One vision for a confident, balanced future
Highfield School is an independent, co-educational Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School in Liphook for boys and girls aged 2-13, nestled on the leafy borders of Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey. We welcome families from across Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey, as well as further afield nationally and internationally.
As a family-owned school, we celebrate our genuine independence and prepare children for the leading boarding and top day schools in the country. Not being answerable to a senior school or trust results in a strong sense of togetherness and a welcoming family feel. We work together with our children and their families to ensure the children receive the very best education possible to shape well-rounded, confident children ready to take the leap to senior school in their stride. We pride ourselves on the strength and breadth of our curriculum, our first-class teaching, our pledge to deliver the very highest levels of pastoral care and our ongoing commitment to the environment.
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Be Kind, Be Courageous, Be You
At Highfield, our values define who we are and guide everything we do. Kindness is at the heart of our community. We ensure every individual feels valued, respected and supported, creating a nurturing environment where every single child can thrive. Courage is about embracing challenges, taking risks and learning from mistakes. We encourage our pupils to step out of their comfort zones, knowing they have a safe space to grow, even when things don’t go as planned. After all, some of the best learning comes from moments of failure. Being true to yourself means combining kindness and courage to celebrate your unique talents and passions. We inspire our pupils to develop confidence and self-belief, empowering them to embrace their individuality with authenticity. At Highfield, we nurture kind, courageous and confident children who are prepared to make a positive difference in the world.
Our awards
Future schools and scholarship success
We regularly feed 30 senior schools which means a unique educational journey for your child. Our Head, Suzannah Cryer has strong contacts with all of the senior schools will play a crucial part in finding the right future school for your child. We have a flawless record of securing entrance to a child’s chosen senior school, whether that be at at 11+ or 13+. Our curriculum gives opportunities for all children to flourish and our scholarship success is evidence of our outstanding academic ambition. Our children have been awarded over 100 scholarships over the past six years to a diverse range of top senior schools, including Wellington College, Cranleigh School, Radley College, Marlborough College and Charterhouse and include a huge variety of scholarships ranging from academic and art to sports and music.
Extensive grounds
Situated in 175 acres of glorious natural grounds in the South Downs National Park, our school enjoys a truly exceptional setting. Located at the meeting point of Surrey, West Sussex, and Hampshire, our expansive estate provides more than just a stunning backdrop for our Nursery, Pre-Prep, and Prep School, it offers endless opportunities to inspire young minds and nurture well-rounded development. Our unique location is a vital extension of the classroom and a dynamic learning environment, where children can explore, discover and thrive. From outdoor science experiments and nature trails to creative arts and adventurous play, our pupils benefit from hands-on experiences that bring lessons to life.
Beyond academics, these natural surroundings play a pivotal role in promoting wellbeing. Fresh air, open spaces and the freedom to roam help children build resilience, confidence and a connection with their environment. We are committed to making the most of our amazing grounds, as well as protecting and enhancing them. At our school, the great outdoors is not just a setting, but an integral part of every child’s educational journey.
Admissions process
Our key entry points are Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and Year 7, but we also warmly welcome children into other year groups where spaces are available. Charlotte Cottrell, our Admissions Registrar, will expertly guide you through the admissions process, whether you’re joining at one of our main entry stages or another point in your child’s educational journey. As the proud parent of two Old Highfieldians, Charlotte combines her wealth of experience with first-hand knowledge of the school, making her the perfect person to answer your questions, arrange your visits and organise your child’s taster days.
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What we’re up to
A change of tactics for our U9 boys at last week’s tournament! ⚽ Our Director of Sport, Mr Bather, explains: “Our U9 boys had to rethink their tactics and move into different positions to support the team. They had to work out where they could be most useful, rather than just where they were used to playing. Although it wasn’t the result we’d hoped for, it was a pleasure to play against such strong teams. I’m very proud of how the boys came together and were willing to try something different for the team!” #independentschool #highfieldschool #problemsolving #teamtactics #prepschool #schoolsport Independent school Liphook | Prep school Hampshire | Independent school Surrey | Highfield School
73 days until Christmas! 🎄 Too early? Our young artists don’t think so! Our annual Christmas card competition is underway, with children creating their own festive designs to turn into cards for family and friends. Turning an idea into a finished design takes some thought! It means working out how to bring what’s in your head onto the page and what will make your card eye-catching. Every pack ordered raises money for Highfield Highreach Holidays, helping our children see how something they create can make a difference to someone else. Now comes the tricky part… choosing the winning designs! 👀 #independentschool #problemsolving #creativedesign #christmascards #festive Independent school Liphook | Prep school Hampshire | Independent school Surrey | Highfield School
October half term is almost here (we can’t quite believe it either)! If you’re looking for activities for your child during the break, we still have a few places available on our Holiday Clubs here at Highfield, with sessions to suit different ages and interests. 🔗Find out what’s on offer via the link in our bio.
