Together we achieve
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…
One of the undoubted highlights of the festive season is the annual Christmas card competition, where the children demonstrate amazing levels of creativity and artistic talent. Art teachers Mrs Houghton and Mrs Pearson have a tough job every year picking the winners, and this year was no exception. It was multimedia heaven as the children produced eye-catching designs featuring Santa, snowmen, baubles, Christmas trees, snowy scenes, reindeer and wreaths using pastels, watercolours, charcoal and acrylics. Warmest congratulations to our five year-group winners Max B, Lola H, Florence S, Megan B and Cecilia J, and to Max and Cecilia who were named joint overall winners in a very tight contest. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Are you looking for a new school? One which offers a progressive, skills-based curriculum and first-class teaching? Where the children’s health and wellbeing are paramount? We are hosting our first open morning of the new year on Saturday 11th January, from 10.30am-12.30pm. We’d love for you to meet our Head, Suzannah Cryer, members of our friendly and professional teaching team, and take a tour of the school and its exceptional facilities in the company of our engaging Year 8 children. To book a place, visit bit.ly/4fvyVym or click the link in our bio! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
With 21 of our boys and girls currently involved with the Hampshire cricket pathway initiative, we’re delighted to have been named among the top 50 prep and junior schools in the UK by @thecricketer Schools Guide for the sixth successive year. The latest endorsement follows a year in which we have secured two @iapsuk national age group titles. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Leading figures from six of the best prep and senior schools in the country will champion the benefits of a country education at a special event in February. Educating Outside London will focus on the advantages of a rural education as opposed to schooling in the capital. Marlborough College Radley College Downe House School Hanford School Dorset Ludgrove School #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The children on our final cookery course of the year don’t need to worry about picking up any last-minute gifts for their friends and family – because they’ve made their own! Heavenly hot chocolate sticks, blissful biscotti biscuits and cracking Christmas chilli jelly were the order of the day, with the children taking great pride in packaging them all up beautifully in charming gift bags ready to take home. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
What a wonderful day of festive fun our Mini Marvels have had. After getting creative with Christmas crafts and taking a lovely dip in the swimming pool, the children decorated Santa, snowman and star-shaped biscuits that they had lovingly prepared earlier to set them up perfectly for some exciting days ahead. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The phenomenal breadth and depth of talent we have in the school was there for all to see as Trafalgar secured bragging rights for the third successive year in the House Performing Arts competition. We were treated to a dazzling and magical display of dancing, singing, instrumental artistry, comedy and music to end the term in vine style, something which underlined not only the amazing level of dramatic and artistic tuition our children receive but also the confidence our young people have to stand up in front of their peers and perform to such a high level. Congratulations to joint overall winners Ollie Fanshawe (magic) and Nick Ai (piano) and all of our wonderful performers. Bravo! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #PerformingArts
Christmas has come early for our treasured Highreach charity, which provides week-long summer holidays for children with disabilities, as a brilliant £3,200 was raised at our recent winter wonderland. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Christmas #WinterWonderland
With excitement growing as Santa’s big day looms large, the children on our ever-popular cookery course have today been busy mixing, measuring, pouring and whisking; producing some amazing (and very tasty!) edible Christmas gifts such as this delightful shortbread, complete with a lovely hint of cinnamon! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #Cookery
The art room was transformed into a veritable Christmas wonderland today, thanks to the lovely people from Feltybeecrafts. We couldn’t have wished for a better start to our busy festive holiday activities programme as the children turned their hands to the intricate techniques of needle felting, marbling and beading to produce amazing seasonal robins, snowflakes, candy canes, wreaths and flower pots which will undoubtedly take pride of place in their homes this Christmas. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CreativeCrafting #ArtsAndCrafts
Wishing everyone in the Highfield and Brookham community a very happy, healthy and restful Christmas. We hope our little festive video puts a smile on your face.
This year’s Year 3 and 4 Christingle and Year 5 and 6 Carol Service were truly unforgettable. The addition of our incredible school orchestra elevated the experience, creating a beautiful atmosphere filled with festive music. #CarolService #SchoolOrchestra #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Highfield and Brookham was a dazzling display of festive fashion for #ChristmasJumperDay! With a busy schedule of four carol services, two talent shows, and a Christmas lunch, we celebrated a day early. Our children are not ones to miss out on the opportunity to dress up and express themselves. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
As we race towards the end of term, Years 4-8 came together for one of the most anticipated events of the year – the House Performing Arts Competition. Our children truly outdid themselves, lighting up the stage with mountains of talent, bags of enthusiasm and sheer bravery. Every act was met with rapturous applause from our audience and judges. A huge well done to all our incredible performers for stepping into the spotlight and giving it their all. Bravo!
