Sidcot School reaches out
Sidcot's equestrian centre used to reach out to local children
The headteacher of a Quaker private school has said that one way its Quaker ethos is demonstrated is through a new project that introduces local children to horse riding.
Sidcot School in Somerset has set up two initiatives to ‘encourage young people back into learning’. The first, ‘Back on Track’, sees ‘disengaged pupils’ aged nine to thirteen from local schools taught horse care and riding for two hours each week.
The second project is a six-week programme that has supported six people over fourteen who have ‘dropped out’ of school.
‘I’ve seen a remarkable change,’ said Jane Keep, manager of the school’s equestrian centre. ‘One has already signed up for a further education course with us at the centre.’
The school’s new head, Iain Kilpatrick, said: ‘We have already set up scholarships across the school for gifted children in the community. These Equestrian Centre projects are a way of ensuring our unique Quaker ethos supports disengaged young people in the wider area.’
Sidcot is one of eight private Quaker schools in Britain.
