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…
A Big Little Nativity proved to be an apt title today as we were treated to a really big performance from our wonderful little people. The golden stars weren’t the only things shining as angels, kings, shepherds, donkeys and sheep joined Mary and Joseph on the stage for a heart-warming and gentle adaptation of the Christmas story. Angelic voices, confident narration and big smiles for their watching parents got our festive performances off to the perfect start. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The school’s vegetable patch is undergoing a winter makeover. Our grounds team have removed old plots, replaced sleepers around the remaining beds, spread five tons of shingle to extend the communal area, reduced the large bay tree and pruned the herb garden. Under guidance from the pre-prep’s eco warriors, the team have also planted an amelanchier canadensis (June Berry) tree, which can grow up to 20ft high, and installed a beautiful rustic bench and canine companion as the site is transformed into a well-being garden in honour of our beloved former colleague and pre-prep teacher Lindsay Langrish. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our chapel is aglow with festive cheer, ready for its busiest time as host to all of our Christmas carol services. We look forward to welcoming Old Highfieldians and boarders on Sunday for their service, and can’t wait to hear the children’s voices singing carols in their own services before the end of term. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #christmas #carols #carolservice
Specialist music teachers Mrs Harman and Mr Rood, accompanied on the drums by Mr Harman, have got our Christmas season off to a superbly seasonal start. Playing festive favourites, the talented trio proved the perfect accompaniment to children and adults alike who were busy enjoying the stalls, games and refreshments on offer at our atmospheric Winter Wonderland. The festive fundraiser is raising money for our Highreach charity, which provides summer holidays for children with disabilities. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Christmas
Christmas has come early at Highfield and Brookham, thanks to our very own winter wonderland. Santa hats, children’s games, warming drinks and snacks, pig racing, beautiful wreaths made by Year 6 and festive music aplenty were the order of the day. Cash raised from the winter wonderland, organised by the school’s parent associations, will be donated to Highreach, which provides week-long summer breaks for children with disabilities. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Some of our green-fingered school councillors have been on a fact-finding mission to Blue Diamond Garden Centres in Rake, looking for plants and shrubs as part of the redevelopment of the old pond near the science labs. The children, who meet every second Wednesday to consider ways in which they can enhance school life, have got their hearts set on the likes of rosemary, lavender and colourful perennials as the old pond is transformed into a calming sensory garden with a little help from Jasper and the grounds team. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Hot on the heels of an amazing performance at @thehawthcrawley on Tuesday as part of the @cssf_uk Shakespeare Schools Festival, our Year 7 actors delighted their prep school peers with a repeat performance of Macbeth back in the school theatre. This dark and tragic tale of ambition, paranoia, witchcraft and morality was delivered in spectacular style by children who showed stage maturity and passion well beyond their years and delivered another tour de force for Mrs Baird, our exceptional Head of Drama. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our U10C girls demonstrated the benefit of specialist hockey coaching today with a great display against our visitors from Seaford College. Not only have the girls improved in technical aspects of the game such as passing, running into space, dribbling and shooting, their confidence and understanding of playing as a team has come on leaps and bounds too. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The life and times of Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun has captured the imagination of Year 4. Having gathered lots of facts and figures on the pharaoh, the children worked independently on their hot writing; collating all their research into coherent story sentences and sub-headings to demonstrate just how much they have learnt about their fascinating topic. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Boarding at Highfield and Brookham nurtures independence, confidence and a strong sense of self, not to mention being a huge amount of fun! In our vibrant, supportive community, boarders have the time and space to explore their passions, build lifelong friendships and develop resilience. With tailored guidance and endless opportunities, our boarders thrive academically and personally and are empowered to ‘Be you’ in every single part of life. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #AutumnTerm #iloveboarding #boardingschoolassociation
Our annual bonfire and fireworks spectacular raised more than £2,000 for Highreach, our beloved charity which provides week-long summer breaks for children with disabilities. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our Year 7 children have had their final run through ahead of tomorrow night’s performance of Macbeth at The Hawth as part of the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation festival. Under the direction of Mrs Baird, our specialist Head of Drama, the children rehearsed key scenes, polished their lines, worked on their stage presence and honed their choreography. Now the stage is set, so break a leg, Year 7! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Storm Bert may have left mud and standing water in its wake, but it wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of our Year 3 Running Club today. Led by Mrs Lane, the pre prep runners put their best feet forward, slipping, sliding, sloshing and powering their way through an amazing five kilometres. Around 10 children run every Monday lunchtime to boost their mental health, fitness and stamina. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Running #Wellness
Continuing their Antarctic theme and inspired by a visit from adventurer @jake_climber, Year 3 today got a taste of life as polar explorers. The children learnt the importance of working together to succeed in a ski walking challenge, guided each other around obstacles while blindfolded to recreate the pitch-black conditions of a polar night, and sampled freeze-dried fruit and vegetables, and maybe a little chocolate, all of which are essential to sustain polar adventurers. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
This week, a group of our Year 6 girls made the most of their breaktime by heading to The Beehive, where they enjoyed a cozy mix of chatting, playing games and knitting. The Beehive offers the perfect space for pupils to unwind, recharge and connect with each other. We love seeing our pupils take the initiative to look after themselves and each other in such a warm, creative way.
Our musical children showcased their wonderful array of talent during today’s middle years concert. The children performed everything from rock classics and festive favourites to moving classical pieces for piano, recorder, guitar, flute and cello, while some amazing solo vocals and ensembles added real verve to a stunning concert. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Guided by expert yoga teacher Mrs Lambley, our Year 6 children have today been learning key mindfulness techniques which can help them manage stress, improve concentration and learn to regulate their emotions. The children focused on effective breathing techniques, posture, balance and stretching which helped them clear their minds in order to perfect their wellness poses. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Yoga #Mindfulness
The rugby season kicked off in fine style today as we welcomed our friends from Feltonfleet School, Seaford College, St. Edmund’s School, Surrey and Amesbury School for some heartwarming matches full of skill, passion and excellent sportsmanship on a bitterly cold day. With 12 rugby pitches at our disposal and the ability to put out 17 teams, it promises to be a busy and exciting season. We can’t wait! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
It was a day for brave hearts and steely determination on the netball court as our U11 girls went toe to toe with our friends from @hoebridgeschool in plummeting temperatures. Despite the bitter wind, both teams warmed the watching parents with some astute passing and moving, fine shooting, great teamwork and perseverance. Well done, girls! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Netball
Our Year 2 children have discovered that adding exciting adjectives and interesting verbs can really bring their stories to life. Describing scenes from their class text, the children created simple noun phrases before adding colourful descriptions to add real depth and an extra dimension to their literacy tales. It was wonderful to see the children really thinking about the construction of their stories and not being afraid to be creative to make them more appealing. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
We were treated to another wonderful cushion concert today, featuring three soloists, two violinists, one flautist and a pianist. The children introduced their pieces to parents and friends before finishing their performances with a professional bow, all the time building their confidence playing to a small but select audience. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Music #CushionConcert
We’re delighted to have received another glowing report after a spot check by Food Standards Agency inspectors. Looking at how our highly-skilled kitchen staff handle food, how food is stored and prepared, cleanliness of facilities and how food safety is managed, the inspectors awarded us a maximum five-star hygiene rating with no recommendations or advisory notes. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our boarding sleuths have put their critical-thinking skills to good use to meet a fiendish challenge presented by @exciting_escapes. Working together in teams of four, the children were tasked with finding hidden diamonds before a timer ran out and left them locked in their escape room. Luckily, the undaunted children were able to call on the key life skills that underpin their lessons at school every single day to make good their escape; evaluating information to make reasoned judgments and decisions, questioning assumptions, and making connections between group-based ideas. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CriticalThinking #ProblemSolving #LifeSkills