Sidcot School
Encyclopedia
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).
, such as Longwood Swallet
, Sidcot Swallet
(named after the school) and Charterhouse Cave
.
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.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for boarding and day pupils, associated with the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
. It is one of seven Quaker schools in England.
The school is based in the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
near the village of Winscombe
Winscombe
Winscombe is a village in North Somerset, England, close to the settlements of Axbridge and Cheddar, on the western edge of the Mendip Hills, south-east of Weston-super-Mare and south-west of Bristol...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
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
Meeting for worship
A meeting for worship is a practice of the Religious Society of Friends in many ways comparable to a church service. These services have a wide variety of forms, creating a spectrum from typical Protestant liturgy to silent waiting for the Spirit .A Meeting for Worship may start with a query;...
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).
History
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.Speleological Society
The Sidcot School Speleological Society has participated in the discovery of several caves of the Mendip HillsCaves of the Mendip Hills
The Caves of the Mendip Hills are formed by the particular geology of the Mendip Hills, with large areas of limestone worn away by water makes it a national centre for caving. The hills conceal the largest underground river system in Britain.- Geology :...
, such as Longwood Swallet
Longwood Swallet
Longwood Swallet is a cave near Charterhouse, in the carboniferous limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England. The cave is part of the Cheddar Complex SSSI and connected to August Hole.It is 1.65 km in length and reaches a depth of 175m....
, Sidcot Swallet
Sidcot Swallet
Sidcot Swallet is a cave near Burrington Combe, in the carboniferous limestone of the Mendip Hills, in Somerset, England.It was named after the Sidcot School Speleological Society who explored it in 1925....
(named after the school) and Charterhouse Cave
Charterhouse Cave
Charterhouse Cave,on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, is the deepest cave in southern England.- History :Charterhouse Cave was first excavated in 1972...
.
Carnegie Medal shadowing scheme
Since 2003, Sidcot has participated in the CILIPChartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is a professional body representing librarians and other information professionals in the United Kingdom.-History:...
Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
and Kate Greenaway Medal
Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in the United Kingdom in 1955 in honour of the children's illustrator, Kate Greenaway. The medal is given annually to an outstanding work of illustration in children's literature. It is awarded by Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
book awards shadowing scheme. This year has been very successful, with all of the Year 9 higher set participating.
Uniform
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.School logo
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 former pupils
Notable Sidcot Old Scholars include:- Tim BevanTim BevanTim Bevan, CBE is a film producer.Bevan was born in Queenstown, New Zealand. He co-founded Working Title Films in London with Sarah Radclyffe in the 1980s....
, film producer - Nick BroomfieldNick BroomfieldNicholas "Nick" Broomfield is an English documentary film-maker. He is the son of Maurice Broomfield, a photographer.Broomfield works with a minimal crew, recording sound himself and using one or two camera operators...
, documentary film maker - James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, oboist - Edward Theodore ComptonEdward Theodore ComptonEdward Theodore Compton, usually referred to as E. T. Compton, was an English-born, German artist, illustrator and mountain climber...
, landscape painter - Charles Handley-ReadCharles Handley-ReadCharles Handley-Read was an architectural writer and collector and the first serious 20th century student of the work of William Burges, "a pioneer in Burges studies who was the first to assess the historical brillance of Burges as gesamtkunstwerk architect and designer."Handley-Read was born in...
, architectural historian - Charles GilpinCharles Gilpin (politician)Charles Gilpin was a Quaker, orator, politician, publisher and railway director. Amongst his many causes were the movement to repeal the Corn Laws, to establish world peace through the Peace Society, abolition of the death penalty and the anti-slavery movement, enfranchisement by providing...
, MP - Robert LustyRobert LustySir Robert Frith Lusty was a British journalist and publisher.Robert Lusty was born in Cheltenham and educated at Sidcot School. He became an apprentice reporter at the Kent Messenger in 1927 but he was forced to resign because of heart problems. In 1928 he was taken on by Walter Hutchinson, the...
