Together we question
Prep School
Our Prep School
Our Prep school education is more than just preparing your child for their time at senior school. It is a time for challenge, excitement and fun. It is a period of discovery, where your child will determine who they want to be while they are cared for in a safe and secure environment. We are an independent co-educational day and boarding school for children aged 8-13. We’re located in 175 acres of stunning grounds within the South Downs National Park in Liphook, and welcome families from across Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey.
Prep school is, of course, a time of assessment and exams. This cannot be avoided. However, our exceptional teachers will carefully manage this time. They will ensure your child doesn’t simply focus on this part of their educational journey. It’s important that we work together to ensure that their love of learning remains and their carefully nurtured flame is not extinguished.
The process of self-discovery that your child will go through will also lead them to important points such as senior school applications. Our highly-experienced Senior Leadership Team will guide you through this journey. A Highfield and Brookham education gifts you exceptional choice as we feed more than 30 of the top day and boarding senior schools in the country. This means we can help your child find the right school for them. We have made the progressive decision to move away from the full Common Entrance syllabus but remain with Common Entrance in the core subjects. This has allowed us to create a bespoke curriculum that focuses on the essential skills that we know senior schools and future employers are seeking in young adults. Our promise to you is that your child will leave Year 8 as an adaptable, resilient and independent young person ready for the world ahead.
An excellent and very broad educational experience, combined with first-class pastoral care, great facilities in a wonderfully inspiring location.
Lessons
Our Prep school timetable is a one-week timetable consisting of eight 45-minute lessons a day. To maximise your child’s learning time the timetable has been curated to ensure they move around our specialist facilities in a logical order meaning precious time is spent in lessons rather than moving from one to the next.
To help your child develop the ability to self-critique in a constructive manner they will attend a weekly study skills lesson. Your child will have the opportunity to carry out this new-found skill by reflecting and commenting on their end-of-term progress reports. We provide many real-life opportunities like this for your child to put all of their knowledge and skills into practice. This helps to consolidate their learning as well as give meaning and context to their education.
Our specialist subject teachers in drama, music, games, PE, modern foreign languages, design technology, art and digital literacy teach all Prep school children. Our specialist facilities provide the perfect learning environment for these subjects. In addition, in Year 5 and Year 6 your child will be taught by a subject specialist in science where lessons are conducted in one of our three science labs. They also have an additional new subject added to their timetable – Latin. Our highly-experienced key stage specialist teachers will provide the core teaching in English and maths. By Year 7 your child will be set in all subjects and taught by a subject specialist in all lessons, including wellbeing, geography and history. This ensures your child has experienced the senior school model of teaching before they reach Year 9.
To allow your child to have a focused conclusion to their learning, the day will end in the same way it began – with their form teacher. This is a crucial cog in our exceptional pastoral wheel. It allows the teacher who knows your child best to touch base with them to ensure the day delivered all it had promised. And it allows them to support your child if things didn’t quite go to plan.
There are 21 Saturdays in the academic year where children in Year 5 and above attend school, with Year 4 attending school on 17 Saturdays. Saturday mornings are filled with curriculum extension activities where children consolidate their learning and stretch their understanding. Saturday afternoons follow the traditional structure of sports fixtures which parents are warmly invited to watch every week.
Food
Growing children need wholesome food which is why we commit to having such a brilliant Catering Department. All of your child’s meals are seasonally planned, freshly prepared and cooked on site. Morning break is at 10am – the same time for all children in the school. To ensure your child is fuelled appropriately so they can fully engage with their morning lessons they will be served a carbohydrate-based snack. This will provide them with a slow release of energy to keep them focused until lunch.
Lunch break for our Prep school children is at 12.45pm. Lunch service is staggered to ensure the dining hall feels a welcoming place for your child to eat lunch with their friends. The time your child will be called for lunch rotates throughout the week, so sometimes they will eat first and then enjoy the fresh air and sometimes the other way around. Lunch is canteen style with a wide range of tasty and nutritious food on offer to cater for all tastes. There are always hot and cold options, with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and salads. Our bespoke menus operate on a three-week rotation and there is always a vegetarian option for those who choose to go meat free. Our aim is to feed your child but also to educate them about healthy choices and responsible eating. For example, when sweet treats and puddings are available our aim is to use reduced sugar and healthy alternatives.
To give your child that energy boost they need to see them through to the end of the day they are offered a snack during afternoon break at 3.15pm. Our approach to food is to ensure that your child has the correct levels of energy to perform well inside and outside of the classroom throughout the day.