Proudly wearing their handmade Rudolph hats, Reception children dined in Christmas cheer today as they were treated to a festive meal by our ever-talented catering team. Laughter, music, and sharing a meal with friends are the perfect recipe for a Christmas lunch. #ChristmasLunch #Rudolph #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Santa and his cheeky elf kindly took time out from their busy workshop to visit our Pre-Prep today. The delight on the children’s faces was something truly magical. They instantly decided it was definitely the real Father Christmas because he did not have any string on his beard. Nothing gets past our inquisitive children!
Performing on stage, no matter how big or small is a huge moment for our children. Year 2 did us proud today during their nativity performance. They truly embraced the opportunity to express themselves, performing with confidence and gusto. A huge round of applause to all the cast and crew for their incredible teamwork to pull off a truly festive performance and for sharing their talents with us. #Year2 #ChristmasNativity #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our pre-prep children have had another tour de force on the festive stage. This time it was the turn of enthusiastic Year 2 to act out A Midwife Crisis, a fabulous adaptation of the Christmas story. Not only did the children recite their lines beautifully, sing their hearts out, perform the actions in time and look the part in their wonderful costumes, but they did so with an immense amount of pride and smiles on their faces. Bravo, Year 2! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Kings, queens, mummies, gods and goddesses were the order of the day as Year 4 learnt all about the life and times of the ancient Egyptians. The inquisitive children, dressed in their finest period costumes, got a close look at artefacts of the time, wrote in hieroglyphics, took part in Egyptian-themed games and quizzes and wrapped up a brilliant day with a look at mummification. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
A charity with a focus on social mobility has received a festive boost to the tune of £3,215. The money, which will swell the coffers of the Highfield Centenary Bursaries Fund, was raised at a successful Christmas shopping evening at the end of the November. Albi&Mac Label Lady ROOST Little Fish, Sushi in the Sticks The Hawkley Inn Ellie and Bea Rum Barn Collecting Seashells Ziorva Jewellery The Blacksmiths Daughter Combe Cottage Pottery Thermomix UK and Ireland Tucca Swim Hogmoor Distillery Sublime Body & Mind Suzie at The Old Studio Silk Works London Craftiful Studio The Gay Farmer Noble and Stace Chocolatiers Nettle & Nutmeg Sublime Chocolate Curated Tube #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our Year 8 children penned and performed a series of short sketches today as part of a Theatre in Education initiative. While their skits, which were played out in front of a young audience of enthusiastic pre-prep children, were highly amusing, they also carried important messages warning of the dangers of bullying and stranger danger while extolling the virtue of good hygiene, kindness and friendship. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The theatre was overflowing with joy and wonder today as Year 1 took to the stage to perform their festive play, The Sleepy Stargazer. The children confidently told the lovely tale of a little boy called Philip, who finds himself on an amazing journey to the heart of the Christmas story. Looking every inch the part in their brilliant costumes, they delivered their lines with verve and enthusiasm, took centre stage with smiles on their faces and brought the house down with their uplifting songs. Bravo, Year 1! #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
We’re delighted to announce that our Christmas shopping evening in November and last week’s celebratory ‘winter wonderland’ netted almost £6,500 for two school charities. The money raised, which included proceeds from raffling beautiful hampers crammed full of goodies donated by stallholders at the festive shopping event, will be split between the Centenary Bursaries Fund and Highreach Holidays. @albiandmac @roostuk1 @ziorva @happyhandspotterypainting @tuccaswim @silkworkslondon @label_lady @ellieandbeahants @rum_and_reggae @collectingseashellsltd @nettleandnutmeguk @tawny_owl_wood @hogmoordistillery @sublimepilatesandyoga @isimi_uk @combecottagepottery @sublimechocolates23 @the_blacksmiths_daughter @thehawkleyinn @littlefishsushiinthesticks @sublimepilatesandyoga @suzieattheoldstudio #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our children receive top-quality sports tuition from qualified coaches who have bags of experience playing competitive sport at national and regional level. Mr Grech, a player-coach at @haslemerehockey who is currently working toward his Level 2 England Hockey award, put our U10 girls through their paces ahead of matches against @cranleighprepschool today. And the drills, which this week focused on controlled passing and precise shooting, paid off with some impressive performances on the hockey pitch. #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #PrivateSchool #BoardingSchool #PrepSchool #PrePrepSchool #Nursery #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex