Together we learn

Our Nursery

For many children, attending Nursery is the first time they spend significant time away from home. For that reason it is vital that the setting they attend makes them feel happy, secure and valued. Furthermore it is such an important time for your child to develop learning characteristics that will set them up for their educational journey ahead. It is where it all begins and a time of limitless exploration and growth. These early years are fundamental to embed learning habits and develop confidence.

We are an independent Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School in Liphook, situated in 175 acres of stunning grounds in the South Downs National Park on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Our vision is to teach children to collaborate, to be resourceful and to take charge of their own learning and to provide a welcoming environment in which to do so. We plan a curriculum that cultivates good habits and attitudes that will enable your child to become an eager and courageous learner. As your child progresses through the Nursery years, they will develop into a tenacious, imaginative and logical child who is self-aware, collaborative and inquisitive. The foundations of all of these traits are put in place from the moment your child walks through the Nursery door for the very first time. Above all, we aim to make your child’s time in Nursery a joyous experience. During their time with us their imagination will grow, their thoughts will become more complex and their understanding of the world around will unfold. The aim of our Nursery is to instil a love of learning that will set them up for the rest of their life.

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Core Education

Our Nursery timetable is predominantly led by the children’s interests and is made up of mainly child-led learning time as well as forest school. Our expert Nursery Practitioners curate a wide range of activities for your child to engage with to help them develop prime development areas:

Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design

At Highfield and Brookham, we pride ourselves on our impressive breadth of curriculum, supplying your child with plenty of new skills to discover. Alongside your child’s core education, they will be taught by our specialist subject teachers in swimming, PE, gymnastics, music and Spanish.

Child-initiated

Here at Highfield and Brookham, we have a real passion for and belief in child-initiated learning based on extensive research on how young children learn best. Your child will make decisions about what they want to do, where they want to do it, and what resources they will need. Crucially, the teachers participate as play partners identifying learning opportunities and skilfully responding to the children rather than leading the activities. This is all made possible because of our high staff-to-child ratios. It’s only when your child starts to apply independently what they have learnt that we know they have truly understood and engaged with what they have been taught.

We love the nursery and could not be happier that we chose it for our children.

Outdoor Learning

There is a plethora of evidence in support of outdoor learning and at Highfield and Brookham we see the proof of this every single day. Each of our Nursery rooms has direct access to our wonderful Nursery garden, which is fully equipped with a giant sandpit, mud kitchen and vegetable patch. Your child’s imagination will know no bounds as they explore and discover wonderful new things inside and out. Come rain or shine your child will be able to decide to go outdoors whenever they like, and we know that the lure of splashing in puddles or making mud pies means that children want to go outside whatever the weather. This is why waterproofs and wellington boots are staples in the Nursery wardrobe. One of the most popular activities in the garden is growing vegetables. Your child will plant, water and care for a variety of vegetables in the Nursery garden and, best of all, they will also get to harvest the produce and cook it in their very own kitchen.

With 175 acres of beautiful grounds, outdoor learning at Highfield and Brookham really has no limits. Your child will relish their time in their dedicated space at forest school, which is just a stone’s throw from their classroom door. Here they are free to explore and roam in our wondrous woodland as they hunt for the most magical minibeasts, build the most extravagant dens and craft the most elaborate leaf crowns. We want to engender a love of wildlife and respect for the natural environment in your child.

Free Flow

Your child will enjoy the freedom of free flow across all three of our Nursery rooms for a large proportion of the day. This is where all the children come together and are given the independence to explore their environment. During this time the younger children learn from their older peers, enhancing their language development and communication. Simultaneously, the older children learn valuable skills such as empathy as they take on the position of role models for their younger classmates. This combination of dedicated and shared space is a key factor in your child’s personal, emotional and educational growth.

Open-ended Resources

Our Nursery is purposefully equipped with an exciting variety of open-ended resources for your child to discover. The classrooms are carefully kitted out with blocks, loose parts and modelling resources. A toy fire engine is always a fire engine, but a pile of bricks could be an aeroplane carrying an important guest, a rocket on the hunt for life on mars or even an underground tunnel leading to an undiscovered land. The only limitation is your child’s imagination.

Food

We take food very seriously at Highfield and Brookham and your child will quickly find out why. We hire a fantastic Catering Team who keep your child’s energy at the optimum level so they can fully engage with everything that Nursery has to offer. At 10am your child will enjoy a morning snack on the carpet with their friends. This usually consists of fruit or a slice of our delicious homemade, reduced-sugar banana loaf.

Lunchbreak for our Nursery children is at 11.45am. The Tiny Bears, our very youngest children, enjoy lunch in their room, The Den, before settling down for a much-needed lunchtime nap. Our Little Bears and Big Bears don their gingham smocks and head across the courtyard to the main dining hall. Your child’s lunch is freshly prepared on site by our in-house chefs. Children are served at the table and always have the option to ask for more if they want it.

Mid-afternoon, children gather back on the carpet with the other Nursery children to enjoy a well-earned rest and snack. Cheese and crackers, sandwiches or breadsticks and humous are usually on offer to see them through to tea time.

Rooms

There are three specialist rooms in our Nursery – The Den, Woodlands and Meadows. The Den is home to our youngest cohort, Tiny Bears. This dedicated area, designed especially for our youngest children, allows your child to undertake age-appropriate activities which help them to develop independence, imagination and communication at a pace that is just right for them. Importantly, there is a dedicated space for your child to have their valuable daytime nap if they need it to ensure they are rejuvenated and ready for their afternoon adventures.

At the age of three, and when they are developmentally ready, your child will move up to either Meadows or Woodlands. Both rooms have a managed mix of our Little Bears and Big Bears so they can grow and learn together.

Logistics

Our Nursery is open for 35 weeks of the year. We welcome children from the age of two when they attend for a minimum of two mornings per week. As your child progresses into their final Nursery year, they will attend a minimum of three mornings per week, with lunch. This extended week helps with their readiness for the transition to Reception.

The morning sessions in Nursery run from 8.20am to 11.20am. You can choose for your child to stay for lunch, which the children take in our main dining hall at 11.45am. Collection is after lunch is at 1.00pm or 3.20pm if your child is staying for the full day.

Your child may attend on any days of the week where we have availability, and in any combination of morning, morning with lunch and full day sessions, up to full time, five days a week.

The Nursery Week

7.30am Breakfast club (Optional £)
8am Before-school care
8.20am Doors open
11.45am Lunch break

3.20pm School day ends
3.30pm After-school care (Optional £)
4.30pm Picnic tea and play (Optional £)
6.30pm Last pick up

Drop off

The doors to our Nursery are open for children at 8.20am. We know and completely understand that mornings can be busy for many families, with parents juggling school drop off, work and other commitments. It’s important that your child’s start to the day is calm and stress free to set them up for a successful say of learning. That’s why we offer an earlier 8am drop off option for those families who need it, at no extra charge.

Many of our families make use of our breakfast club, which opens for our Nursery children at 7.30am. Breakfast Club takes place in the main dining hall and your child will be spoilt for choice for what to have for breakfast. There is always a hot option such as beans on toast as well cereal, porridge, yoghurt, toast and fresh fruit. A truly hearty breakfast to kickstart them for their busy day in Nursery.

After School

The Nursery day draws to a close at 3.20pm. We have excellent after-school care provision that covers you if you need a later pick up.

As part of the after-school care programme, your child will have a fantastic choice of games and activities at their disposal. After-school care runs until 4.30pm.

For those families who need a later collection time we offer our ‘picnic tea and play’ session. A high tea will be served at 5pm with a selection of sandwiches, crudités, fromage frais and fruit on offer. Your child will be looked after until 6.30pm if required.

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Pre-Prep

Prep School

Admissions

What we’re up to

2 days ago

Are you ready to discover a school that truly stands out? Join us for our Open Morning on 28th September and experience what makes Highfield and Brookham so special. From our inspiring curriculum to our warm, welcoming community, there’s no better way to discover our magic than by visiting us in person. Book your place today at

2 days ago

Ladies and gentlemen, please say hello to our brilliant boarding team. They really are the unsung heroes of our school who, through their love, care and dedication, make Highfield and Brookham a true home away from home for our boarders. Thank you, Team Boarding, for everything you do! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Boarding

1610

3 days ago

Our pre-prep children had an exciting morning when traffic officers from Sussex Police paid a visit. It was a truly arresting sight to see the children so engaged, absorbing every little detail that the officers shared with them while bombarding them with a million brilliant questions. And the highlight? Sitting in the police car, of course! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

730

3 days ago

Having our old IT equipment recycled is not only helping support a charity in Southampton which is tackling homelessness, it’s also helping the environment by preventing harmful substances making their way into the ground and into watercourses. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #ComputerRecycling

120

4 days ago

We’ve had a scintillating afternoon of sports action, welcoming back our good friends from 11 different schools to compete in our annual football and hockey tournaments and engage in some eager competition on the netball court. What a fantastic way to start a new season of competitive school sport! Aldro Barrow Hills School Bedales School Edgeborough School Farleigh School Hoe Bridge School Lord Wandsworth College Seaford College St. Edmund’s School, Hindhead Twyford School, Hampshire Westbourne House School #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

250

4 days ago

It’s not always easy being a goalkeeper on a sports team as you’re the last line of defence and there to be shot at. But there’s no better way to earn the adoration, respect and praise of your teammates than to make a string of simply incredible saves to keep your side in the match! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Hockey #Teammates #Camaraderie

1070

5 days ago

Did you know that our children are immersed in science all the way through school, delving into the wonders of biology, chemistry and physics from the moment they first walk in the door? Science helps our children see the world in a new light, whether they are out collecting samples in nature or undertaking experiments in the lab, and helps make them curious about the world around them. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Science

471

5 days ago

Autumn and winter may be closing in fast but the young holidaymakers and the army of willing volunteers involved in this summer’s brilliant Highreach Holidays will be warmed by memories that will last a lifetime. Simply click the link to see just how much fun the children (and adults) had as it was all captured for posterity. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #HighreachHolidays

