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Top independent schools in Hampshire: Where to live nearby

Published Mar 11th 2024

6 mins read

Daniel Rowland

With so many top independent schools in Hampshire, it is the ideal county for families to explore when planning their next house move.

Hampshire has a range of excellent schooling options, whether you are looking for local primary schools, best-in-class sixth-form colleges, or independent and private schools. Families moving to the county will have plenty of good options to consider.

In this blog, we highlight some of the top independent schools in Hampshire and suggest places to live nearby.

Winchester College

Winchester College or WinCol as it’s known to the locals, is one of the best-known public schools in England. Founded in 1382, it is also one of the oldest. The College campus sits centrally in the city and is an important feature of city life.

There is a sense of tradition at the school, in its buildings, settings, and its own team sport (Winchester College Football). It also has a traditional structure, being a school that revolves heavily around its ‘houses’.

The college is renowned for its academic rigour, but there is also a broad and successful range of extra-curricular activities.

As of September 2022, girls are admitted in the 6th form as day pupils and boarding will be facilitated once the 2 new boarding houses are completed.

St Swithun’s

St Swithun’s is an all-girls school running from 4 to 18 years old. Boarding is available from 11, and just under half the pupils board. The school is set on extensive grounds on the outskirts of Winchester.

St Swithun’s has a strong academic reputation and exam results are impressive. There is a thriving extra-curricular program and girls are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities.

Prep Schools nearby: Twyford School (Twyford), Pilgrim’s School (Winchester), Prince’s Mead School (Kings Worthy), Farleigh School (Red Rice)

Where to live for Winchester College and St Swithun’s

For adjacency to these independent schools in Hampshire, Winchester itself is ideal. This dynamic but small city punches above its weight.

It is a friendly city with a sense of community. As the nation’s former capital, history, culture and heritage abound.

Trains to London take just one hour. It frequently receives honours, such as ‘happiest place to live in the UK’ and ‘best place to live in the UK’.

The villages of the Itchen Valley – Martyr Worthy, Itchen Abbas, Itchen Stoke, Easton, Avington, Ovington – are a popular place to live for those wanting access to Winchester and all its amenities, but with a rural, village setting.

Easton is perhaps the pick of the bunch with its popular cricket club, two pubs, and an active community.

There is an abundance of prime houses all along the Itchen Valley – and some of the most desirable ones can be found backing onto the river in Martyr Worthy and Itchen Abbas.

Bedales School

Bedales School, its prep and pre-prep schools (formerly Dunhurst and Dunannie) are based in the village of Steep, just a mile outside of Petersfield. The school is famed for its progressive and liberal approach, which was first established by its founder John Badley.

The school is determinedly different from other traditional public schools and it refuses to follow mainstream UK education dogma for the sake of it. See their recently published 10-year strategy to understand the originality and boldness of this school.

There is a strong focus on the individual, on creativity, and on forming a broad and interesting curriculum.

Ditcham Park School

Ditcham Park School is another of the top independent schools in Hampshire. Positioned 3 miles south of Petersfield in a glorious setting atop the South Downs. It’s a co-educational school that runs from 3-16 years old.

Perhaps it’s the small size of the school and classes, perhaps it’s the gorgeous pastoral setting, or perhaps it’s because there are no fully grown 18-year-olds stomping about, whatever it is, the nurturing quality of Ditcham can be felt if you spend any time at the school.

This caring nature and knowledge of individual pupils meant that a recent Independent School Inspection talked of pupils having a “very good attitude to learning”, having “strong communication skills”, and developing “considerable self-confidence and high levels of self-esteem”.

Prep Schools nearby: Churchers College (Liphook), Kingscourt School (Catherington), Highfield and Brookham Schools (Liphook), Westbourne House School (Chichester)

Where to Live for Bedales and Ditcham

Petersfield is a town with gentle charms which offers a good quality of life.

The town has a friendly community feel centred around the twice-weekly market in the town square and the plethora of cafes.

