Sidcot School is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in North Somerset, England, with Quaker roots that go back to 1699. It takes students from age 3 through Sixth Form, and around 30 nationalities are represented among its pupils. This guide covers its programs, international entry requirements, the 2026/27 fee schedule, and the application process, with all facts taken from the school’s own website as of 6 August 2026.
About Sidcot School
Sidcot School describes itself as an independent day and boarding school in Somerset, founded as a Quaker school in the summer of 1699 in the hamlet of Sithcott by Headmaster William Jenkins. It reopened in its current main building in 1808 as one of the first co-educational schools in the UK. Today the school welcomes children aged 3-11 in the Junior School and older pupils in the Senior School and Sixth Form, with boarding available from Year 7 (the Third Form). The school’s motto, “Live Adventurously”, reflects its Quaker principles of truth, integrity, respect, equality, simplicity and sustainability. Sidcot School sits on the edge of the village of Winscombe in North Somerset, 15 miles (about a 30-minute drive) from Bristol and 25 miles from Bath, with the coast at Weston-super-Mare 8 miles away and Bristol International Airport 9 miles away. London is about two hours away by car and reachable by train. The school welcomes students of all faiths, provides prayer spaces on site, offers halal and kosher food options, and arranges transport to places of worship.
Academic Programs
Sidcot School’s Junior School takes children aged 3-11, including Early Years, Pre-School and Reception, with an emphasis on tailored teaching and an outdoor learning programme. In the Senior School, pupils study two-year GCSE courses in Year 10 and Year 11; the GCSE subject list published by the school covers Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Design Technology, Drama, Geography, History, Modern Languages, Music, Physical Education, English as a Second Language and English Literature. For international pupils, Sidcot School offers two bridge programmes: the Pre-GCSE Pathway for children aged 12-14 (Years 8-9), which combines intensive English support with mainstream lessons in subjects such as Art, Computing, Drama, Sport, Music and Technology, and the Year 11 Pathway, which lets students take five to seven IGCSEs in a single year to reach the entry standard for A Levels or the IB Diploma. In the Sixth Form, students choose between A Levels, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC qualifications and the EPQ, with IELTS preparation lessons available for those who need them. A Level subjects at Sidcot School include Art & Design (including Photography and Textiles), Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computing, Design & Technology, Drama & Theatre Studies, Economics, English Literature, Geography, History, Modern Languages, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Core Mathematics, Music, Music Technology, Physics, Psychology and Religious Studies. The IB Diploma at Sidcot School follows the standard six-subject structure (three at higher level, three at standard level) with Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Activity, Service components.
International Entry Requirements
For entry to Sidcot School’s Senior School and Year 11 Pathway (ages 12 to 16), international students need English at a minimum of B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference. Entry to the Sixth Form to study A Levels requires a minimum of B2, and entry to the IB Diploma requires a minimum of C1. International applicants take an entrance assessment in Maths and English under exam conditions, and all exams are retested on entry to the school at the start of the academic year. Students with a globally recognised English qualification may be exempt from the English entrance assessment if the score meets the entry requirements. English ability may also be assessed during the interview, or through English IGCSE or IELTS results; where a visit is not possible, the school arranges an interview via video call. The school states that it is not selective beyond its expectation that students can cope with the mainstream curriculum. Pupils can be accepted throughout the year from Pre-School to Year 9 where space allows; Years 10 and 12 may join up to one half term late at the school’s discretion, and the school does not accept students into Years 11 and 13. For Sixth Form entry, students need at least five GCSE passes at A*-C, particularly in subjects they wish to continue, and those considering the IB Diploma need at least A*-C in GCSE Maths and English.
