WestCountry Adventure is set on 160 acres of British countryside at Sidcot School in the Mendip Hills, a world away from city life. As well as CLIL lessons, students take part in outdoor adventures including bushcraft, archery, orienteering, surfing and campfires. At Sidcot we offer a range of academic subjects so it is a learning adventure and we also have a Football Camp . Every Wednesday is a full day trip to Thorpe Park, London, Dorset Adventure Park or the Eden Project and weekends take students further to places like Bath, Oxford, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Cheddar Gorge. It is the real England, in all its beauty and adventure. 

Most rooms at Sidcot are shared between two or three students, and we put students in bedrooms by age and language / nationality to encourage the use of English and new friendships. Single rooms are available for students aged 16 and above on a first-come basis. All boarding houses have their own lounge and kitchen and residential boarding houses feel like home. If you want to share a room with someone you are coming with you need to tell us when you book. 

Yes — if you would like siblings to share a room, please let us know at the time of booking and we will do our best to accommodate this. Please note that standard room allocation pairs students by age and language, so we cannot guarantee room sharing unless requested in advance. We do room placement prior to arrival and it is not possible to make changes after arrival. If siblings are different ages it is a better experience if they share with people their own ages. They can make friends this way.

Every Wednesday Academic Summer students at Sidcot School leave campus for a full day out — one of those days each two weeks is a trip to London. Students explore the city, taking in iconic landmarks and cultural experiences that connect to their learning.  For students based at Sidcot, London is both a day trip and a chance to experience the energy of the city before returning to the peace and adventure of the countryside. Students have a full day in London and have chance to explore London with the Big Bus, go shopping in Oxford Street and enjoy dinner in a restaurant on the South Bank next to the Thames. 

Yes — and this is one of the things that makes Sidcot truly special. Sidcot School has its own stables on campus, set in the beautiful Mendip Hills countryside. Horse riding is available as an optional extra on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons, for all abilities from complete beginners to experienced riders. Sessions are one hour and cost £150, which includes an assessment and a group lesson. To book, simply add it to your application form or email info@academiccamp.org. Places are limited so we recommend booking early.

For Engagers age 15+ their timetables are built around each student's subject choices before arrival. we ask all Engagers to choose at least eight subjects and indicate their priorities, so their personal timetable is ready and waiting when they get here. Students can check and confirm their timetable online before travelling.

Once at summer camp, timetables are fixed for the first week. After this, if your son or daughter would like to make a change, parents should email us to request this. Please note that all subjects are subject to availability as class sizes are a maximum of 15 and we cannot guarantee every request can be accommodated, but we will always do our best.

Engagers age 15-17 choose their own subjects before they arrive — this is their summer, so the timetable is built around what they want to study. We ask every student to choose at least eight subjects from our full list and indicate their priority choices. We then build a personal timetable around those choices, with four lessons every day.

Subjects available include Applied Maths, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Design and Technology, Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship, English, Environmental Systems and Societies, Essay Writing, Food Tech, History and Politics, Media Studies, Physics, Presentations and Interviews, Psychology, Sport and Fitness and Theory of Knowledge. Wow what a choice for students. 

Students can check and confirm their timetable online before travelling so everything is exactly right before they arrive. All subjects are subject to availability as class sizes are a maximum of 15.

We understand it is tempting to place a strong student with an older age group, but at Academic Summer students are placed by age rather than English level, and this is a deliberate decision. Pathfinders is specially designed for students aged 11–12 — the content, themes, teaching style and activities are all built around this age group and what they are ready for developmentally. A 12-year-old with strong English will do well in Pathfinders, be appropriately challenged and be with peers their own age. We understand that students of this age feel more grown up and want to be with older students but from our experience they are not ready. That is why we developed Pathfinders. 

Our CLIL methodology means the level of thinking and challenge can always be adjusted within the class and strong students are never held back. The important the content and maturity is right for each age.