For many, Petersfield’s location offers the best of both worlds, an easy commute to London (approx. 65 mins) and yet a feeling of being far from the Madding Crowd. The South Downs and Coast are on the doorstep.

The Meon Valley offers a rich seam of desirable villages – East Meon and West Meon, Exton, Meonstoke, Soberton.

These attractive villages are sought-after locations for their gorgeous properties, strong communities, and access to beautiful countryside nearby to top independent schools in Hampshire.

Lord Wandsworth College

Lord Wandsworth College is a co-educational school for pupils from 11 to 18 years old and offers day, flexi, or full boarding. There is a 40:60 split between day and boarders. It has an incredible campus of 1200 acres in the northeast of Hampshire.

Adam Williams, is an ambitious and likeable headmaster, and under his leadership, there is a sense that LWC is going places and academic results have improved over his tenure.

The school has an excellent reputation on the sports fields and boasts none other than Jonny Wilkinson as an old boy.

Prep Schools nearby: Yateley Manor School (Yateley), Cheam School (Headley), Frensham Heights (Rowledge)

Where to live for Lord Wandsworth College

Bentley has the sense of a village that appears to have changed little in the past 100 years; with an attractive 12th Century Church, fantastic village pub, a shop that has been in the same family for 4-5 generations, and a good community that regularly organises events from bonfire nights to film evenings.

It is located just 5 miles from the thriving, bustling, historic town of Farnham, yet is surrounded by fields and forests and has the River Wey meandering passed. Bentley is a gem for commuters as it has its own station.

Odiham is a large, picturesque market village full of character. The high street is perfect for wandering and grabbing a coffee, it is lined with handsome Georgian houses and independent shops and cafes.

The village is well placed to access London, via the stations at Hook and Basingstoke and the attractive market town of Farnham. Odiham sits on the Basingstoke Canal and boasts fabulous walks along the canal or in the surrounding countryside.

Hampshire’s independent day schools

Among the top independent schools in Hampshire, there are a number of excellent independent day schools such as King Edward VI School (KES), Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS), and Churcher’s College, based in Southampton, Portsmouth, and Petersfield respectively.

All three of these schools were grammar schools until the late 1970s.

Where to live for Portsmouth Grammar School

Hambledon is an attractive village based just inside the South Downs National Park. It has a long association with cricket and is known as the ’cradle of cricket’ for its part in the formation of the first laws of cricket.

It is also home to the oldest commercial vineyard in the UK. The two local pubs are aptly called the Bat and Ball and The Vine. The village has a strong and active community.

Bishop’s Waltham is a medieval market town situated at the source of the River Hamble. It is situated mid-way between Winchester and Portsmouth. The small town boasts a number of traditional pubs, some independent shops, and a good offering of cafes and coffee shops.

Bishops Waltham sits on one of the school’s bus routes.

Where to live for King Edward VI School

Sat at the bottom of the Test Valley is the historic town of Romsey, with the abbey at its centre. With a population of nearly 20,000, Romsey is a significant town with good amenities. It is a classic English market town with charm, character, regular markets, and a good community.

Understandably, Romsey is less celebrated and acclaimed than its two cathedral city neighbours – Winchester and Salisbury – but this should not detract from its appeal. Its modesty and unpretentiousness are part of its attraction and part of what makes the strong local community.

The villages at the north of the New Forest, such as Landford, Fritham, and Nomansland, sit on one of the school’s many bus routes. The north of the New Forest is less busy and touristy than the southern side and has a more tranquil and settled feel.

The countryside in the New Forest National Park is unique and sightings of ponies, donkeys, cattle, and pigs are frequent. There are plenty of good spots to eat and drink, and the Royal Oak in Fritham is one of them.

Where to live for Churcher’s College

Churcher’s College is based in Petersfield, as with the aforementioned Bedales and Ditcham Park schools, Petersfield and The Meon Valley are ideal locations to settle in proximity to this excellent day school.