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.
What we’re up to…
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!
Small wings. Nurtured by small hands. Making a big impact. These incredible children didn’t just release butterflies, they raised them! Watching over them from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, they witnessed one of nature’s most extraordinary transformations up close, and learned that these beautiful creatures are so much more than pretty wings. Butterflies are vital pollinators, helping plants reproduce by carrying pollen from flower to flower. And with their remarkable ability to adapt to their environment, they’re one of nature’s greatest survivors. #PrepSchool #Adaptability #Resilience #Year3 #VitalPollinators
Half term adventures await… Looking for something screen-free for your children this half term? Join us in Liphook for shelter building, nature crafting, woodland games and the ancient art of fire-making. Only a handful of places left. Book online https://highfieldandbrookham.co.uk/school-plus/holiday-activity-clubs/
“Performances like this show us that Shakespeare can live on, in the hands of young people, in fresh, exciting and reimagined ways.” Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation Stage Director. Taking a 400-year-old text, such as Romeo and Juliet, and making it live and breathe in a new context is true adaptability. Young prep school pupils mastering some of the most demanding language in the English canon is a remarkable sign of rising to a challenge. And the cherry on top is another gold medal for Highfield and Brookham.
This is what encouragement looks like… That moment when the ball goes up, the wicket falls and your teammates rush in to celebrate you. Our 2nd XI boys demonstrated that resilience, adaptability and belief in your team is what sport is all about. When someone needs a boost or a celebration they have got teammates ready to give it. That is the kind of team, the kind of people we are proud to be building. #PrepSchool #Cricket #ResilientAdaptability #Teamwork @aldroschool
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.