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…
The strength of our drama provision has again been underlined by our Year 5 and Year 6 children who put on a real tour de force this afternoon in the first of two LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) showcase sessions, with the older prep school children set to take to the stage this evening. More than 130 children currently take extra-curricular LAMDA lessons, which are led by professional actors, and the standard seems to get higher every year, as evidenced by today’s amazing solo, duologue and group skits, poetry readings and excerpts. Bravo, children! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePerform #TogetherWeEncourage #PerformingArts #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #ExtraCurricularExcellence
Don’t worry, we’re not encouraging our children to take up smoking… instead, young scientists in Year 4 were tasked with experimenting with varying straw lengths to determine the length of a vibrating air column and the pitch of the sound. They discovered that shorter straws produced higher-pitched sounds while longer straws produce lower-pitched sounds. Much to the amusement of his classmates, it seems this young man drew the short straw… #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeExperiment #SchoolScienceExperiments #TheJoyOfKnowledge #CountryBoardingSchoolsInHampshire
Good batting, quality bowling, energetic fielding and phenomenal teamwork and togetherness have been the order of the day as our boys and girls have enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of competitive cricket against our good friends from Farleigh School, all played in a wonderful spirit under blue skies. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePlay #TogetherWeCompete #GrassrootsSport #PrepSchoolSport #Teamwork #LeatherOnWillow #CountrySchoolsInHampshire
The sights and sounds of cricket on Chapel Field are truly a joy to behold. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePlay #TogetherWeCompete #GrassrootsSport #PrepSchoolSport #Teamwork #LeatherOnWillow #CountrySchoolsInHampshire
Join us on 10th May for a special opportunity to experience the heart of our school. Meet our Head and the inspiring teachers who help our children thrive every day. Take a guided tour of our beautiful grounds and incredible facilities, led by some of our pupils. This isn’t just an open morning, it’s a real glimpse into school life. Don’t miss out as spaces are limited. Book here: bit.ly/3G2Hhl1. We look forward to welcoming you. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CountryPrepSchool @talkeducation
The old pond near the science labs has been transformed into a beautiful wellbeing garden in the latest positive pastoral initiative at Highfield and Brookham. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCare #PastoralProvision #HealthyBodiesAndHealthyMinds #CountryPrepSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #WestSussex #Surrey #Hampshire
Everything our inquisitive children do has a point to it. Whether they are adding fractions in maths, conjugating verbs in French, dissecting lungs in science, map reading in geography or whittling sticks at forest school, the children are laying rock-solid foundations and picking up essential skills not only for their onward educational journey but for their journey through life too. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #BuildingKnowledge #InquisitiveLearners #SchoolsInHampshire #CountrySchoolsInHampshire
Join us on 10th May for a chance to experience the heart of our school. Take a tour of our beautiful grounds and facilities with some of our pupils and meet our head and inspiring teachers. This is more than an open morning; it’s a glimpse into a place where children truly thrive. With just one week to go reserve your places. Tap the link in our bio to book now. We can’t wait to welcome you. #Togetherwegrow #IndependentSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CountryPrepSchool
Some of our Year 7 pupils took part in the UK Maths Challenge yesterday. This national mathematics competition inspires children to think in new ways and tackle a variety of engaging maths activities. Run by the @ukmathstrust the focus is to build confidence through problem-solving. Well done to everyone who took part. #Togetherweachieve #Nursery #PrePrepSchool #PrepSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CountryPrepSchool #Boarding
With VE Day around the corner, we honoured the 80th anniversary celebrations early in today’s assembly. We welcomed Royal Navy Captain Steve Harman, to lead proceedings, finishing off with a rousing rendition of the national anthem. To top it off, our amazing catering team turned the dining hall into a fabulous street party and the whole school enjoyed a delicious Best of British lunch. #Togetherweflourish #IndependentSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
As part of their summer term topic, “would you prefer to live on land or under the sea?”, Reception children are looking at exploring animal habitats. What better way to research this than a trip to Marwell Zoo and a fantastic talk by one of the @marwellzoo team. #Togetherwelearn #PrePrepSchool #PrepSchool #IndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Amazing Grease drama workshop today for Year 8 with professional performer Charlie Ruhrmund from West End On Demand. The children learned dance routines, explored scenes from the show, and received expert performance tips and advice. We can’t wait for the end-of-year production. #Togetherweinspire #teamwork #IndependentSchool #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook
Give your child more than an education; give them the chance to be seen, inspired, and truly thrive. Join us for our Open Morning on Saturday 10th May and discover how we nurture every child’s potential through a progressive, skills-based curriculum, exceptional teaching, enriching activities and a strong focus on wellbeing. Meet our Head, Suzannah Cryer, connect with our passionate team and enjoy a pupil-led tour of our school and its outstanding facilities. This is more than a school – it’s where children flourish. Book your place here: bit.ly/3G2Hhl1 #Togetherwegrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
