Together we adventure
Pre-prep
Our Pre-Prep
Childhood is a time for fun and discovery through a wealth of learning opportunities. Our Pre-Prep is a special and unique place. Our aim is to give children the best possible start to their educational pathway, where friendships are made, individual academic excellence is achieved and happy memories are created. 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. Children in our Pre-Prep develop their social, emotional and cognitive skills through play-based activities. Every day your child will have to opportunity to apply what they have learnt in the classroom to activities in their shared areas or out in our fabulous 175-acre grounds. These hands-on opportunities give your child’s learning meaning and a grounding in the real world.
Our Pre-Prep children visit forest school several times a week. It provides a stimulating and engaging environment that encourages exploration, creativity and curiosity. Through being outdoors your child will develop an appreciation for the environment. They will learn to understand the significant impact they can have on sustainability for themselves and future generations by learning about environmental issues and taking meaningful actions to reduce their carbon footprint. We are fortunate to have two libraries at school and one is reserved for exclusive use by our Pre-Prep children. It has been carefully curated to instil a love of books and reading in all our children and to help your child to discover the magic that books bring, inspiring them in every topic from expeditions and exercise to Fairtrade and faraway places. Storytime and our robust phonics programme will help your child to develop crucial skills such as communication and comprehension.
Alongside the core curriculum, in the Pre-Prep your child will enjoy weekly swimming lessons in additional to their games and PE lessons. They will develop a positive attitude toward exercise and will grow to understand that a healthy body means a healthy mind, helping your child gain insight on how they learn best. A Pre-Prep education is one to be cherished. It is a time to develop the foundations for a love of learning where challenges are seen as positive experiences and every activity is approached with a smile, laughter and a can-do attitude.
Seeing the pre-prep children jump into wellies and waterproof trousers in record time and charge out to break was fabulous.
Lessons
Our Pre-Prep timetable has been meticulously curated to ensure we get the best out of your child throughout the day. Your child will benefit from being taught maths and English every morning by their highly-qualified class teacher. They then embark on a day full of incredible lessons, including music, games, PE, Spanish and swimming which are all delivered by subject specialist teachers. Lessons are either taught as a single lesson of half an hour or to allow, your child to really get stuck in, some lessons are scheduled as a double one-hour lesson.
The timetable also ensures the Pre-Prep children can make the most of our incredible facilities as well as our amazing teachers. The acres of woodland just a stone’s throw from their classroom door is home to your child’s forest school lessons. Our on-site, 25-metre indoor swimming pool, which is heated by a renewal energy source in the shape of our woodchip biomass boiler, is where your child will learn to swim. For their music lessons, your child will head over to our purpose-built Music School to be surrounded by musical inspiration and every instrument they could possibly dream of – everything from African drums to a grand piano. Our Art Studio is where our Pre-Prep and Prep school children delve into painting, pottery and collage, allowing your child to share their creative vision with their older peers. The sports hall, astro and endless fields and pitches will give your child the space to breathe, stretch their physical muscles and discover their sporting prowess.
Food
Great children need great food which is why we hire a fantastic team of chefs, bakers and cooks to keep your child well fuelled throughout the day. Morning break is at 10am, the same time as our Prep school children. Your child will enjoy a carbohydrate-based snack to provide them with a slow release of energy to power them through their morning lessons.
Lunch break for our Pre-Prep children is at 11.45am when your child will enjoy a good run around outside as well as a nutritious meal before returning to lessons at 1pm. Your child’s lunch is freshly prepared on site by our in-house Catering Team. We offer a wide choice of dishes to ensure we cater for all tastes. There are always hot and cold options, with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and salads. Vegetarians, vegans and those with special dietary requirements are well catered for.
Our seasonal menus operate on a three-week rotation and aim to educate your child about healthy choices and responsible eating.
Logistics
The Pre-Prep week
7.30am Breakfast club (Optional £)
8am Before school care
8.15am Gates open
8.30am Registration
10.30am Morning break
11.40am Lunch break
3.30pm School day ends
3.30pm After school clubs (optional)
4.30pm Clubs end
4.30pm Picnic tea and play (optional £)
6.30pm Last pick up
Drop off
The doors to our pre-prep swing open for children at 8.15am ready for your child to start their day promptly at 8.30am. 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 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 their active day ahead.