Logistics
The Prep School Day
- 7.30am breakfast club (optional for day children £)
- 8am Gates open
- 8.20am Registration
- 10.30 am Morning break
- 12.40pm Lunch break
- 3.35pm Afternoon break
- 4.40pm school day ends
- 4.40pm After school clubs (optional)
- 5.50pm Clubs end
- 5.30pm Prep (optional for day children £)
- 6.30pm Supper (optional for day children £)
- 7pm Boarders’ evening activities
- 8pm Bedtime routine
Drop off
The gates at our Prep school open at 8am ready for the children to spill into their classrooms for 8.20am. Every day starts with 20 minutes of precious form time with your child’s class teacher to ensure they are set for the busy day ahead.
Our boarders enjoy a nourishing breakfast in our dining hall before the school day and our day children are invited to join them from 7.30am if they wish. We know how busy mornings can be so this option is valued by many families. Your child will be spoilt for choice for breakfast. There is always a hot option such as eggs on toast as well as cereal, porridge, yoghurt, toast and fresh fruit to kickstart their day.
After school
The school day finishes at 4.40pm but the fun doesn’t stop there. There is a full programme of after-school clubs which we actively encourage all children to take advantage of. There are four categories of clubs: physical, skill development, academic and artistic. We recommend your child tries one club from each group to fully benefit from our broad range of extra-curricular activities. Some of our clubs are run by our teachers who are passionate about a certain hobby, subject or sports and are free of charge. We also invite external professionals to run clubs such as LAMDA, Gymnastics and Golf, which do incur costs.
We offer Homework Club every day free of charge, so if there isn’t a new club your child wants to try and you need care for them after school they can stay with us until 5.30pm.
At 5.30pm our boarders head off to evening prep before heading into the Dining Hall for their homecooked supper at 6.30pm. Day children are invited to join boarders and can be collected as late as 7pm if family circumstances require it.
What we’re up to…
Commemorative plaques in honour of Highfield Centenary Bursaries Fund donors and beautifully hand-crafted by our skilled maintenance team will soon accompany the maple trees which line Chapel Field and Macs Field. Since its inception in 2007, more than 20 children for whom a private education may otherwise have been out of reach have benefited from the fund. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeInspire #TogetherWeOpenDoors #CentenaryBursariesFund #PrivateSchool #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #CountrySchoolEducation
Are you looking for a new school? One which offers a progressive, skills-based curriculum and first-class teaching? Where the children’s health and wellbeing are paramount? We are hosting our first open morning of spring on Saturday 10th May, from 10.30am-12.30pm. We’d love for you to meet our Head, Suzannah Cryer, members of our friendly and professional teaching team and take a tour of the school and its exceptional facilities in the company of our engaging Year 8 children. To book a place, simply click here: bit.ly/3G2Hhl1 #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
As Highfield and Brookham blooms in the sunshine, we would like to say a huge thank you to our incredible gardeners and grounds team who keep the school looking so beautiful year in, year out. A special place to learn and grow, we’re looking forward to showing prospective parents exactly what we have to offer during our next open morning on Saturday 10th May. To book a place, simply click the link in our bio! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #TogetherWePlay #PrivateSchoolEducation #CountryBoardingSchools #OpenMorning
What a busy day we’ve had in the woods. As part of a hands-on exploration into the brilliant world of bushcraft, the children have been finding and identifying minibeasts, arranging by colour the myriad flora and fauna found on the forest floor, learnt how to build and maintain a fire using a flint and steel tool and, of course, toasted marshmallows and made popcorn over the campfire! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeExplore #TogetherWeBuild #EssentialSkills #ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Anxious parents will tomorrow discover if their children have secured places at their first-choice primary schools. While most will, some may not. If not, help is at hand, including the possibility of an independent school education. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #IndependentSchool #ReceptionClass #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #NationalOfferDay
One of the things that makes our holiday activities so popular is the amazing range of courses on offer. Whether you’re sporty or artistic, a stage performer or a woodland firelighter, a tech whizz or a touch typist, we really do have something for everyone. At the end of our courses, children leave with a much better understanding of their chosen subject, greater confidence, and armed with invaluable skills and techniques that they can use in and out of the classroom. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #SchoolHolidayActivities #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
We have an exceptional track record when it comes to the creative arts during term time, so there’s little wonder the children thrive during the holidays too. Today, Mrs Wilson, with her wealth of West End stage experience, put her young charges through their paces on the first of a two-day Easter holiday performing arts course; helping the children learn song lyrics and add accompanying choreography ahead of a special performance to parents tomorrow. And without wishing to give the game away, it really could be the greatest show… #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePerform #TogetherWeInspire #PerformingArts #CreativeArts #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #EasterHolidayClubs #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire
The amount raised for the Highfield Centenary Bursaries Fund by the fab five runners who tackled last week’s London Landmarks Half-Marathon – school owner Bill Mills, Head Suzannah Cryer, Head of Pre-Prep Georgie Hunter and parents Sarah Bagshaw and Claire Kenwright – has now topped the £9,000 mark. Since its inception in 2007, more than 20 children for whom a private education may otherwise have been out of reach have benefited from the fund. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeThrive #TogetherWeLearn #Bursaries #HighfieldCentenaryBursariesFund #PrivateSchoolEducation #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Today has been a day full of woodland adventure, thanks to the team from @coryluscollective and our new Nature Days course. Specifically designed for younger explorers, from wild treasure hunts to chilled-out woodland crafts and story-time under the trees, it’s the perfect mix of adventure and calm. With the sun shining and our beautiful grounds bursting with life, the children were swinging on rope swings, hunting for creepy-crawlies on bug safaris, building epic dens and toasting tasty treats over a crackling campfire. #WoodlandWonder #OutdoorAdventures #NaturePlay #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCreate #TheGreatOutdoors #SchoolHolidayActivities #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool
Are you looking for a new school? One which offers a progressive, skills-based curriculum and first-class teaching? Where the children’s health and wellbeing are paramount? We are hosting our first open morning of spring on Saturday 10th May, from 10.30am-12.30pm. We’d love for you to meet our Head, Suzannah Cryer, members of our friendly and professional teaching team and take a tour of the school and its exceptional facilities in the company of our engaging Year 8 children. To book a place, simply click here: bit.ly/3G2Hhl1 #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
We are excited to welcome the Assure Coaching team to lead the way with a jam-packed course full of exciting sports for an energetic and fun-filled holiday club. The team, made up of experienced coaches, have been teaching the children essential skills and techniques across sports, including football, cricket, basketball and hockey to name a few, along with fun games such as bench-ball and dodgeball. A great day has been had by all, building skills, making friends and growing in confidence. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Liphook #OutdoorLearning #SportForAll #TogetherWePlay
We had an incredible Senior Cookery course today. The group put their cooking skills to the test and got stuck in making delicious hot cross buns, Mexican molletes and carrot cake cookies. The amazing cookery teacher, Sophie Neish, shared her passion, knowledge and expertise, whilst passing on her tips to these future super cooks. All the children left with plenty of new skills and filled with cooking confidence. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCook #TogetherWeCreate #Cookery #SchoolHolidayCourses #LifeSkills #Liphook #PrepSchool
We are so lucky to have our very own golf course right here on our grounds, providing the perfect setting for another amazing holiday golf course with the talented coach, Harry Jafkins, Assistant Professional from Liphook Golf Club. It was such a pleasure to see the children, both beginners and more experienced players, diving into a variety of drills designed to enhance their game, along with one-to-one coaching. Every child left with a better understanding of the sport and improved technique. It’s clear that learning golf can be both enjoyable and rewarding, and we can’t wait to do it all again in the summer holidays! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePlay #HolidayActivtyClubs #SchoolHolidayActivities #Liphook #Hampshire #WestSussex #Surrey #IndependentSchool
Five runners from the Highfield and Brookham community have raised almost £8,000 between them for the school’s Centenary Bursaries Fund, which can pave the way to a private education. The runners raised the cash during Sunday’s London Landmarks Half-Marathon. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeInspire #TogetherWeAchieve #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Things were definitely cooking in our kitchen today, with Italian Easter bread, Italian pizza pie and ‘Easter crazy’ chocolate bark all on a tantalisingly tasty menu. Our holiday cookery courses, run by the brilliant Sophie Neish, are always incredibly popular and, today, the children mixed, grated, rolled, sliced and diced to their hearts’ content to produce yet more amazing dishes. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCook #TogetherWeCreate #Cookery #SchoolHolidayCourses #LifeSkills #Liphook #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire
With expert tuition from the brilliant MJ and @sophie_billy_ of @assurecoaching our children have today danced up a real storm on the second day of our exciting new Dance holiday club. They worked really hard on the choreography of two high-energy routines featuring locking street dance and lyrical theatre dance before putting on a dazzling show for their appreciative parents. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePerform #TogetherWeCreate #Dance #SchoolHolidayActivities #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Inspired by the onset of spring, we’ve had a brilliant start to our new Nature Crafting course. Under the expert eye of nature lover Hannah, from Corylus Collective, the children have tapped into their creativity and artistry to produce some amazing hand-crafted creations using natural materials, including beautiful Easter wreaths, botanically-dyed bags, clay birds and willow bird feeders, all of which the children can take home. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCreate #GettingBackToNature #NatureCrafting #ArtsAndCrafts #TheGreatOutdoors #SchoolHolidayActivities
Never missing an opportunity to take their learning outside, imaginative Year 3 saw the immense possibilities of turning our amazing woodland into their very own outdoor gym, which proved perfect for an impromptu gymnastics session to help keep their bodies and minds fit and healthy! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeStayHealthy #TogetherWeInspire #OutdoorLearning #SchoolsInHampshire #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The perfect end to a fun-filled week at our Multi-Activities Club, an Easter egg hunt! The Easter Bunny came early and organised a fun hunt in our Forest School for the children to enjoy. There are places still available for next week – book now by clicking the link in our bio. #TogetherWeGrow #OutdoorLearning #ForestSchool #WondersOfWood #HolidayActivityClubs #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
This week’s Multi-Activities Club took full advantage of our 175 acres and the amazing weather. Perfect for building dens and bug hotels, using imaginative play and teamwork. What a magical and memorable week it has been for all the children in the club. There are places still available for next week – book here: bit.ly/4i1W6Sf #TogetherWeGrow #OutdoorLearning #ForestSchool #WondersOfWood #SparkingImaginations #HolidayActivityClubs
We’re thrilled to share the incredible news about our 11+ and 13+ scholarships to date. A huge congratulations to those who have received scholarships so far. But we also want to celebrate every pupil who participated, it takes hard work, determination and courage. These awards reflect not only individual achievement but the unwavering support of our teachers and parents as it is a true team effort. The scholarships cover academics, sport, art, drama, and design technology and are to top senior schools including @brightoncollegeuk, @charterhousesch @canfordschool, @rugbyschool1567, @cranleighschool, @seafordcollege , @bryanstonschool, @sherborneboys, @lordwandsworth, @stedwardsoxford @qas_caversham and Repton School. We’re so proud of our scholars and all who have been part of this journey. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex @goodschoolsguide @talkeducation
Our intrepid quintet of charity runners have topped their £6,000 fundraising target ahead of Sunday’s London Landmarks Half-Marathon – but it’s not too late to swell the coffers of the Centenary Bursaries Fund further. Highfield and Brookham owner Bill Mills, Head Suzannah Cryer and Head of Pre-Prep Georgie Hunter will be joined by parents Sarah Bagshaw and Claire Kenwright for the 13.1-mile run around the streets of our nation’s capital, raising money to support our amazing bursaries programme, which offers a private education to children for whom it might otherwise be out of reach. To sponsor any of our valiant runners, simply click the relevant links: bit.ly/4cgF956 (Bill Mills), bit.ly/42gJnW2 (Suzannah Cryer), bit.ly/4cbPDTm (Georgie Hunter), bit.ly/42ptoWR (Sarah Bagshaw), bit.ly/4iU2LiN (Claire Kenwright). #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeRun #TogetherWeSupport #CharityRun #CentenaryBursariesFund #LondonLandmarksHalfMarathon #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire
Are you looking for a new school? One which offers a progressive, skills-based curriculum and first-class teaching? Where the children’s health and wellbeing are paramount? We are hosting our first open morning of spring on Saturday 10th May, from 10.30am-12.30pm. We’d love for you to meet our Head, Suzannah Cryer, members of our friendly and professional teaching team and take a tour of the school and its exceptional facilities in the company of our engaging Year 8 children. To book a place, simply click the link in our bio! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Whether they are in the classroom, the science lab, the music room, the DT block or on the sports pitches, our children are always learning – and that includes being outside in the playground. Our Pre-Prep children are blessed with a brilliant combination of green space and benefit-laden play equipment right outside their classrooms that they make full use of all year round, come rain or shine. There they can develop their gross motor skills and improve their balance, coordination and spatial awareness as they climb, swing, run and jump to their heart’s content, work on their teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills to negotiate tricky obstacles, and interact with their peers, brush up on their social skills and form new friendships. Who says learning can’t be fun! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #TogetherWePlay #OutdoorLearning #LearningThroughPlay #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #CountrySchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Underscoring the immense value of school trips, inquisitive Year 4 ‘evacuees’ took a step back in time with a fascinating visit to wartime railway The Watercress Line to add a new dimension to their spring-term studies on the Second World War. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #SchoolTrips #LearningOutsideTheClassroom #VoyageOfDiscovery #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #CoeducationalSchoolsInHamsphire #CountrySchools #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex