5 of the Best Independent Schools Near Newton Surmaville

Renowned for being home to some of the world’s best educational institutes, the UK has been a pioneer in academia and academic excellence for hundreds of years. The country’s independent schools are no exception, with around 2,500 in the UK delivering top-tier educational services to over 615,000 students every year.

The south of England has certainly developed a reputation over the years to be the birthplace of a large portion of these fine institutes. And the county of Somerset, located in the southwest of the country, is home to some of the best independent schools in the UK.

The county is known for its beautiful countryside and high-quality independent institutions, as well as some of the best places to live, and work, with some of the county’s most famous cities including Yeovil, Bath, Taunton, and Glastonbury – each unique in their own way. 

Newton Surmaville is conveniently located near some of the UK’s best independent schools, therefore offering one of the best bases to stay whilst visiting Somerset’s array of independent academies. 

Should you be looking to see which Independent schools in this fantastic English county are worthy of starting or furthering your child’s education, we’ve collated a list of some of the best Independent Schools within easy reach of our stately home.

1. Taunton School

Located nearby to the town of Taunton, a country town with a history dating back around 1000 years, is the prestigious Taunton School.

The school emphasises the need to create a supportive and caring environment for its students and encourages its pupils to engage with the opportunities that are made available to them. 

Accommodating children from nursery level (0-4 years) and pre-preparatory level (ages 4-7) to preparatory age (7-13 years), and senior and sixth form (13-18 years), the school offers a fully comprehensive educational environment for its pupils. For international students, it accommodates ages 7-18. 

Taunton School’s vision encompasses a balance between co-curricular, pastoral, academic, community, and global outlook factors to achieve excellence, and as a way of creating a well-rounded educational experience for its students, alongside finance and resources and leadership support.

Described as a ‘terrific all-rounder’ in ‘The Good Schools Guide’, the most trusted guides to schools across the UK formed to help parents choose the best possible education for their children, this speaks worlds for Taunton’s exemplary educational environment.

Located a mere 40 minutes along the A358 from Newton Surmaville, Taunton is a fantastic school within easy reach of our stately premises, alongside some of Somerset’s loveliest destinations, including the likes of Yeovil and Bridgwater, to name but a few.

You can contact the school for all enquiries, ranging from nursery and pre-preparatory-related, upwards to senior-level and international student questions.

2. Wells Cathedral School

Wells Cathedral School is located 45 minutes away from Newton Surmaville by car via the A37 beside the city of Wells, Somerset’s picturesque city location. This independent school, which has been open for over 1000 years, offers an excellent education to its students, who span the ages of 2 to 18. 

The school’s education system is founded in ethos and timeless traditions dating back to its origins as a Chorister school but adopts the necessary challenges and adaptations in a 21st-century society with its forward-looking strategic vision. 

The school offers an education to children at junior, senior, and sixth form levels. But what makes Wells Cathedral School unique in comparison to Somerset’s other top independent schools is the musical education it provides its students. 

Music has been the core of Wells Cathedral’s community since it was founded some 1000 years ago, and its choristers are a central part of the school, which believes that music can enrich everyone’s lives and is something that can be engaged with and appreciated by its students. 

With a cathedral choir school and a specialist music school, Wells Cathedral school blends its educational disciplines with music in harmony, allowing non-specialist and specialist musicians the opportunity to have a variety of academic pursuits whilst balancing their other extra-curricular and co-curricular activities.

Wells Cathedral School offers many upcoming events year-round, such as open mornings, scholarship days, and music-oriented events, so you can easily get involved and gain further information about the school’s offerings in person, no matter your prominent interest.

3. Sherborne School 

Located a mere 15-minute drive from Newton Surmaville via the A30, you will find Sherborne School. The full boarding and day school accommodates boys from the ages of 13-18 and is situated nearby Sherborne Abbey in the Civil Parish of Sherborne in Northwest Dorset. 

Sherborne School prides itself on delivering an education that is aimed at creating success for its students in our 21st-century environment, nurturing their characters for the future by creating the time and space to do so. 

