristol Airport and 20 minutes from Bristol city, Sidcot is a thriving, inspirational school where children really are at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to see this for yourself please come and visit. We look forward to welcoming you here.

Foundation

Quaker – we welcome students of all faiths and none.