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…
The children on our Junior Cookery course whipped up a delicious Mexican feast today, guided by the brilliant cook Sophie Neish! They made Mexican corn salad with spicy beef mince, soft tortillas and finished with a tasty lemon drizzle cake. Along the way, they picked up valuable skills – cooking boosts maths and literacy, builds confidence, and most of all, it’s great fun! No wonder it’s such a popular holiday club. #HolidayClubs #LifeSkills #TogetherWeAchieve #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdSchool #IndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The value of music in schools is immense, and it’s rightly been in the spotlight recently. At Highfield and Brookham, we see music as a vital part of school life. It builds confidence, creativity, focus, teamwork, and supports academic success. From rhythm games to choirs, ensembles and instrumental tasters, every child is included and inspired. Music helps children feel seen, heard, and empowered. Read more in our latest blog: bit.ly/45jDmv1. #MusicMatters #TogetherWeThrive #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdSchool #IndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our new library furniture has arrived! We’ve created a warm, cosy and inviting environment where children can curl up with a good book, encouraging them to pause, relax, and immerse themselves in reading. According to the @booktrust, reading not only supports academic development, but boosts mental wellbeing, speech and social skills, imagination, empathy and creativity. #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #IndependentSchool #CoEdSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Today’s Multi-Activities club got off to a wild start in the woods with den building, swinging on ropes, mud pies, and even woodland pizzerias! There’s no limit to the imagination and fun when children are free to explore. Fresh air, friends, and the great outdoors. What better way to enjoy the school holidays? #TogetherWeExplore #LearnOutdoors #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #SchoolHolidayClub #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CoEdSchool #IndependentSchool
We were thrilled to welcome back Corylus Collective for another brilliant Nature Crafting course! Hannah and her team had the children exploring our Forest School, drawing artistic inspiration from the beautiful natural surroundings. From 3D outdoor artworks and butterfly tapestries to clay caterpillars and printmaking, there was creativity at every turn. Fresh air, nature and crafts…what a fabulous club! #NatureCrafting #OutDoorLearning #CreativeKids #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #IndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The boarders have had a jam-packed first half of the summer term, finishing on a high with an incredible talent contest! From singing and music to magic and dancing, they (along with the Boarding Team) gave it their all in a fun-filled showdown. What a talented bunch they are. #ILoveBoarding #TogetherWeInspire #CountryBoardingSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdSchool #IndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #WestSussex #Surrey
The weather definitely did not stop play today at the Multi-Activities Club! Great fun has been had by all the children, and it’s been a jam-packed day full of zip-lining, sports, crafts and swimming. All the children got stuck in and had an amazing time from start to finish. Smiles all around! #MultiActivitiesClub #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdSchool #IndependentSchool #HolidayClub #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Our amazing Year 4s wowed us all last week with their unforgettable production of Archibald’s War, brilliantly directed by Miss Ingamells. The children sang, danced, and acted their wartime socks off, first performing to the whole school, then delivering an exclusive show for proud parents. Our Head called it “a true triumph,” adding, “I couldn’t have been prouder of what the children accomplished.” Bravo, Year 4! #TogetherWeThrive #TogetherWeAchieve #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdSchool #IndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Yesterday, Year 7 visited the @the_globe and watched a one-of-a-kind performance of Romeo and Juliet, a classic Shakespearean text with a Wild West twist! Not only did they enjoy an incredible production, but they also explored this historic venue and even tried on some costumes. This inspiring trip ties into their current English text, King of Shadows by Susan Cooper. What a way to bring literature to life! #Shakespeare #GlobeTheatre #TogetherWeInspire #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdIndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Year 1 were buzzing with creativity this morning in an interactive literacy session. Using picture prompts, they built imaginative sentences, structured stories and shared their joyful tales with the class. Today’s Essential Skill focus was Aiming High and they certainly did. #Literacy #AimingHigh #CreativeClassroom #EssentialSkills #TogetherWeLearn #CoEdSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
A beautiful performance at our Cushion Concert this week by one of our talented Year 6 pupils. These weekly concerts are informal events where we invite parents into school to enjoy their children’s musical talents in a relaxed setting. Music is woven into the fabric of life at Highfield and Brookham, and we see it as a vital part of nurturing well-rounded, confident children and supporting academic learning. #TogetherWeInspire #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdSchool #IndependentCountrySchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
After a busy morning of swimming with their parents watching on, our Nursery children were more than ready for a hearty lunch. Bangers and mash with lots of vegetables were perfect for hungry children and went down a treat! Lots of happy faces and full tummies – all thanks to our fabulous kitchen team for another delicious and nutritious meal. #TogetherWeGrow #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdIndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex.