2026/27 Fees
Sidcot School publishes its 2026/27 fee schedule as a downloadable sheet on its fees page. Termly day fees are £4,122 for Reception to Year 2, £5,122 for Years 3-4 and £6,172 for Years 5-6; senior day fees are £8,422 per term for Years 7-9 and £8,732 for Years 10-11. Boarding fees for Years 7-9 are £14,642 per term (£43,926 per year) for UK or non-visa students and £15,052 per term (£45,156 per year) for non-UK students requiring a Child Visa; the Year 11 Pathway boarding rate is £18,762 per term (£56,286 per year) for UK or non-visa students and £19,152 (£57,456) for child-visa students. Sixth Form day fees are £9,262 per term (£27,786 per year), and Sixth Form boarding is £17,512 per term for UK or non-visa students and £17,932 for child-visa students. A registration fee of £200 (or £105 for the Junior School) is payable with the application, and deposits are £1,000 for day places and £5,000 for international boarding places (£1,000 for one-term stays); deposits are refunded when the student leaves once fees are settled. Lunch is included in the headline fee but invoiced separately at £252 per term, flexi boarding costs £64 per night, individual lessons (50 minutes) cost £47 including EAL and Learning Support, group lessons cost £27, and the IB examination charge is approximately £750. Fees are reviewed annually in the spring, and the annual fee is split into three equal termly payments due one month before each term, with a monthly direct debit option running from August to May.
Visa and Guardian Requirements
Students joining Sidcot School without a UK passport who plan to stay longer than six months must apply for a Child Student visa. Sidcot School is a UK Student visa sponsor registered with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), so it can issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to support the visa application; the school states it will not issue a CAS until all criteria are met under UKVI regulations. For students staying under six months who do not normally need a visa, the school notes that an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has been required for travel to the UK since 2 April 2025, with approval taking up to three working days. All international students at Sidcot School must also have an educational guardian in the UK: this can be a relative or family friend over the age of 25 who is resident in the UK and not a full-time student, or a guardian appointed through an organisation such as AEGIS (the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students).
Boarding Life and Campus
Boarding at Sidcot School begins in Year 7 and continues through Sixth Form. The school has four boarding houses — Newcombe House, School House Girls, School House Boys and Wing House — and new boarders typically share a room with two or three others; Lower Sixth students share with one or two students, while Upper Sixth students have their own study bedroom or share. Each house has a common room with TV, games and WiFi, a small student kitchen, and a Housemaster or Housemistress responsible for student welfare. Three meals a day are served in the refectory, and the boarding fee covers full board, laundry, healthcare and most extra-curricular activities. Weekly and flexible boarding are offered subject to availability. The campus is on the A38 on the edge of Winscombe, and during term time the school runs transport for students from the local area; Bristol Airport is about 9 miles away, which makes travel to Europe straightforward.
Application Steps and Key Dates
The application process at Sidcot School runs in stages: research and request a prospectus; visit the school at an open day, taster event or private tour; complete the application form with the registration fee and the student’s most recent school report; attend a taster day (two days for Junior applicants, half a day for Pre-School and Reception); meet the Headmaster or Deputy Heads; sit the assessments (international students take Maths and English entrance assessments, and applicants from Year 7 upwards take verbal and non-verbal reasoning assessments); receive an offer; accept by returning the Parent Contract and Acceptance Form with the deposit and medical card; and receive joining instructions, with house placement confirmed before the start. International students receive offer documentation by post and must return the Parents’ Agreement and Acceptance Form with the deposit, the completed medical card and UK guardian details; the CAS is issued once all steps are complete. Term dates for 2026/27 published by Sidcot School run from Monday 7 September 2026 (Autumn), with half term beginning Friday 16 October and the term ending Wednesday 16 December; the Spring term begins Tuesday 5 January 2027 and ends Thursday 25 March 2027, and the Summer term runs from Monday 19 April to Thursday 8 July 2027. In the school’s own reporting of 2025 results, 29% of GCSE grades were 9-7, 89% were 9-4, 100% of IB Diploma students passed, and 95% of leavers secured a place at their preferred UK institution.
All figures above come from the Sidcot School website as of 6 August 2026; fees and dates change, so check the school’s latest published versions before planning. If you would like to weigh up whether Sidcot School fits your own circumstances, our advisers are happy to talk through your situation.