It’s wonderful to see the spirit of teamwork blossoming so early in these young learners’ journey. During Nursery child-initiated learning, this determined duo tackled a phonics jigsaw together, working as a team, problem-solving and celebrating their success. The sense of achievement was so rewarding they chose to do it all over again! #teamwork #aiminghigh #IndependentSchool #Nursery #PrePrepSchool #PrepSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #WestSussex #Surrey #Togetherwegrow
As part of their summer term topic concerning food and where it comes from, Year 1 today had a fascinating fact-finding trip to Goodwood Farm, a self-sustaining organic farm with its own dairy and butchery. The children met livestock, ground wheat, took a tour of Goodwood’s vast farming estate and saw where milk, cream and cheese are produced. With the UN sustainable goal of ‘good health and wellbeing’ in mind, on returning to the classroom the children will discuss what they learnt on their travels as they dig deeper into their ‘food, glorious food’ project. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeLearn #TogetherWeEnquire #HealthyEating #HealthAndWellbeing #SustainableFarming
Our children always measure up when it comes to hitting the heights during the school day. Constantly aiming high, staying positive and trying their very best, the children thrive on the many and varied opportunities that come their way in and out of the classroom. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeSucceed #TogetherWeSoar #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #AimingHigh
There’s nothing quite like the friendly rivalry that only House competitions can conjure up. Today, young swimmers representing Agincourt, Trafalgar and Waterloo did battle in the pool and, after a pulsating tussle which was decided in the final race, an epic cannon relay, Trafalgar secured bragging rights. Well done, boys and girls, for such an amazing House Gala. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCompete #TogetherWeSoar #HouseSwimmingGala #PrepSchoolsInHampshire
It’s not just in school that our children do amazing things, they do so away from school too! Year 4 pupil Inigo will this week be the youngest garden designer at the @gardenersworldmag Spring Fair at @beaulieu_uk when he joins forces with his dad, Jonny, who runs @floreat_gardens. The green-fingered pair will be cultivating connections over the next few days when they spruce up a three square metre plot, having sourced plants, visited nurseries and sourced hedging. Grateful thanks to Paul Ferguson and the @farnham_herald for the wonderful picture! @gardenersworldmag #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeDesign #TogetherWeThrive #FatherAndSonPartnership #GreenFingers #CountrySchoolsInHampshire
Our music department is still drumming up amazing amounts of support, with more children than ever right across the school learning to play an impressive array of instruments such as piano, violin, saxophone, recorder, cello, guitar and drums. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeExcel #TogetherWePerform #MakingMusic #SchoolsInHampshgire
With Sports Day beginning to loom up on the horizon, the Prep school children have been put through their paces with a series of one-kilometre ‘time trials’. After proper warm ups, the children tackled two-and-a-half laps of the running track to give the sports coaches the chance to assess the various levels and abilities of all the boys and girls. While not being official races, the children were encouraged to challenge themselves by running out of their comfort zones, something they did with a great deal of success and satisfaction. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCompete #TogetherWeSoar #SportsDay #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire
Our green-fingered Reception children have today been digging deep in Gardening Club. Having learnt that to succeed in tasks you have to do the groundwork first, the focused children embarked on some essential weeding of their vegetable and flower patches ahead of planting pretty sunflowers in the autumn. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCultivate #TogetherWePrepare #GardeningClub #Teamwork #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #CountrySchoolsInHampshire
Are you looking for a unique and nurturing educational environment where your child can truly thrive? The countdown is on to our next Open Morning on Saturday 10th May and we can’t wait to meet all the prospective parents. Why not come along and see for yourself? Simply click the link in our bio to reserve your spot. We look forward to welcoming you. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeEncourage #TogetherWeEmpower #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #OpenMorning
There is always so much exciting news to share with your friends after the school holidays! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePlay #TogetherWeShare #SummerTerm #FriendsReunited #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire
It’s great to have the children back in school and we’re delighted that they have seamlessly picked up where they left off before the Easter break. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeThrive #TogetherWeSucceed #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #CountryBoardingSchoolsInHampshire #SummerTerm
Our sports coaches have today been put through their paces ahead of the new cricket season. Under the expert eye of Head Coach Mr Dunn, the coaching team worked on fielding, batting and bowling drills, honing techniques which they will pass on to the children before matches get under way next week. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCompete #TogetherWeInspire #PrepSchoolSport #CricketCoachingTips #HoningSportsSkills