Meet Chris Potts

Teacher, Houseparent and Quaker

I’ve been at Sidcot since1989 and came from the state sector. It was the most brilliant move and I’ve stayed here ever since. Originally I was Head of English but then moved into boarding. My own school days were fairly appalling. I went to a boys direct grant grammar school. It was very academic, very little personal intervention by the staff, no pastoral care and so it was very difficult for me. Coming here, having been in the state system where I’d been head of year was wonderful because everyone mucks in together - there’s a marvellous feeling of working collectively for one object.

Upon arrival here, I could immediately make good relationships with children because there are small classes.  I taught English to a class of 35 the year before I came here – the biggest class I’d ever taken. To come here and teach my A level class of 11 was absolutely wonderful. That kind of personal relationship you get here with children is of the utmost importance and also it gives you so much more time to ensure that the work you do with them is of the highest quality.

My father was an Anglican priest, so I came into Quakerism from nothing, having rejected any type of religion. It was only after I had been at Sidcot a few years that I became interested in Quakerism and its view that everybody is important; each person has, as the Quakers say, that of God in them. It helped – just to see even the stroppiest kid - the one you always want to send out of the room, as having something in them that it is possible to appeal to; that was important to me.

Quakerism is a very gentle kind of religion. It hardly seems to equate with many others that I could think about. That’s quite important in the way that the children see it – the fact that we are not proselytising; we lead by example and that’s the best way of showing people what Quakers are.  I never mention in my class that I am a Quaker; it’s not my purpose to teach them about Quakerism, it’s my purpose to teach and care for the children. So if they see what I’m like and if that affects them then that’s ok.

I get a great buzz out of my evening meetings with my boys up in the house but I love teaching, especially A level English literature. I’ve got 43 boys aged 15 - 20 who live in the boarding house and I have a team of 5 people who work with me. As Houseparents we are available at all times. My wife, Celine and I have an 8-month-old baby, which makes a real difference in the house; it has been amazing how just having a baby and walking around with a baby makes an incredible difference to how the boys treat Celine and me. When we are off duty I like to read, we go to the cinema or we go out for meals.  Sidcot is a lovely place to live.  Lots of other people live here, so we have friends on tap to socialise with or perhaps to play sport with.

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