History
Highfield School was founded in Southampton in 1892 by Mr EA Wells, the owner and first Headmaster. The school first opened as a boys’ prep with 18 pupils. In 1904, Mr William Mills became the owner and Headmaster and moved Highfield to its present 175-acre site in Liphook, on the Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey border.
The new purpose-built school opened in September 1907 with 32 boys, all boarders. The school grew steadily; a beautiful Chapel was added in 1910, with other buildings quickly following suit. Mr Mills, who was ordained in 1912 and later became an Honorary Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral, remained Headmaster until 1953. Under Canon Mills, the school grew to accommodate 120 boys and established an enviable reputation for academic and sporting excellence. Highfield pupils won many scholarships to the leading English public schools, including Eton, Winchester, Shrewsbury, Charterhouse, Rugby and Sherborne.
Canon Mills died in 1953 and was succeeded by his son, Peter. The school became co-educational in 1978 and also began to take day children into the junior part of the school. Peter Mills retired in 1979 to be succeeded by Old Highfieldian Robin Orr, who remained Headmaster until 1993. During his tenure, school numbers rose from around 120 to almost 170. Under Nigel Ramage, Mr Orr’s successor, the school began a considerable programme of refurbishment and building work. Mr Ramage was succeeded in 1999 by Phillip Evitt when the compulsory boarding requirement ended, although many children still choose to board to this day, with almost all boarding for at least part of their final two years. Phillip Evitt retired in 2022 and was succeeded by Mrs Suzannah Cryer, current Head of Highfield and Brookham.
Today, all departments have designated teaching rooms. New Science, Maths and Computing facilities were opened in September 2000. A new indoor swimming pool was opened at Easter 2005, and a new Music School in 2006. Today, Highfield is genuinely co-educational with equal numbers of girls and boys. In 1992, a new building, designed by Petersfield-based architect, Roger Hill Building Design, was built within the grounds of Highfield to house our Pre-Prep children.
Highfield and Brookham is owned by Mr William Mills, the grandson of the founder. Mr Mills is also Chairman of the Board of Directors. Today, Highfield and Brookham continues to enjoy an outstanding reputation as a top Pre-Prep and Prep school for children aged 2-13 that offers an excellent all-round education, and its long tradition of scholarship success continues.
What we’re up to…
Congratulations Mrs Chapman! Over half term, something very special happened: Mrs Chapman got married! And her Nursery children weren’t going to let that go uncelebrated. They got to work crafting a one-of-a-kind wedding dress tailored to fit, designed a beautiful eco-friendly bouquet made entirely from tissue paper flowers and finished it all off with a giant congratulations card made with love. At Highfield and Brookham, we aim to raise young people who act with integrity and moments like these show just how naturally it comes to them. #EthicalResponsibility #EarlyYears #PrepSchool #JustMarried #SchoolCommunity
“Measure twice, cut once.” Wise words from Mrs Martin echoing through Year 4s DT lesson. The Romans built some of the most extraordinary structures the world has ever seen and this term, Year 4 are finding out exactly how they did it. At the heart of their learning is the theme: our changing world. Each child is designing and constructing their own Roman aqueduct scale model from scratch, learning to use dovetail saws, bench hooks, and precise measuring techniques along the way. Every aqueduct will then be joined together to put their engineering to the ultimate test: just how far can they transport water?
What is one of history’s greatest engineering feats? This term, Year 4 are stepping back in time to explore the Roman Aqueduct. As part of their wider study on our ethical responsibility to the world around us, we’ve been asking a big question: how has climate shaped the way humans have lived, built, and adapted over time? Year 4 will build their very own scale ratio models completely from scratch. Using dovetail saws, bench hooks, and careful measuring, they will carve, construct and decorate each aqueduct using a range of building materials and techniques, before connecting everyone’s individual aqueducts to see how far they can successfully transport water! Watch this space… #EthicalResponsibility #PrepSchool #DesignTechnology #HandsOnLearning #RomanAqueducts
What did your half term look like? Ours? It was packed with the kind of adventures children talk about for weeks. ✅ Building shelters ✅ Mastering fire-making ✅ Cooking up delicious recipes ✅ Making a splash in the pool ✅ Smashing it on the tennis court ✅ Shooting some hoops ✅ Getting crafty And we cannot wait to do it all over again in the summer. Find out what is coming up next https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/school-plus/holiday-activity-clubs/. #HalfTerm #HalfTermActivities #PrepSchool #Surrey #Hampshire
What did your half term look like? Ours? It was packed with the kind of adventures children talk about for weeks. ✅ Building shelters ✅ Mastering fire-making ✅ Cooking up delicious recipes ✅ Making a splash in the pool ✅ Smashing it on the tennis court ✅ Shooting some hoops ✅ Getting crafty And we cannot wait to do it all over again in the summer. Find out what is coming up next https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/school-plus/holiday-activity-clubs/. #HalfTerm #HalfTermActivities #PrepSchool #Surrey #Hampshire
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our school has received a Gold Award from The Woodland Trust, and what an extraordinary achievement it is! This honour is a true testament to the incredible dedication of our staff, particularly Ryan Underwood (Head of Enrichment), Charlie Millsom (Head of Forest School), and Rebecca Lane (Year 4 Teacher, leading Eco and Wellbeing in the Prep School), as well as our brilliant colleagues across the sports, EYFS, and maintenance teams who have so wholeheartedly embraced our environmental vision. We couldn’t be prouder.
Making short crust pastry is tricky at the best of times, but doing it in the heat? This week our budding chefs took on a serious challenge: homemade leek, potato and cheese pie, short crust pastry and all. That takes real skill and patience especially in this weather! We can safely say half term cookery club was a triumph as every last pie was gobbled up at lunch.
Half terms are for haircuts… Even the bushes need a little refresh before the children come back! There is something perfectly satisfying about watching a scruffy shrub transform into something sharp and tidy. We look forward to seeing the children’s fresh haircuts next week! #HalfTerm #ASMR #PrepSchool #Surrey #Hampshire #SchoolGrounds #TimeLapse
Half terms are for haircuts… Even the bushes need a little refresh before the children come back! There is something perfectly satisfying about watching a scruffy shrub transform into something sharp and tidy. We look forward to seeing the children’s fresh haircuts next week! #HalfTerm #ASMR #PrepSchool #Surrey #Hampshire #SchoolGrounds #TimeLapse
Who needs a kitchen when you’ve got a campfire? Our budding survival experts didn’t just learn to build a fire today, they cooked on it too! Sheltered under the cool canopy of trees, the children crafted their very own bread from scratch and toasted it over the flames on sticks. There is something truly special about eating food you have made and cooked entirely with your own hands in the great outdoors. Every step was a skill in itself: patience, teamwork, and a whole lot of determination.
Not even a heatwave can dampen our firestarter’s determination! Our budding survival experts showed up, sweated it out, and still wanted to light a campfire, because when you’re learning proper wilderness skills, there’s no such thing as too hot! However, fire safety is always our top priority and during hot, dry weather we dial it up even further. Learning to read the environment and adapt is one of the most important bushcraft skills of all, and the children nailed it today. #Bushcraft #OutdoorEducation #WildernessSkills #FireSafety #OutdoorLearning #PrepSchool #HalfTerm
Sailing demands a rare kind of intelligence, one that combines technical knowledge with instinct, teamwork with independent thinking, and careful planning with the ability to tear up that plan the moment the breeze changes. At the IAPS Sailing Championships, our sailing team tackled the day with skill, composure and courage. We couldn’t be prouder of how they represented the school at Andrew Simpson Centres.
The formula for the perfect open morning? We think we’ve got it. Start with glorious sunshine and stunning grounds that quite simply speak for themselves. Add outstanding facilities that inspire at every turn. Stir in a Head whose vision, warmth, and passion for education make every family feel truly seen. Finish with our incredible tour guides, enthusiastic, proud, and utterly brilliant ambassadors for school life here. If you missed us this time, don’t worry, our next open morning is in September. Can’t wait until then? Book a personalised visit! #PrepSchool #OpenMorning #Surrey #Hampshire #WestSussex
Every ball is a decision. Every over, a new puzzle. Where do you place the field for this batter? Do you go round the wicket? Vary the pace or hold your length? Cricket requires thinking three steps ahead. Reading cues, adapting, recalculating. These girls are great at it! The sport doesn’t just build athletes. It builds creative problem-solvers. @cranleighprepschool @cranleighsport #GirlsCricket #PrepSchool #CreativeProblemSolvers
What does it look like when a bursary child grows up to become a professional artist and comes back to inspire the next generation? Earlier this month, our charity art exhibition raised nearly £15,000 for the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund, but one story from the event really stole our hearts. Read the full story https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/former-bursary-student-returns-to-help-raise-funds-for-the-next-generation/ Georgea Blakey Art Annabel Pope Wildlife Art Lucy Pratt Rachel Redfern Artwork Wendy Richards Art Colin Willey’s Art Artist Jeremy Houghton Holly Hickmore Olga H O U G H T O N Suzanna Walters Art Mylo Art & Design Rountree Tryon Galleries
How can we look after our world? That’s the big question Year 2 are on a mission to answer this term, and they’re diving straight in! To fuel their enquiry, the children have been exploring the history of the seaside. Through detailed, careful sketches of shells, they’ve been uncovering the story of erosion and how these precious natural objects slowly transform over many, many years. Every pencil mark tells a story. Every drawing captures nature at work. Watch this space as Year 2 continue their journey to become guardians of our world. #CreativeProblemSolving #PrepSchool #HampshireSchool #Year2Learning
Here’s a little taste of what went on at our @lamdadrama showcase… for anyone who missed it! Learning a piece, inhabiting a character, or delivering a speech teaches children to think on their feet, adapt in the moment and solve problems creatively. What do I do if I forget my lines? How do I make this character feel real? How do I hold an audience’s attention? The creativity that grows from answering those questions is remarkable, and it was on full display this week. #SchoolDrama #PrepSchool #LAMDAShowcase #CreativeProblemSolving
Question: Where would you see a pirate, merfolk, a parrot, a crocodile, a delivery man and a headteacher? Answer: At the Year 3 production of Captain Scarypants. Of course! From the brilliant costumes and inventive props to the expressive voices and magical stage movements, their imagination poured out of every scene. Watching their creativity shine on stage was the most wonderful reminder of why we love performing arts.