, publisher and journalist - George NewmanGeorge Newman (doctor)Sir George Newman GBE, KCB was an English public health physician, Quaker, the first Chief Medical Officer to the Ministry of Health in England, and wrote a seminal treatise on the social problems causing infant mortality.-Introduction:George Newman was educated at Sidcot School in North Somerset ...
, first Chief Medical Officer - Douglas MacmillanDouglas MacmillanDouglas Macmillan MBE was a civil servant and charity founder. He was the seventh of eight children of William Macmillan and his wife Emily...
, founder Macmillan Cancer SupportMacmillan Cancer SupportMacmillan Cancer Support is one of the largest British charities and provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer.... - Robert Milner Shackleton FRS, Professor of Geology
- Stephen PeetStephen PeetStephen Peet was a British filmmaker, best known as a pioneer of illustrated oral history and his BBC television series Yesterday's Witness ....
, documentary film maker - Brian PriestmanBrian PriestmanBrian Priestman is a British conductor and music educator.Priestman studied at the University of Birmingham and the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, Belgium....
, conductor - Mary TregearMary TregearMary Tregear was a museum curator and art historian specializing in Chinese art. She was born in Wuchang, China....
, art historian - Zoë WanamakerZoe WanamakerZoë Wanamaker, CBE is an American-British actress. She has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company; in films, including the Harry Potter series; and in a number of television productions, including a long-time role as Susan Harper in the sitcom My Family.-Early life and family:Wanamaker was...
, American-born English actress - Anthony WallerAnthony Waller-Filmography:*Mute Witness *An American Werewolf in Paris *Nine Miles Down *The Singularity Is Near -External links:*...
, film director (Mute Witness, An American Werewolf in Paris) - Deborah WarnerDeborah WarnerDeborah Warner CBE is a British director of theatre and opera known for her interpretations of the works of Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, Georg Büchner, and Henrik Ibsen, and for her long-term working relationship with the Irish actress Fiona Shaw.-Early years:Warner was born in Oxfordshire,...
, stage and film director - Vincent WattsVincent WattsVincent Challacombe Watts OBE is a British academic and businessman.He was educated at Sidcot School, Peterhouse, Cambridge , and at the University of Birmingham . He served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia from 1997 to 2002, leaving to focus full-time on his role as Chairman...
, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East AngliaUniversity of East AngliaThe University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
(1997–2002) - Justin WebbJustin WebbJustin Oliver Webb is a British journalist who has worked for the BBC since 1984. Since August 2009, he has presented on the Today programme.-Early life:...
, journalist and presenter, BBC Radio 4 'Today' programme - Aldo van EyckAldo van EyckAldo van Eyck or van Eijk was an architect from the Netherlands.-Family:...
, Dutch Modernist architect and city planner (1932–1935)
Further reading
- Blaschko, M.D. Sidcot School: register of old scholars, 1808–1958, 1958; supplements 1958-1963, 1963–1968, 1968–1973, 1973–1978, 1978-1983.
- Greenfield, C. The white-robed queen: a view of the school at Sidcot since 1699. (Pub. 1994).
- Hall, K. & Hall, C. Sidcot School : register of old scholars, 1808-1998. (Pub. 2001).
- Hutchinson,G.W. Bevan and Mabel Lean of Sidcot: a record of life and progress at Sidcot School, 1902-1930. (Pub. 1981).
- Knight, F.A. A history of Sidcot School, 1808-1908. (Pub. 1908).
- Newman, W.E. Sidcot School register, 1808-1912. (Pub. 1919).
- Roberts, E. A Sidcot pageant. (Pub. 1935).
- OSA Annual reports. (Pub. 1878).
- Gladwin, Christine Island in the Hills — Reminiscences of Sidcot School 1900-1930. (Pub. 1998).
- Gladwin, Christine By Green's Three Acres — Sidcot School 1699-1729. (Pub. 1999).
- Gladwin, Christine Reflections of an Island — Reminiscences of Sidcot School 1930-1958. http://www.sosa.uk.com/shop.asp
- Gladwin, Christine The Quaker Meeting House Sidcot (Winscombe and Sandford MilleNnium). (Pub 2001) ISBN: 1901084299.
- The Island [school magazine]