After school
The school day finishes at 3.30pm but your child’s time with us does not have to stop there. There is a plethora of after-school clubs for your child to choose from. But not before they have had a snack for a well-earned energy boost to see them through the next hour of excitement. There are four categories of clubs: academic, skill development, artistic and physical and we encourage your child to try to choose one club from each group to give themselves the opportunity to explore new interests. Many of our clubs are run by our teachers who are passionate about a certain sport, subject or hobby and are free of charge. We also invite external professionals to run clubs such as Karate, modern dance or cookery, which do incur additional costs.
If there isn’t a club that takes your child’s fancy but you need your child to be looked after, they can join our after school care which runs until 4.30pm. We know life is exceptionally busy for all families which is why, in addition to our after school provision, we also offer picnic tea and play. In this popular session your child will be served a high tea which they will enjoy as a picnic with their friends. There will be lots of games and activities on offer for your child until 6.30pm.
What we’re up to…
Join us at our annual drinks reception on Wednesday 5th February at Beaufort House for an evening of insightful discussions into the advantages of a country school education. Hear from experts from top prep and senior schools as they delve into the social, emotional and academic benefits of a country school education. Highfield and Brookham School Ludgrove School Hanford School Dorset Downe House School Radley College Marlborough College Talk Education RSVP➡bit.ly/46R0vC2
Year 7 got a unique perspective on their artistic studies as they were challenged to draw a town in one-point perspective, a drawing technique that creates a sense of depth and space on a flat surface by using a single vanishing point. As their towns took shape using pencils and rulers, the children discovered that things appeared to get smaller as they got further away, converging towards a single vanishing point on the horizon. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Our drama provision continues to go from strength to strength, a fact underlined by another outstanding set of LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) results. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm #Drama #PerformingArts
We’ve got an exciting line-up of clubs and courses to keep your children entertained over February half term. Limited spaces are available so do book your place today and guarantee a fun-filled half term! Book now https://bit.ly/3y4Ybfi
There is never a shortage of willing volunteers when it comes to making something tasty in the nursery kitchen. Today, the budding chefs – with a little help from the adults – turned their little hands to banana cake, mixing mashed ripe bananas, flour, sugar, eggs and oil before the mixture was put into the oven. And the result? A delicious breaktime snack! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Tenacious Year 7 pupils have today had their grey matter put firmly to the test in maths after being challenged to simplify algebraic fractions using cancellation. Facing a series of tricky problems set by Mr Parkinson, our Head of Maths, the children demonstrated real aptitude for their subject as they worked in pairs to successfully unlock the answers by dividing the numerators and denominators of fractions by a common factor. Well done, Year 7, it looks like Mr Parkinson will have to raise the bar even higher next time! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
There’s nothing like fresh air and the great outdoors to fuel vitality and imagination. But don’t take our word for it, ask our pre-prep children. Year 1 took to the woods this afternoon to build dens, whittle sticks, engineer marble runs – ingeniously using stones in the absence of real marbles – and role play an historic battle with all the action centred upon attacking and defending a prized ‘castle’ which looked suspiciously like a fallen tree. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm #Imagination #TheGreatOutdoors #ForestSchool
To demonstrate how curves play an important role in strengthening structures when it comes to design, Year 4 children took on the egg challenge during DT. The children tried with all their might to crush the egg while holding it firmly top and bottom. Their attempts proved in vain as they discovered that the curved shape redirects and disperses pressure, making it more resistant to external forces, something they will factor in while making their wartime Anderson shelters. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Wednesdays and Saturdays are traditionally our big days for external sports fixtures and today has been another wonderful advert for prep school sport. Welcoming our friends from Cranleigh Prep, Edgeborough School and Westbourne House School, competition on the rugby and hockey pitches and netball courts was fierce but fair, with matches played in an honorable and truly sporting manner to complement some amazing teamwork and outstanding individual skill. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
One of the keys to success in any walk of life is effective teamwork and camaraderie, something our U13A team demonstrated in spades today during a fabulous afternoon of flowing rugby against our friends from @westbournehouseschool. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm #PrepSchoolSport #Rugby
We’ve got an exciting line-up of clubs and courses to keep your children entertained over February half term. Limited spaces are available so do book your place today and guarantee a fun-filled half term! Head to the link in our bio to book. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #feburaryhalfterm