We love hearing from our Old Highfieldians. Recently, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming back Olivia, who was with us from 2006 to 2016 to hear about her journey since leaving Highfield and Brookham and the lasting friendships and memories she still treasures. It’s something we hear time and time again from generations of leavers – there’s just something magical about the school and being part of the Highfield and Brookham community. #HighfieldandBrookhamMagic #OldHighfieldians #HighfieldandBrookhamMemories #CoEdIndependentSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Yesterday featured back-to-back House tennis matches across all year groups, with plenty of friendly rivalry on the courts. As always, the spirit of competition was high and the matches closely contested. The winning House will be announced shortly. Good luck to all! #TogetherWeAchieve #TogetherWeGrow #IndependentSchool #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
The IPQ Exhibition on Saturday was fantastic. Our Year 8 pupils proudly presented their IPQ projects to parents, staff and visiting senior school representatives. It was a wonderful showcase of their hard work and great preparation for senior school. Well done Year 8! #TogetherWeAchieve #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #IndepenedentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex #CoEdSchool Bedales School Canford School Charterhouse School Churcher’s College Cranleigh School Downe House School Gordonstoun Seaford College Sherborne Boys
Deputy Head Kerri Wilkes, explains how our bespoke skills-based education programme is empowering young minds with the skills they need for today, and tomorrow. Click on the link in our bio above to read our Essential Skills blog. #TogetherWeLearn #TogetherWeInspire #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdIndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming grannies, grandads, grandpas and nanas into school again this afternoon. The occasion was the second Grandparents’ Tea Party of the summer term, a special event which is much loved by both children and adults alike. After a leisurely tour of the school guided by their grandchildren, the grandparents are treated to a sumptuous tea laid on by our fabulous catering team before rounding off their stay with a wonderful concert in the Chapel. #TogetherWeGrow #GrandparentsTeaParty #AfternoonTea #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire
Year 5 have been working on mitre joints in DT today as they continue their project of making picture frames and birdboxes. A mitre joint is a type of angle joint formed by cutting two pieces of material at an angle to create a corner, which allows the two pieces to join flush at the edge, concealing the end grain and creating a neat, finished look. During the process, the children used mitre boxes and saws, carpentry squares and sanding machines. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeManufacture #TogetherWeBuild #DesignTechnology #CountryBoardingSchoolsInHampshire #WestSussex #Hampshire #Surrey
Big congratulations to our boys’ 1st XI who have just reached the third round of the @iapsuksport U13 cricket competition with a thrilling two-wicket win over our visitors from @beaconschooluk. A low-scoring game was in the balance until the death before a boundary through midwicket in the 19th over sealed Highfield and Brookham’s place in the last 16, where we will face @caldicottschool from Buckinghamshire. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCompete #PrepSchoolCricket #PrepSchoolSport #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire #Liphook #WestSussex #Surrey
Year 6 have today been polishing up their mapwork skills in geography. Working in small groups, the children had to use six-figure grid references to plot their way around the grounds in search of a dozen strategically-placed challenge stations, with each station featuring a series of tricky questions relating to direction, distance, height and relief of a set area. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeProgress #GeographyFieldwork #Mapwork #Collaboration #CountryBoardingSchoolsInHampshire
This Saturday, our Year 8 pupils will proudly present their IPQ projects to parents, staff and visiting senior school representatives. Each chose a question close to their heart, reflecting their passions and interests. The academic journey through defining the question, research, creating, reflecting and presenting has stretched them in every way. They’ve developed skills including independence, resilience, critical thinking, problem-solving and so much more. All great preparation for their next steps to senior school, we couldn’t be prouder of all they’ve achieved. @bedalesschool @canfordschool @charterhousesch @churchers1722 @cranleighschool @downe_house @seafordcollege @sherborneboys #TogetherWeLearn #TogetherWeAchieve #Nursery #PrePrep #Prep #CoEdIndependentSchool #Liphook #Hampshire #Surrey #WestSussex
Caps, sun cream and copious amounts of water were the order of the day as we welcomed our friends from Aldro and Wellington College Prep for a series of terrific cricket matches under sunny skies. Keeping your cool in the heat of battle is not always the easiest thing to do, especially on a warm day, but we had no such worries as all the matches were once again played in fantastic spirit, a pleasingly common feature of prep school sport. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCompete #TogetherWeSupport #PrepSchoolSport #BoardingSchoolsInHampshire #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire
You know the busy summer term is in full swing when the grounds team get to work painting the running lane lines ahead of Sports Day. June will see not one, not two but three sports days as the children from Nursery, Pre-prep and Prep each get their moment in the sporting spotlight, cheered on by friends and family. Sports Day is always such a wonderful occasion in the school calendar and one that fills us with immense pride as the children of all ages strive to give their best, win, lose or draw. #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWeCompete #TogetherWeEncourage #SchoolSportsDay #CountryPrepSchoolsInHampshire
Musical marvels from Year 5 hit the right note today with a workshop dedicated to hit stage show Mary Poppins. Children from Highfield and Brookham were joined by pupils from @camelsdaleprimaryschool and Beacon Hill Community Primary School as part of a creative arts outreach programme; performing charming scenes from the enchanting tale of a magical nanny in London and super(califragilisticexpialidocious) songs. Bravo, children! #TogetherWeGrow #TogetherWePerform #StageShow #SchoolPerformingArts #MaryPoppins #IndependentSchoolsInHampshire