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You’ve read the Muddy reviews – now’s your chance to see the schools! Here’s the definitive list of all the Open Days from now until the end of April, in association with Selina Finance, at the independent schools we’ve vetted across Dorset, Somerset & Bristol. Scroll on to find your perfect match or click on the links to find our reviews.

Perrott Hill School, near Crewkerne, Fri 30 Jan

A small, independent day and boarding prep school of around 150 boys and girls aged 2–13, Perrott Hill School is set in 28 beautiful acres of grounds and woodlands just outside Crewkerne, on the borders of Somerset and Dorset, not far from the Jurassic Coast. The school has bags of personality – where else do Shetland ponies turn out for World Book Day? – and preserves all that’s precious about childhood but offers an education fit for the future. Read the Muddy review.

Book a place at their next open morning. The next one is Fri 30 Jan, with a Scholarship Assessment Day on Fri 6 Feb for pupils currently in Years 4 and 6.

Sidcot School, Winscombe, near Bristol, Fri 30 Jan (Prep & Senior)

A non-selective, independent co-ed day and boarding school for pupils aged 3-18, Sidcot School is set in 150 (no, that’s not a typo) acres of beautiful North Somerset countryside on the edge of the Mendips, close to the village of Winscombe, south of Bristol. It’s a Quaker school but you don’t have to be a Quaker – or even religious – to come to this progressive, outward-looking school which values independent thinkers of all abilities. Read the Muddy review of the Senior School and the Prep.

Have a nose around yourself at one of their Open Days. The next two in 2026 are Fri 30 Jan and Bank Holiday Monday, 4 May.

Taunton School, Taunton, Sat 31 Jan, Sat 7 Feb, Fri 24 April, Sat 25 April, Tues 28 April

Founded in 1847 for the boys of dissenters (not Church of England) Taunton School, a co-educational, non-denominational, independent day and boarding school, moved to its current location at the northern end of Taunton in 1870. A school for the 21st century, it wears its 175+ years history lightly, embraces difference, and excels in involving all its students in a whole-person educational experience. Read the Muddy review.

Contact them for a video appointment, phone call or tailor-made, personal tour around the school or book yourself onto one of their open events. Upcoming open days: Virtual Open Event (Senior and International), Sat 31 Jan; In-Person Open Day (Prep and Senior), Sat 7 Feb; Pre-Prep & Nursery Open Morning, Fri 24 April; In-Person Open Day (Prep and Senior), Sat 25 April; Virtual Open Event (Senior and International), Tues 28 April.

Royal High Bath, GDST, Bath, Fri 6 Feb, Fri 6 March

The independent day and boarding school for around 500 girls aged from 11 to 18 years (from 9 years as from September 2026) in the city of Bath. Situated in 11 acres on the hills of the Lansdown Road, just to the north of the city centre, the Royal High Bath‘s imposing neo-Gothic exterior belies the warm, contemporary interiors – and education – you’ll find inside. Read the Muddy review.

Contact royalhigh@rhsb.gdst.net or book yourself into one of their next Open Events: Fri 6 Feb, Fri 6 March, Fri 15 May and Fri 12 June.

Clayesmore, near Blandford Forum, Sat 7 Feb

Clayesmore Senior is a co-ed boarding and day school for kids aged 13 to 18 in stunning grounds a few miles north of Blandford Forum and a step further from Salisbury, Bournemouth and Poole. Set in the most bucolic countryside and with a main building that is oh-so-pleasing to the eye, there’s a lot more to the school than its setting – including its innovative LEX programme. Read the Muddy review of the Senior School and the Muddy review of the Prep.

To find out about visiting the school, register for one of their open mornings or email admissions@clayesmore.com. Open days in 2026: Whole school Sat 7 Feb and Sat 9 May.

Wells Cathedral School, Thurs 12 Feb (Prep only), Sat 7 March (whole school)

At over 1,100 years old, Wells Cathedral School is one of the oldest schools in Europe. As well as choristers and musicians of every persuasion, the school now educates children from 2-18 years, in a co-ed, mixed day and boarding environment. It’s unique among the four specialist music schools in the UK to offer a general education as well as providing for its young and gifted prodigies. Read the Muddy review.

Upcoming open events in 2026: Prep Open Morning, Thurs 12 Feb; Spring Open Morning, Sat 7 March; Be a Specialist Musician for a Day, Weds 11 March; Be a Mathematician for a Day, Sat 14 March; Be a Specialist Musician for a Day, Weds 26 May; Summer Open Morning, Sat 9 May; Be a Mathematician for a Day, Sat 13 June.

Badminton School, Bristol, Fri 27 Feb

A boarding and day school for girls aged from 3 to 18 years, Badminton School,‘s careful balance of intellectual firepower with common courtesy and support stands its girls out from the crowd. Read the Muddy review.

Open day and visits 2026: Whole School Open Morning: Fri 27 Feb; Whole School Open Morning: Fri 1 May; Sixth Form Open Evening: Fri 25 Sept; Whole School Open Morning: Sat 10 Oct but the school is always happy to show prospective parents around. You can get in touch here.

Milton Abbey School , Milton Abbas, near Blandford Forum, Sat 28 Feb

A co-ed boarding school for 13-18 year olds deep in the Dorset countryside, not far from Blandford Forum, Milton Abbey offers a tailor-made approach to learning and one of the widest ranges of traditional and vocational courses in the independent sector, in a blissfully bucolic setting. Milton Abbey School was Highly Commended in the Passionate About Sport (Senior) category of the Muddy Best School Awards 2025. Read the Muddy review.

Book a place on one of their upcoming Open Days: the next one is Sat 28 Feb. They encourage families to look around the school individually but also hold introductory mornings once a term for five families at a time as well as taster days; contact the Admissions Team. Check availability and reserve your place via admissions@miltonabbey.co.uk or on 01258 881804.

Leweston School, near Sherborne, Mon 2 – Fri 6 March

An independent, day and boarding Nursery, Prep and Senior school for boys and girls aged from 3 months to 18 years set within 46 acres – lawns, woods, follies – Leweston School lies three miles south of the old market town of Sherborne. It’s an unpretentious, friendly co-ed school offering great all-round education with outstanding music and sports. Read the Muddy review of the Senior School and the Muddy review of the Prep.

Book a tailor-made tour around the Prep and meet the Head during one of their Visit Weeks. In 2026 these are Mon 2 – Fri 6 March, Mon 11 – Fri 15 May, and Mon 15 – Fri 19 June. You can also arrange a virtual one-to-one meeting. Book a tailor-made tour around the Senior School on their next Visit Week, Mon 6 – Sun 8 March, and meet the Head and, if you wish, specific members of staff, like the Directors of Music, Sport, Boarding or Head of Sixth Form. Email admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk to find out more.

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Bryanston Prep, Durweston, near Blandford Forum, Fri 6 March

Bryanston Prep is a co-ed day and boarding school for 3-13 year olds on the edge of the village of Durweston near Blandford Forum, sitting in 30 acres of beautiful grounds surrounded by the undulating Dorset countryside, including the impressive Iron Age hillforts of Hambledon Hill and Hod Hill. It has all the advantages of a small rural prep – nurturing family feel, individualised learning in an idyllic countryside environment (ponies, orchards, woodlands) – and access to the superb facilities and opportunities at one of the top senior schools in the UK. Read the Muddy review.

See for yourself at an open morning; the next one is Fri 6 March, from 9.30am. Prospective pupils can also attend taster days. Contact the admissions department on 01258 452065 or email admissions-prep@bryanston.co.uk.

Downside School, near Bath, Sat 7 March

An independent Catholic day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 11 to 18 set in 500-acre grounds in the village of Stratton-on-the-Fosse, just 12 miles from Bath, Downside School has Benedictine values, is steeped in history and tradition but is keeping ahead of the game (you should see their fab Sixth Form Centre). Read the Muddy review.

They host several Open Mornings a year, one dedicated to the Sixth Form and three for all year groups, and they include a guided tour, a recital in the Abbey church, lunch and the chance to meet some of the staff. The next ones are Sat 7 March and Sat 16 May. For more info click here. Contact 01761 235103 or email admissions@downside.co.uk to arrange a personal visit.

Kingswood School, Bath, Thurs 12 March

Kingswood School is an independent, co-ed day and boarding school for 11–18 year olds in Bath. The only school founded by famous Methodist John Wesley (but it’s not too ‘religious’), it offers a good-all round education with excellent results and pastoral care to match. Kingswood School was a Finalist in the Giving Something Back category of the Muddy Best School Awards 2025. Read the Muddy review.

Book yourself onto one of their Open Events. The next one is a Year 7 in Action Morning on Thurs 12 March. Contact admissions for info on arranging a personal visit.

The Downs Preparatory School , Wraxall, near Bristol, Fri 20 March

Located in the peaceful North Somerset countryside near the village of Wraxall, just five miles from the cosmopolitan city of Bristol, The Downs is a prep day school for boys and girls aged from 4 to 13, with a separate self-contained nursery. Set in 60 acres of glorious parkland, it’s Bristol’s only dedicated prep school. Read the Muddy review.

They usually have an Open Day each term – the next one is Fri 20 March – but you can arrange a personal tour at any time to suit you.

Canford School, Canford Magna, near Wimborne, Sat 25 April

This 100-year-old co-ed school for ages 13 to 18, Canford sits in the most stupendous, immaculately-kept 250 acres in Canford Magna near Wimborne, with a parish church in its grounds, streams meandering through it and a 9-hole golf course (well, why not?). Read the Muddy review.

Book a place on an Open Morning, the next one is Sat 25 April, with separate events for Year 9 and Sixth Form entry. Alternatively, contact the admissions team to find out more: admissions@canford.com.

Monkton Combe School, Bath, Sat 25 April

A co-ed independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year olds, Monkton Combe School is set within the village of Monkton Combe in the Midford Valley with its stunning woodland views, just a mile south of the city of Bath. Read the Muddy review of the Senior School and the Prep.

Make a date to visit the school on one of their Open Days on Sat 25 April, call their Admissions team on 01225 721133 or email admissions@monkton.org.uk.

Going on a school hunt? Book in for these local school Open Days this spring

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