130

6 days ago

Don’t miss the chance to apply for our new Year 5 all-rounder scholarship for entry in September 2025. The scholarship will recognise exceptional children who are bright and curious and show a real passion for learning. Head to our website (link in bio) to find out more. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #year5scholarship @talkeducation @muddysurrey @muddyhantsiow @muddy_sussex

190

6 days ago

After a busy day of studying, it’s important that our boarders have a dedicated space where they can relax, chat with their friends, watch a film, or maybe even have a singsong round the piano. Thanks to the hard work of our maintenance team and the excellent interior design skills of domestic manager Mrs Gray, the delighted children have exactly that in the newly-refurbished girls’ common room. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CommonRoomRefurb

220

1 weeks ago

Did you know that each month at least one child’s piece of work is named Art Effort of the Month? For July, dedicated art teachers Mrs Houghton and Mrs Pearson deemed the winner to be Caelan MacDonald for his wonderful perspective of the @transportforlondon London Underground. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Art

752

1 weeks ago

We’ve got an excellent reputation for the strength of our ever-evolving and ongoing pastoral provision and the children selected as our latest ‘peers listeners’ are determined to make sure it stays that way! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Pastoral #Wellbeing

190

1 weeks ago

The boarders are safely installed, we’ve welcomed new pupils from near and far, the school corridors have been filled with excited chatter, the sublime smell of mouth-watering meals has once again emanated from the dining hall and the classrooms have been a hive of activity and learning. It’s so brilliant to be back! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #BackToSchool #NewSchoolYear

300

1 weeks ago

Rain, what rain? It’s brilliant to be back! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #BackToSchool #NewSchoolYear

871

2 weeks ago

The stage is all set and the wait is almost over. All that’s missing now is the children… #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #BackToSchool

250

2 weeks ago

We’re very much looking forward to welcoming back our boarders this evening ahead of the new school year, with our day children returning on Thursday. Our returnees will be met by our refurbished entrance porch and newly-laid resin walkway which, as well as looking really smart, will hugely reduce the amount dust being walked into the school compared to the previous pea-shingle surface. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

770

2 weeks ago

The tables were turned on our sports coaches today as they were put through their paces ahead of the start of the new school year. Miss McIntosh ran through quality drills and techniques on the netball court while Kevin Wilson-Wild, head coach of Guildford Saints F.C, gave the teachers some top tips to pass onto their pupils during the football season. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

260

2 weeks ago

While the children may come and go through the years, one thing that remains constant is the high level of dedicated teaching and the wonderful relationship that our teachers form with their eager young charges. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

780

2 weeks ago

We’re delighted to announce that our progressive approach to academic rigour in the form of the recently-unveiled Keys Diploma, our continuing pursuit of pastoral excellence and the popularity of our boarding provision have (among other things) helped us earn a place in the Tatler Schools Guide 2025. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

310

2 weeks ago

We’re delighted to have been included in the @tatlermagazine Schools Guide for 2025 as one of the UK’s top prep schools. We strive to give our children the very best education possible via a progressive, skills-based curriculum delivered by first-rate teachers which will equip them for life at senior school and beyond. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

821

2 weeks ago

At Highfield and Brookham, we’re justly proud of our dedicated teaching team who go above and beyond to support each and every child, both in and out of the classroom. Seeing our children thrive and hearing feedback like this from parents is why we do what we do. #HighfieldBrookham #ParentTestimonial #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #PastoralCare #BoardingSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #ExcellenceInTeaching

330

2 weeks ago

Our busy programme of summer work inside and out is almost complete, including a beautiful makeover for our visitors’ loo. We’re incredibly proud of all the unsung heroes who have worked so diligently throughout the holidays to ensure that the school is in great shape for the start of the new school year next week. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

160

2 weeks ago

Progress is being made on our new Wellbeing Garden. The flowerbeds have been fully prepared and we’re one step closer to creating a tranquil outdoor space for our children to enjoy. We can’t wait to see the garden come to life once the planting gets underway. #TogetherWeGrow #WellbeingGarden #OutdoorClassroom #PastoralCare #NatureSpace #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex

590

Are you ready to discover a school that truly stands out? Join us for our Open Morning on 28th September and experience what makes Highfield and Brookham so special. From our inspiring curriculum to our warm, welcoming community, there's no better way to discover our magic than by visiting us in person. Book your place today➡️bit.ly/3XZVruq

3 weeks ago

The red maples that our grounds team lovingly planted in January 2023 to replace the trees which fell victim to ash dieback are now becoming beautifully established, forming a leafy vista from Chapel Field and past Mac’s Field to the woodland beyond. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #TreePlanting @thetreecouncil @keepbritaintidy

860

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Together we learn

Nursery

Our Nursery

Core Education

Child-initiated

Outdoor Learning

Free Flow

Open-ended Resources

Food

Rooms

Logistics

Drop off

After School

Pre-Prep

Prep School

Admissions

What we’re up to

view all news

view all news

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