Our Head, Suzannah Cryer, has been thinking about something we probably all recognise: that feeling of wanting to know you’ve got the right answer! But problem-solving doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes there’s a clear answer. Other times, there isn’t one at all! And that’s the tricky bit, isn’t it? When you’re faced with something you haven’t done before, where do you even start? What if your first idea doesn’t work? It’s tempting to want someone to tell you what to do next, but there’s so much to be gained from having a go and working things out for yourself. At Highfield, we see this in all sorts of ways. It’s our Reception children figuring out how to build a shelter strong enough to keep Baby Bear dry. It’s Year 4 exploring digestion using a pair of tights in Science! And it’s our U9 footballers rethinking their tactics to help their team. As Suzannah explains, sometimes it’s how you get from A to Z that’s more interesting than the answer itself! #independentschool #problemsolving #progress #criticalthinking #futureskills Independent school Liphook | Prep school Hampshire | Nursery Liphook | Independent school Surrey | Pre prep school Hampshire | Highfield School
Our Year 8s have been busy preparing their canvases with diluted inks in different colours, ready for a mixed-media project exploring the theme of identity. 🎨 It’s a lovely example of how art encourages children to adapt. You might start with one idea in mind, but as colours blend and materials behave in unexpected ways, you have to think on your feet and try something different. And who knows? Sometimes those unexpected results turn out to be your favourite part of the finished piece! @olgahoughtonart #independentschool #highfieldschool #adaptability #creativelearning #prepschool Independent school Liphook | Prep school Hampshire | Independent school Surrey | Highfield School
Things don’t always go to plan. So, what do you do next? At Highfield, we want our children to feel able to give things another go, even when it may feel difficult or be a struggle. Sometimes that means trying a different approach to reach their goal. We asked some of our Year 7s what adapting means to them… #independentschool #highfieldschool #adaptability #resilience #pupilvoice Independent school Liphook | Prep school Hampshire | Independent school Surrey | Highfield School
Young musicians from St Bart’s, Beacon Hill, Camelsdale, Liphook Juniors and Highfield came together yesterday as one orchestra, rehearsing and performing alongside professional musicians from the Royal Military School of Music. 🎶 With music specially arranged for every child’s level, they spent the day in sectionals and rehearsals before performing The Traitors theme, March of the Toreadors and Pirates of the Caribbean. It was wonderful to see them adapt so quickly to playing alongside musicians from other schools, many of whom they had only just met. The progress they made in just one day was remarkable! It’s all part of a collaboration between Highfield and @haslemerefest, which will culminate in the young musicians performing at a special Gala Concert at the Haslemere Festival next year. A HUGE thank you to our Director of Music, Jessica Harman, for bringing the day together, to Captain Ben James and the RMSM band, to our sectional leaders Matt Gunner, Helen Downham and Sarah Craven, and to everyone behind the scenes who made it such a success. 👏 #schoolorchestra #royalmilitaryschoolofmusic #youngmusicians #militarymusic #musiceducation #armymusic
It’s been a busy few weeks of sport, with football, hockey and netball fixtures all underway! ⚽🏑 We’ve loved watching our pupils rise to every challenge, whether that’s switching positions mid-match or picking themselves up after conceding a goal. A great example came when the girls U13s 1st team travelled to Bede’s for their IAPS qualifier. 1-0 down after 4 mins in their opening game, they regrouped and answered back with 3 goals to take the victory! They battled their way to the quarter final, where a draw against @edgeboroughschool went to shuffles, ending in a narrow 2-1 loss. Our footballers showed the same spirit at the 7-a-side tournament. After a semi-final defeat to @twyfordschool on penalties, they bounced back to win their play-off and finish 3rd out of 12 teams! 🥉 Win or lose, our teams keep showing what it means to adapt and keep going! #independentschool #highfieldschool #adaptability #teamspirit #resilience Independent school Liphook | Prep school Hampshire | Independent school Surrey | Highfield School
What happens when life doesn’t go to plan? Suzannah Cryer, our Head, shares how changes in her own journey led her to new paths and why being able to pivot matters so much in this ever changing world. It’s a skill we nurture at Highfield every day, helping our children feel confident when things change and willing to find another way forward. ➡️ #independentschool #highfieldschool #adapting #embracechange #growthmindset Independent school Liphook, prep school Hampshire, boarding school Surrey, Hampshire independent school
What did Year 2 love most about their trip to RHS Garden Wisley? We’ll let them tell you! As part of their Fabulous Forests topic, the children had a chance to explore the vast gardens, take part in a woodland workshop and even discover some of the tallest and widest trees growing there! With so much to spark their imaginations, it was a chance to see how the natural world can inspire their own creativity. Swipe to see their favourite moments… 🌳 “My favourite thing was having a go at planting. My plant pot is on my windowsill at home.” 🌱 “My favourite thing was looking at the water fountain. It was beautiful.” ⛲ “I have two favourite things: collecting the spiky pine cones and counting all the vegetables… AND having my lunch!” “I loved going into the greenhouse. It was like being in a jungle.” 🌿 “I liked making the tree bark patterns appear on my paper!” 🌳 We also discovered a Highfield connection: the workshop leader’s wife plays lacrosse with our Head of Girls’ Games and PE, Ashleigh Gloster. What a small world!
