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…
We were delighted to welcome parents and families today to watch our Reception class swimming gala! The children put on a fantastic display, showing incredible resilience and adaptability throughout their swimming journey this year. We are so proud of all their effort and determination. #Swimminggala #ReceptionClass ##Resilience #EarlyYears
We were delighted to welcome parents and families today to watch our Reception class swimming gala! The children put on a fantastic display, showing incredible resilience and adaptability throughout their swimming journey this year. We are so proud of all their effort and determination. #Swimminggala #ReceptionClass #Resilience #EarlyYears
What happens when… you spend your birthday with the Royal Military School of Music. Our orchestra was invited to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth, and what a day it was! Our young musicians didn’t just play notes. They had a marching lesson, toured the historic site, rehearsed alongside military trainees and the Tidworth Brass Band and the birthday girl even conducted the orchestra in Happy Birthday, a piece last performed by that same conductor for the Duchess of Edinburgh. In music, the most magical things happen when you stay open, stay adaptable, and keep showing up. #SchoolOrchestra #RoyalMilitarySchoolOfMusic #HMSNelson #YoungMusicians #MusicEducation #Adaptability #MilitaryMusic
What happens when… you spend your birthday with the Royal Military School of Music. Our orchestra was invited to HMS Nelson in Portsmouth, and what a day it was! Our young musicians didn’t just play notes. They had a marching lesson, toured the historic site, rehearsed alongside military trainees and the Tidworth Brass Band and the birthday girl even conducted the orchestra in Happy Birthday, a piece last performed by that same conductor for the Duchess of Edinburgh. In music, the most magical things happen when you stay open, stay adaptable, and keep showing up. #SchoolOrchestra #RoyalMilitarySchoolOfMusic #HMSNelson #YoungMusicians #MusicEducation #Adaptability #MilitaryMusic
Today our Year 8s presented their final presentations for the Independent Project Qualification. Weeks of research, mentor support, new challenges and bucket loads of personal growth have led to this momentous moment. The children spoke articulately, with passion and poise as they presented their final conclusions. We were delighted to be joined by guests from esteemed senior schools including @bedalesschool, @cranleighschool, @charterhousesch, @seafordcollege, @stswithunsgirls, @sherbornegirls. #CollaborativeLeadership #PrepSchool #Year8 @isebawards
Today our Year 8s presented their final presentations for the Independent Project Qualification. Weeks of research, mentor support, new challenges and bucket loads of personal growth have led to this momentous moment. The children spoke articulately, with passion and poise as they presented their final conclusions. We were delighted to be joined by guests from esteemed senior schools including Bedales School, Cranleigh School, Charterhouse School , Seaford College, St Swithun’s School, Sherborne Girls.
We are so proud of our incredible Deputy Head (Pastoral), Vivienne Liddell. She put her hand up for the London Marathon because she believed that someone who would genuinely find it hard would raise the most for a cause she loves. And she was right! Thanks to everyone’s collective generosity, Vivienne has smashed her original £4,000 target and is just a few pounds away from raising an incredible £7,000 for our Highreach Holidays programme. Can you help push her over the line? ➡️https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/highfield-deputy-head-completes-london-marathon-for-transformative-highreach-programme/
It’s polling day… nursery style! Today the UK heads to the polls for elections and our little ones didn’t want to miss out! We set up our very own polling station, where our nursery children cast their votes on the MOST important question of the day… What colour should we paint our racing car?! From putting their mark on the ballot to popping it in the box, our children got a first taste of democracy, communication and having their voice heard. Every vote counts, even the tiny ones! #PollingDay2026 #NurseryLife #EarlyYears #EYFS #EarlyLearning #NurserySchool #CollaborativeLeadership
Ahead of tomorrow evening’s Art Exhibition private view, Year 8 had a very special visitor… Old Highfieldian Joey Green, who was awarded a full Art Scholarship to Bryanston School and is now studying at Central Saint Martins. Year 8 have been experimenting in Joey’s style as part of their work on the human figure, and had the opportunity to put this into practice with a sketching lesson using Holly Hickmore’s sculpture as their subject. A wonderful connection between our current pupils and a former student who is going on to do great things at UAL: University of the Arts London.
A preview of something very special… From Reception to Year 8, each year group has created a stunning collaborative canvas and the results are incredible! Every piece was inspired by a practising artist, most of whom generously gave their time to run workshops with our pupils. We are so grateful for their expertise, their energy, and the magic they helped our children unlock. But beyond the art itself, our pupils learned to create together; sharing ideas, making space for each other and leaving their mark (quite literally) on something bigger than themselves. Tomorrow night, all of these incredible pieces will be featured in our silent auction. We can’t wait to see them find their forever homes. #ArtExhibition #CollaborativeLeadership #LocalArt #PrepSchool @thelittlegreengallery @olgahoughtonart @tamsinpearsonartist @christiandeferranti @wendyrichardsart @j.green_art
When West End performer @amybethpunter visited our Year 8s, the theatre was electric! Having previously starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, she was the perfect person to lead a workshop ahead of our own production later this term. She reminded the children that every single person brings something valuable to a show and that a great production thrives on everyone’s unique skills. #Teamwork #PrepSchool #SchoolProduction #IndependentPrepSchoolOfTheYear @shrek_uk
When West End performer Amy Punter visited our Year 8s, the theatre truly came alive. Having previously starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, she was the perfect person to lead a workshop ahead of our own production later this term. She shared brilliant insights into the world of theatre and reminded the children that every member of a cast and crew brings something essential to a successful show. A wonderful morning of inspiration and creativity for our pupils.
Want a sneak peek into our Careers Day? Children from Reception to Year 6 were treated to an inspirational Careers Day, discovering the wonders of the world of work. Most importantly, they heard how essential teamwork, leadership, communication, creative problem-solving and resilience are in the workplace. Thank you to everyone who helped make this morning “the best off‑timetable activity ever!” @the.plannery @redbullracing @royalnavy #CareersDay #ConfidentCommunicators #PrepSchool #Hampshire
Want a sneak peek into our Careers Day? Children from Reception to Year 6 were treated to an inspirational Careers Day, discovering the wonders of the world of work. Most importantly, they heard how essential teamwork, leadership, communication, creative problem-solving and resilience are in the workplace. Thank you to everyone who helped make this morning “the best off‑timetable activity ever!” @the.plannery @redbullracing @royalnavy #CareersDay #ConfidentCommunicators #PrepSchool #Hampshire
There’s nothing quite like a pre-match team talk to get the adrenaline going! Our 2nd XI cricket team gathered around Mr Figgis ahead of their match against Lambrook, soaking up every bit of advice from their expert coach. #CricketSeason #SchoolCricket #PrivateSchool #PrepSchool #ConfidentCommunicators @thecricketer
When Vienna called our choristers answered beautifully. Our Year 7 and 8 choir brought the magic home to Highfield Chapel for their Post-Tour Concert, leaving the audience moved to tears. Under the expert direction of Robert Lewis, these young singers proved that music truly speaks louder than words. #Choir #ChoirLife #MusicEducation #ConfidentCommunicators
When Vienna called our choristers answered beautifully. Our Year 7 and 8 choir brought the magic home to Highfield Chapel for their Post-Tour Concert, leaving the audience moved to tears. Under the expert direction of Robert Lewis, these young singers proved that music truly speaks louder than words. #Choir #ChoirLife #MusicEducation #ConfidentCommunicators
What was life really like in Roman Britain? This week, Year 4 headed to Fishbourne Roman Palace to find out. As part of their ‘Our Changing World’ theme this term, the children had a fantastic opportunity to see first-hand just how much life has changed since Roman Britain. One big lesson? Listening matters! The children quickly discovered how important it was to pay full attention to instructions to ensure they were able to complete their tasks, including some challenging structural engineering. And were rewarded with some truly impressive Roman empires of their own making. Sussex Past
Year 6 have been getting creative this week! In Art, they’ve been designing their very own Tudor family crests, and the results are incredible. From bold symbols to vibrant colours, every crest tells a unique story. Beyond the drawing, the children discovered that visual communication can be just as powerful as words when conveying a personal message. #independentschool #artlesson #confidentcommunicator #prepschool #preprepschools
Year 6 have been getting creative this week! In Art, they’ve been designing their very own Tudor family crests, and the results are incredible. From bold symbols to vibrant colours, every crest tells a unique story. Beyond the drawing, the children discovered that visual communication can be just as powerful as words when conveying a personal message. #independentschool #artlesson #confidentcommunicator #prepschool #preprepschools
