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…
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.
A preview of something very special… From Reception to Year 8, each year group has created a stunning collaborative canvas and the results are incredible! Every piece was inspired by a practising artist, most of whom generously gave their time to run workshops with our pupils. We are so grateful for their expertise, their energy, and the magic they helped our children unlock. But beyond the art itself, our pupils learned to create together; sharing ideas, making space for each other and leaving their mark (quite literally) on something bigger than themselves. Tomorrow night, all of these incredible pieces will be featured in our silent auction. We can’t wait to see them find their forever homes. #ArtExhibition #CollaborativeLeadership #LocalArt #PrepSchool @thelittlegreengallery @olgahoughtonart @tamsinpearsonartist @christiandeferranti @wendyrichardsart @j.green_art
When West End performer @amybethpunter visited our Year 8s, the theatre was electric! Having previously starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, she was the perfect person to lead a workshop ahead of our own production later this term. She reminded the children that every single person brings something valuable to a show and that a great production thrives on everyone’s unique skills. #Teamwork #PrepSchool #SchoolProduction #IndependentPrepSchoolOfTheYear @shrek_uk
When West End performer Amy Punter visited our Year 8s, the theatre truly came alive. Having previously starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, she was the perfect person to lead a workshop ahead of our own production later this term. She shared brilliant insights into the world of theatre and reminded the children that every member of a cast and crew brings something essential to a successful show. A wonderful morning of inspiration and creativity for our pupils.
Want a sneak peek into our Careers Day? Children from Reception to Year 6 were treated to an inspirational Careers Day, discovering the wonders of the world of work. Most importantly, they heard how essential teamwork, leadership, communication, creative problem-solving and resilience are in the workplace. Thank you to everyone who helped make this morning “the best off‑timetable activity ever!” @the.plannery @redbullracing @royalnavy #CareersDay #ConfidentCommunicators #PrepSchool #Hampshire
Want a sneak peek into our Careers Day? Children from Reception to Year 6 were treated to an inspirational Careers Day, discovering the wonders of the world of work. Most importantly, they heard how essential teamwork, leadership, communication, creative problem-solving and resilience are in the workplace. Thank you to everyone who helped make this morning “the best off‑timetable activity ever!” @the.plannery @redbullracing @royalnavy #CareersDay #ConfidentCommunicators #PrepSchool #Hampshire
There’s nothing quite like a pre-match team talk to get the adrenaline going! Our 2nd XI cricket team gathered around Mr Figgis ahead of their match against Lambrook, soaking up every bit of advice from their expert coach. #CricketSeason #SchoolCricket #PrivateSchool #PrepSchool #ConfidentCommunicators @thecricketer
When Vienna called our choristers answered beautifully. Our Year 7 and 8 choir brought the magic home to Highfield Chapel for their Post-Tour Concert, leaving the audience moved to tears. Under the expert direction of Robert Lewis, these young singers proved that music truly speaks louder than words. #Choir #ChoirLife #MusicEducation #ConfidentCommunicators
When Vienna called our choristers answered beautifully. Our Year 7 and 8 choir brought the magic home to Highfield Chapel for their Post-Tour Concert, leaving the audience moved to tears. Under the expert direction of Robert Lewis, these young singers proved that music truly speaks louder than words. #Choir #ChoirLife #MusicEducation #ConfidentCommunicators
What was life really like in Roman Britain? This week, Year 4 headed to Fishbourne Roman Palace to find out. As part of their ‘Our Changing World’ theme this term, the children had a fantastic opportunity to see first-hand just how much life has changed since Roman Britain. One big lesson? Listening matters! The children quickly discovered how important it was to pay full attention to instructions to ensure they were able to complete their tasks, including some challenging structural engineering. And were rewarded with some truly impressive Roman empires of their own making. Sussex Past
Year 6 have been getting creative this week! In Art, they’ve been designing their very own Tudor family crests, and the results are incredible. From bold symbols to vibrant colours, every crest tells a unique story. Beyond the drawing, the children discovered that visual communication can be just as powerful as words when conveying a personal message. #independentschool #artlesson #confidentcommunicator #prepschool #preprepschools
Year 6 have been getting creative this week! In Art, they’ve been designing their very own Tudor family crests, and the results are incredible. From bold symbols to vibrant colours, every crest tells a unique story. Beyond the drawing, the children discovered that visual communication can be just as powerful as words when conveying a personal message. #independentschool #artlesson #confidentcommunicator #prepschool #preprepschools
Effective communication is very important especially when you are building a workspace big enough for you, your classmate and your laptops. Reception children demonstrated their strong communication skills by explaining their ideas, giving instructions and listening carefully to understand each other’s new and innovative construction ideas. #confidentcommunicators #IndependentSchool #Surrey #WestSussex #Hampshire #Reception #EssentialSkills
Our Nursery children are continually developing their communication skills. They understand that we speak for many different reasons, from sharing information and building relationships to expressing our emotions. There was certainly no doubt about their feelings this morning, as excited chatter and infectious giggles drifted beyond the gates while they lined up for forest school.
We are so looking forward to Raising the Future, our conference exploring how schools, parents and leaders can rethink education for the years ahead. We’ve got expert speakers who will be exploring bold ideas and connect with others who believe education must evolve. • Insightful talks • Big ideas for future-ready learning • Meaningful conversations Last few tickets are available, head to the link in our bio. #RaisingTheFuture #EducationEvents #FutureSkills #ParentsInEducation #SchoolLeadership @bedalesschool
We have some incredibly exciting news to share! We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted for Independent Prep School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards 2026. This means the world to us, and it truly belongs to every single person in our community. Our wonderful staff, our brilliant pupils, and our incredibly supportive families have all played a part in making this possible. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We are so proud of everything we have achieved together. Tes for Teachers
We are beyond proud to share that we have been shortlisted for Independent Prep School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards 2026! 🏆✨ This recognition belongs to every single member of our incredible community: our dedicated staff, wonderful pupils, and supportive families. Thank you for making this possible. We couldn’t be more grateful. #TesAwards #IndependentSchool #PrepSchool #SchoolOfTheYear #Surrey #WestSussex #Hampshire @tesmagazine @tesforteachers
