Together we achieve

Academic Ambition

At Highfield and Brookham, we provide a coherent academic journey right the way from Nursery through to Year 8. Your child will experience a dynamic, seamless and rich education based on experience and robust research delivered by passionate teachers in an inspirational setting.

Senior schools are looking for children who have a positive attitude, who are sparky and love learning. Our transformative approach will empower your child to become a critical thinker, curious questioner, compassionate individual and creative contributor. Our education embraces change, diversity and the progressing demands of the modern world. Your child is held at the heart of everything we do and every decision is made in their best interests. Our timetable is designed to ensure children are fully prepared for exams by providing plenty of time for the core subjects as well as providing breadth and added value. We will help your child develop a growth mindset, where mistakes are an important part of the learning process and encourage resilience and ambition. Mixed-ability classes remove the ceiling of attainment so the brightest children keep reaching for the next level of learning.

Specialist Teachers

In order for your child to achieve excellence they will be taught by a combination of subject specialist and key stage specialists. Our highly-experienced key stage teachers are skilled at teaching their specific age group. They design lessons with limitless possibilities to ensure your child reaches their potential.

In Nursery and Reception subject specialists will lead your child’s music, PE, swimming, ballet and Spanish lessons. Their core education is delivered by highly-qualified Early Years teachers. At each phase of the school your child will be taught by additional subject specialists. These subjects include science, art, drama, DT, games, digital literacy, modern foreign languages and Latin. By Year 7 your child will experience the senior school model of teaching where children are taught by subject specialist for all lessons and benefit from key stage specialists during form time.

Essential Skills

We believe in the importance of developing a set of essential skills. This will support your child socially, increase their learning outcomes and enhance future career opportunities. There are eight essential skills that your child will be explicitly taught and use throughout their education. We treat these skills with just the same rigour as academic subjects:

  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Creativity
  • Problem solving
  • Staying positive
  • Aiming high
  • Leadership
  • Teamwork

The Skills Builder Framework breaks each of these skills into steps so your child can practise each of the skills at a level appropriate for them. Your child will be given the time to discuss their strengths and evidence their development.

United Nations Global Sustainability Development Goals

We have an obligation to ensure our children are globally aware and considerate. Underpinning our teaching and learning are the 17 United Nations Global Sustainable Development Goals, which recognise that ending deprivation must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Your child will be inspired to be a responsible global citizen ready to play their part in helping build a better world. The first step on this journey is helping us achieve our target of being a carbon neutral Highfield and Brookham by 2030.

Enquiry Based Learning

Enquiry based learning is a method of teaching focussed on self-directed research by children. It is a highly child-centred approach to learning, enhancing children’s learning experiences during their time at prep school. Each term your child will be posed a broad question such as ‘how have heroic failures of the past shaped today’s world?’ This question emphasises your child’s role in their learning process and asks them to actively engage with their learning. It creates a dynamic transformation in the classroom whereby we have a room full of teachers rather than a room full of pupils.

This approach helps build essential skills and proves to your child that learning is meaningful. It allows them to think for themselves and add depth to their studies. Every lesson they will return to the ‘big question’ to allow your child to make links across all of their subject areas. This ensures their learning is truly embedded and simulates learning in the real world.

Keys Diploma

A true education is more than academics and exams. Your child will be encouraged to actively participate in all areas of school life – in the classroom, on the sports field and out in the local community.

We have developed our bespoke Keys Diploma that recognises the diverse talents that every child can bring to our school community and the wider world. It has been likened to the esteemed Duke of Edinburgh Awards and is packed full of opportunities such as bushcraft, lifesaving and hearing from inspiring guest speakers. Not to mention countless outreach possibilities. By us acknowledging and celebrating their commitment and involvement in all areas of school life and beyond, your child will flourish and become an accomplished and rounded individual.

Scholarship Programme

Our scholarship programme is an opportunity for those children in Year 8 who are showing real strength across the board to push themselves in their last year at prep school. The scholarship syllabus extends beyond the normal demands of the curriculum. It’s an opportunity for those children with a real thirst for learning to expand their knowledge.

Mental fortitude is really important. The ultimate aim, of course, is to get awarded a scholarship but it’s in no way a failure if unsuccessful. It’s about the preparation process and stretching your child, giving them extra inspiration in their chosen subject, be it academic, sport, drama, music, art or design technology. Children are well supported throughout the process. Attending scholarship classes four times a week gives your child the freedom to discuss current affairs, share art appreciation and develop their presentation and debating skills. The scholarship programme is a demanding process and therefore, just as importantly, the classes allow our teachers to keep an eye on your child’s mental wellbeing.