How do you cater for 130 grandparents and 90 grandchildren across two days? Our annual Grandparents’ Tea Party, one of the highlights of the school calendar, was another huge success thanks to our amazing catering department who never fail to rise to a challenge and cater so creatively for such an important event. Here is just a glimpse of what went into making this memorable event so special: ✅20 loaves sliced white bread & 20 loaves wholemeal ✅3kg gammon ✅2kg cream cheese & 3kg cheddar ✅4 sides of Scottish smoked salmon ✅12kg dark chocolate & 3kg white chocolate ✅10kg fresh strawberries ✅12 litres double cream ✅16kg plain flour, 16kg self raising flour, 10kg butter & 12kg golden caster sugar ✅10 litres fresh milk ✅80 litres fresh coffee & 60 litres tea ✅1kg sugar cubes
So… how long does it take to organise 433 children and 160 staff into a whole school photograph? More than you’d think. Less than you’d dread. And way more logistics than anyone gives credit for. There are heights to account for, year groups to arrange, collars to straighten, hair to tame, not to mention getting the staff to stop chatting! At least the weather held out in spite of the dramatic cloud formations! #CreativeProblemSolving #PrepSchool #SchoolPhotography #BehindTheLens @gillmanandsoame
Our Year 7s stepped back in time with a visit to @the_globe. This trip was the perfect way to deepen their understanding of Shakespeare’s world both on the page and on the stage. With Shakespeare already woven into their Drama lessons, seeing the real thing made their learning relevant. The highlight? Trying on hats from authentic Elizabethan-era costumes and discovering first-hand how the clothes an actor wears can completely transform the way they carry themselves, speak, and inhabit a character. And yes, there were more than a few laughs along the way! It turns out Elizabethan fashion had a comedic side. #PrepSchool #Shakespeare #SchoolDrama #Adaptability
Can you guess what our Year 8 production is? There is no better way of creating a sense of connection and trust than putting on a production with your peers. Being on stage with your closest friends makes the challenge feel less overwhelming. Rehearsals are in full swing and, in just a few short weeks, our Year 8s will take to the stage for one last time at Highfield and Brookham. #Year8 #Resilience #Adaptability #StageProduction #MusicalTheatre
Can you guess what our Year 8 production is? There is no better way of creating a sense of connection and trust than putting on a production with your peers. Being on stage with your closest friends makes the challenge feel less overwhelming. Rehearsals are in full swing and, in just a few short weeks, our Year 8s will take to the stage for one last time at Highfield and Brookham. #Year8 #Resilience #Adaptability #StageProduction #MusicalTheatre
Want to find out why we have been nominated? We are delighted we have been shortlisted for Independent Prep School of the Year by Tes School Awards 2026. The Tes School Awards are one of the most prestigious celebrations of excellence in education, and to be named in this category is a remarkable achievement. Our pupils would love to show you why the school has been nominated at our next Open Morning on Friday 22nd May. If you are able to join us, please book your place to attend. https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/admissions/visit/
Year 1 had a brilliant day at Goodwood Estate learning where their food comes from. They discovered how crops are grown, watched robots milk the cows and even made and ate their own butter. And the journey home? Let’s just say they got a little held up along the way… But our Year 1 future farmers showed brilliant perseverance to navigate a challenging route home!