“Whoever you are… whatever you do… however you feel… be YOU!” 💛 Year 2 brought Karl Newson’s Be You! to life in their assembly this week, with a lovely reminder that there really is only one you. They even put their creativity to work, making their own colourful animal masks, each one as wonderfully unique as the person who made it. 🎨 #highfieldschool #independentschool #creativelearning #liphook #beyou Liphook independent school, prep school, pre-prep school, boarding school, Hampshire independent school
A camp out is the perfect test of creative thinking! Using only what the woodland could offer, Year 7 sparked fires with flint and steel, whittled with sheath knives and cooked sausages over the fires they’d built themselves. 🔥 Once the tents were up and the hammocks were out, a blindfolded woodland course put their teamwork to the test. The day ended under clear skies, with plenty of campers choosing to sleep out under the stars. Smoky jumpers all round and a wonderful opportunity to the children thrive outside the classroom. #independentschool #highfieldschool #outdooreducation #creativethinking #nature Liphook independent school, prep school, pre-prep school, boarding school, Hampshire independent school
Last week we welcomed families to our Early Years Open Morning, which began with a woodland walk through the Highfield grounds before little feet made their way to our Forest School area. There, Mrs Snagg, our Nursery Manager, and Mrs Hunter, out Head of Pre-Prep and EYFS, helped the children make their own clay snails. 🐌 The children also got busy potion-making with forest finds and oranges, which proved particularly popular! Thank you to all the families who joined us. It was a joy to share a little of what Early Years life at Highfield is all about 🍂 #independentschool #highfieldschool #openmorning #earlyyears #forestschool Liphook independent school, pre-prep school, boarding school, Hampshire independent school
Creativity is everywhere at Highfield. It’s turning a fallen branch into something new at Forest School or stepping onto stage for the very first time. Sometimes it’s finding a different way to solve a problem. Have an idea and wondering ‘what if…?’ We want children and young people to have plenty of space for that kind of thinking. To wonder, try things out and have ideas of their own. Because as AI becomes part of everyday life, creativity and human connection will matter more than ever! #independentschool #creativity #creativethinking #essentialskills Liphook independent school, pre-prep school, prep school life, boarding school, Surrey independent school, Hampshire independent school
Every year on the 26th September, European Day of Languages is celebrated… and there’s plenty for us to celebrate at Highfield. 🎉 French and Spanish are a core part of life here, but our languages often stretch well beyond those. We are also delighted to be a multi-cultural school which welcomes so many pupils from around the world, exposing our British cohort to range of new languages and cultures through close friendships. This year’s theme is ‘Languages unite!’, so our languages team have been looking at just how far languages reach across the curriculum. The video doesn’t capture every subject involved (we’d have needed a rather longer film!), but hopefully gives a good flavour of just how much languages connect with other areas of school life. And yes, we know Mandarin isn’t European. But as it’s taught in Middle Prep, we couldn’t resist sneaking it in! 🤭 #independentschool #europeandayoflanguages #multicultural #languageteachers #crosscurricular
It’s been a busy week for Year 2 who have been learning beyond the classroom in our beautiful grounds 🪵 One science task had them peering beneath leaves and logs, investigating minibeasts, habitats and microhabitats. Elsewhere, there was more hands-on work… sawing through logs with their teacher, ready for next week’s exciting Little Red Riding Hood task (more to come on that!) Two very different lessons, but one shared skill throughout: working together towards a goal. #independentschool #outdoorlearning #workingtogether #forestschool #nature
There’s been some serious campaigning going on in Pre-Prep! Our Year 3 House Captain hopefuls have been putting their speeches together, ready to convince their fellow pupils why they would make the perfect leader. And tucked inside one of those persuasive speeches was this little gem: “Working together as a team will lead us to victory and we can rise as one.” Spoken like a true captain! Because while one person might lead the way, it’s everyone around them who makes a team what it is. 🤝 #independentschool #highfieldschool #workingtogether #leadershipskills #democracy
We’re joining forces with @haslemerefest to bring pupils from local schools together for Haslemere Festival Youth Music 2027. 🎻 Children who play an orchestral instrument or recorder, from pre-Grade 1 through to Grade 8, are invited to take part. It starts here at Highfield on 6th October with an orchestral play day alongside musicians from the Royal Military School of Music, before the children work towards a gala performance at Haslemere Hall next May. We want all children to have the chance to make music with others and experience what it means to be part of an orchestra. For some, it will be the first time they hear their own part become part of something bigger. 🔗 Read more about our partnership with Haslemere Festival via the link in our bio. Schools interested in taking part can contact Jessica Harman at jharman@highfieldschool.com. #IndependentSchool #HighfieldSchool #HaslemereFestival #MakingMusicTogether #YouthOrchestra
Nothing like easing yourself gently into a new school year… by heading straight off to Belgium! Year 8 certainly didn’t hang about this term. Their first few days took them from the battlefields of the Somme to the Last Post at the Menin Gate, with time spent walking through trenches and searching memorials for familiar family names. Being there together gave the children a very real introduction to the stories of the soldiers who fought there. At the Somme, they took on the roles of members of the Pals Battalions, discovering what it meant for friends to sign up and serve side by side – something that felt particularly powerful while travelling and working together as a year group themselves. At Tyne Cot, Bruno and Tabby laid a wreath on behalf of Highfield in the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world: a poignant way to bring that part of the trip to a close. A day at Parc Astérix was also on the itinerary… and even the staff were persuaded onto a rollercoaster or two! Quite a way to start their final year at Highfield. 👏 #IndependentSchool #SchoolTrip #History #Belgium #WorkingTogether
Our Open Morning on Friday was a great success and our Year 7s did a brilliant job showing families around Highfield. Thank you to everyone who joined us! 🍂 Now we’re heading into the forest for our Early Years Open Morning this Friday. What might your little one discover among the trees? Come and explore together, then warm up by the campfire while you get to know our fabulous Early Years team. 🔗 Book your place via the link in our bio
Today is Youth Mental Health Day, organised by @stem4org, a charity supporting teenage mental health. This year’s theme, #BuildFutureYou, is about helping young people look ahead with hope and feel supported as they think about their future. To mark the day, we asked our staff to share their own hopes for the future of young people. Swipe to see what they said. 👉 We’d love to hear your hopes too. Share in the comments below. 💙 #IndependentSchool #YouthMentalHealthDay #ChildrensWellbeing #FutureGeneration
A big day for Reception! 🏊♀️ Yesterday was their very first swimming lesson at Highfield, but first they had to master getting pool-ready. Which way round does a swimming costume go? And was it hat or goggles first? There was certainly lots to remember! Once in the water, they were off! We may just have some future swimming stars on our hands… 🌟 #IndependentSchool #BuildingConfidence #Reception #SchoolSwimming #YoungSwimmers
🎭 Auditions are under way for Year 5’s production of Shakespeare Rocks! Our pupils stepped up to read for their chosen roles today, developing their confidence and bringing each character to life through voice and expression. We’re excited to see this one come together Year 5! #IndependentSchool #Year5 #PerformingArts #SchoolProduction #ConfidenceThroughDrama
🏆 We’re Mind Champions! We’re incredibly proud to have won the Mind Champion Award at the School House Awards 2026, recognising our commitment to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing. A huge well done to our wonderful pastoral team and every member of staff who helps make wellbeing part of everyday life at Highfield. Read more via the link in our bio. #IndependentSchool #SchoolHouseAwards2026 #ChildWellbeing #MentalHealth