Meet Ross Wallis

Head of Art

I came to Sidcot in 1983, so have been here around 24 years. It’s not quite a record yet. My father was Head of a Quaker school and three of my grandparents and my mother were at Sidcot, so I know the school extremely well and understand Quaker schools. I went to a big comprehensive and hated it most of the time.

After doing a Fine Art degree, then a Masters, I felt teaching was something I knew because my father taught, so I ended up here at Sidcot - my first job. I loved it and have been here ever since. Arriving straight from college, I became Head of Art because there was only me and I was completely my own master.

There’s something special about Sidcot; I often feel that when I am sitting in morning assembly and feel very close to the community. You might occasionally get cross with an individual but the pupils are really special. That has to be to do with the nature of the school. When visitors come to Sidcot the thing that they point out to me over and over again is the friendly feel to the place.

One of the principal Quaker philosophies is that you treat everyone as equals, no matter what their sex or age; in the eyes of God we’re all special. It’s not imposed – you’re not telling people what they should or shouldn’t do or believe. You’re just living life that way. 

As an art teacher I really enjoy the sessions that are out of the timetabled lessons. My art room is generally pretty full of people at lunchtimes, break times, after school - not just in organised activities but also just because pupils want to come along and work; that is just a magical time. I also organise activities – there’s a two-hour evening life-drawing class and I love the fact that it is well attended because life drawing is quite difficult for young people. I had about 25 signed up for that this year, which is pretty good for a small school.

The fact that we’re an international school is also pretty special, both in the boarding houses but also because Quakerism is very much to do with international understanding - seeing everyone as equal. There are 7 Quaker schools in the England, one in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland. We’re building up connections with Quaker schools in the USA and have twice visited the Quaker school in Manhattan; I recently took an art trip to New York and visited the Quaker school. Being an international school makes this community different to a normal school. And what an opportunity for some of the students, who go on out into the world, to have already got that international experience.

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