Year 5 children took the opportunity to rest, relax and recharge this morning in The Beehive, our delightful wellbeing hub. The children made a beeline for the hub between lessons to catch up with friends over a game of cards, to play a game of chess, to do some mindful drawing, to chat, and simply sit quietly and enjoy some welcome down time. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Nothing epitomises the love, kindness and respect that underpins the school community than when our Head Girl drops in to the pre-prep playground… #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Young pre-prep performers have today been put through their paces during Theatre Club, a popular extra-curricular club run by Mrs Wilson, who has regularly trodden the boards in the West End. The children were challenged to work on their expressions, be it happy, excited, grumpy or worried, or to adopt interesting roles such as a rugby player or a firefighter, all the while working on the key element of balance as they held their dramatic poses. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Hot on the heels of our phenomenal springtime @lamdadrama success, we’ve secured another superb set of results, this time in the December exams. Thirty-one children secured an amazing 86% Distinction rate, with Max R and Clementine S gaining an incredible score of 96% for their Entry Level Verse and Prose exams while Iona D achieved 94% for her Grade 4 Acting exam. Under the expert guidance of professional coaches Mrs Baird, Miss Dungworth, Mrs Baxter-Eve and Mrs Wilson, children can take LAMDA from Year 5 to Year 8, but our children have the opportunity, via school plays and extra-curricular activities, to sing, dance and act in pre-prep. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm
Year 3 have today been treated to a tantalising glimpse into the fascinating world of the Ancient Mayans, the subject of their new history topic. Absorbed in a One Day Creative Education drama workshop rich in role play and imagination, the children learnt about the appearance of the Mayan people, the different elements that made up their society (such as queens, warriors and traders) and the role of the humble cocoa bean. With their appetite suitably whetted, the children can’t now wait to dig a little deeper. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm #AncientMaya
We’re delighted to welcome four new Australian gap-year students to school. Gen and Lucy join us from New South Wales, Hallie from Queensland and Harry from Victoria. And while the weather may be a tad colder than they’re used to, hopefully the warm welcome they receive from the Highfield and Brookham family will more than make up for it. Great to have you here, guys! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm #GapYearStudents
One of the big benefits of having 175-acre grounds at our fingertips is that there is so much space in which to learn, to play, to reflect and to discover. We’re holding our first Open Morning of the new year on Saturday 11th January, so why not join us? You’ll see that we are a busy, vibrant, engaging and happy school and, wherever you go, you can never be sure what delights you will find next. To book a place, visit bit.ly/3QV031o #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #OpenMorning #CountryEducation
Our drama scholarship pupils have recorded pieces to camera to send to @charterhousesch as part of the application process. Under the expert eye of Mrs Baird, our dedicated Head of Drama, the children had to perform in the theatre for three minutes. They must now wait to see if their applications will progress to the next stage. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #SpringTerm #Scholarships
One of the big benefits of having 175-acre grounds at our fingertips is that there is so much space in which to learn, to play, to reflect and to discover. We’re holding our first Open Morning of the new year on Saturday 11th January, so why not join us? You’ll see that we are a busy, vibrant, engaging and happy school and, wherever you go, you can never be sure what delights you will find next! To book a place, simply click the link in our bio. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #OpenMorning
There was a real buzz around the Year 1 classrooms today as the children dug a little deeper into their special spring term topic. The inquisitive children have been asking the question ‘why are bees so brilliant?’ Today, they welcomed into school expert beekeeper Michelle Ernoult, who gave the children a fascinating insight into the lives of our crucial and busy pollinators. Armed with amazing facts, and having got a close look at a beehive and key equipment used by beekeepers, the children made beautiful beeswax candles and adopted a hive mentality while working together to produce colourful bee artwork. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Bees
We’ve had a fabulous first day back at school after the Christmas break and we simply can’t wait to see what excitement the new spring term brings. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Mrs Hunter is our wonderful Head of Pre-Prep and the children simply love spending time with her – a feeling which is most definitely mutual! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Is there an ideal time to move out of London? Is boarding still relevant in today’s world? Can we futureproof our children? How important are fresh air and muddy knees when it comes to schooling? These key questions will be addressed at a special event in London by leading figures from six top country prep and senior schools. Educating Outside London will be held at Beaufort House, Chelsea, on Wednesday 5th February, from 6.30pm-8.30pm. To book a place, visit bit.ly/3WvzMJ1. Hanford School Dorset Downe House School Radley College Marlborough College #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #EducatingOutsideLondon