The school has a background and set traditions in the disciplines of music and sport and provides an exemplary opportunity for its students to develop their skills and showcase their talents in these sectors. In music, in particular, the school has developed a fantastic reputation, with top-tier facilities on offer and many of its students achieving Trinity College Diplomas. 

The school also prioritises its timetabling to ensure that its students have the opportunity to pursue their interests and passions. Whether this is the school’s aforementioned offerings of sports and music, academic pursuits, drama, or other extracurricular activities, Sherborne offers a diverse range of pursuits which can be factored into students’ calendars. 

The school emphasises that it provides a varied and broad curriculum allowing its pupils to choose where their interests lie to achieve success. Sherborne also provides excellent pastoral care and delivers supportive and inspirational teaching and learning opportunities, alongside encouraging the curious nature and creativity of its students. 

Offering both individual and small group tours, which can be booked on its visits and tour mornings page, the school understands the importance of selecting the right school for your son, allowing visits to be tailored to their wants and needs.

4. King’s Bruton School 

Another one of the UK’s best independent schools is King’s Bruton, which was marked in the Good School’s Guide as “a small historical bastion of a school that is absolutely booming in the 21st century”. 

King’s Bruton School is located around 35 minutes away by car from Newton Surmaville along the A359 in Bruton, Somerset, and is an independent, fully co-educational boarding and day school offering secondary education for 13-18-year-olds. 

With an embedded Christian ethos, King’s is proud of its Chaplaincy which offers opportunities throughout the week for its student to explore matters relating to the Christian faith.

The school also offers an array of extracurricular, sports, and musical opportunities in which students’ talents can both shine and develop.  Sport plays an integral part in life at King’s Bruton, with many of its students achieving National or International representative honours and awards. Its drama school offers plays throughout the year, from its Junior plays to even staff plays embedded in the annual Performing Arts Calendar. 

And King’s Bruton’s extracurricular activities also stretch to Astronomy classes, Zumba, Duke of Edinburgh Awards and even Barbershop singing or silversmithing, offering real variety to allow students to explore where their interests lie. 

Finally, pupils at King’s Bruton can expect an excellent academic experience with an enriching curriculum to enhance their educational abilities. With subject-specialist teachers and small class sizes, students will enhance their capabilities and excel in their personal and emotional development, with all individual needs being met. 

The institute offers virtual open days, with details of timetables and key contacts available on its designated web page, where you can also arrange online video calls or phone calls with members of staff. More details about arranging personal tours with the headmaster are also available on this online page. 

5. Millfield School

Situated just south of Glastonbury, and only a 35-minute drive to the north of Newton Surmaville along the B3151 is Millfield School. 

Offering boarding and day education for children between the ages of 2 and 18, this co-educational institution won the Independent Schools of the Year award in 2022. It is now one of the UK’s best independent schools and offers an educational and personal experience that honours the individual and breaks away from traditional education systems by being an ‘activist educator’. 

The school, which was founded in 1935, delivers an all-around educational experience that allows its pupils to sample a diverse range of offerings to find what they want to pursue based on their talents and interests. 

Founded in 1935, Millfield also celebrates the diversity in its culture, academia, and sports, and emphasises the need to discover brilliance in all of its pupils. The school’s mission is also to be a market leader in offering transformational bursaries to its prospective students. 

Millfield is also one of the largest co-educational schools in the UK offering full-time and day boarding and has the facilities and resources to ensure that its world-leading teaching and learning opportunities are delivered to all equally. 

For those interested in visiting Millfield School, there are several open days throughout the year, and personal visits can also be arranged via its website by filling out a request form for either a virtual visit or a senior campus tour. 

Summary 

Somerset is undoubtedly home to some of England, and the UK’s, best independent schools. From small independent schools to those that specialise, the county has numerous opportunities for an impeccable education for your child.

But all those explored in this article are within convenient reach of our beautiful stately home, Newton Surmaville. Providing an exceptional location in which visitors can base themselves in this enchanting southern English county, should you wish to visit any one of the institutes in the above list, you can stay with us at Newton Surmaville, where we’ll be happy to accommodate you for the duration of your stay.