History
Highfield School was founded in Southampton in 1892 by Mr EA Wells, the owner and first Headmaster. The school first opened as a boys’ prep with 18 pupils. In 1904, Mr William Mills became the owner and Headmaster and moved Highfield to its present 175-acre site in Liphook, on the Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey border.
The new purpose-built school opened in September 1907 with 32 boys, all boarders. The school grew steadily; a beautiful Chapel was added in 1910, with other buildings quickly following suit. Mr Mills, who was ordained in 1912 and later became an Honorary Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral, remained Headmaster until 1953. Under Canon Mills, the school grew to accommodate 120 boys and established an enviable reputation for academic and sporting excellence. Highfield pupils won many scholarships to the leading English public schools, including Eton, Winchester, Shrewsbury, Charterhouse, Rugby and Sherborne.
Canon Mills died in 1953 and was succeeded by his son, Peter. The school became co-educational in 1978 and also began to take day children into the junior part of the school. Peter Mills retired in 1979 to be succeeded by Old Highfieldian Robin Orr, who remained Headmaster until 1993. During his tenure, school numbers rose from around 120 to almost 170. Under Nigel Ramage, Mr Orr’s successor, the school began a considerable programme of refurbishment and building work. Mr Ramage was succeeded in 1999 by Phillip Evitt when the compulsory boarding requirement ended, although many children still choose to board to this day, with almost all boarding for at least part of their final two years. Phillip Evitt retired in 2022 and was succeeded by Mrs Suzannah Cryer, current Head of Highfield and Brookham.
Today, all departments have designated teaching rooms. New Science, Maths and Computing facilities were opened in September 2000. A new indoor swimming pool was opened at Easter 2005, and a new Music School in 2006. Today, Highfield is genuinely co-educational with equal numbers of girls and boys. In 1992, a new building, designed by Petersfield-based architect, Roger Hill Building Design, was built within the grounds of Highfield to house our Pre-Prep children.
Highfield and Brookham is owned by Mr William Mills, the grandson of the founder. Mr Mills is also Chairman of the Board of Directors. Today, Highfield and Brookham continues to enjoy an outstanding reputation as a top Pre-Prep and Prep school for children aged 2-13 that offers an excellent all-round education, and its long tradition of scholarship success continues.
What we’re up to…
We’re delighted to feature once again in this year’s Tatler Schools Guide! 👏 “As a truly independent, family-owned prep, Highfield puts its energy into understanding the aspirations of every single child.” A wonderful recognition of what makes Highfield so special. #HighfieldSchool #IndependentSchool #Liphook #TatlerSchoolsGuide2027 #TatlerSchools
Only a few more days until we welcome everyone back to Highfield! As we prepare to begin our next chapter as Highfield School, we’re also looking forward to opening our doors for our first Open Morning of the term. If you’re considering Highfield for your family, we’d love you to come and spend the morning with us. If you’re already part of our Highfield community and know someone who might love it here too, please spread the word and invite them along. 🔗Book your place via the link in our bio.
Ending the week on a high! We’re incredibly proud to be one of just five schools shortlisted in the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing category of the @talkeducation Awards for Innovation in Education 2026! 👏 To be recognised for something so central to who we are as a school, alongside others doing such important work in this area, is a wonderful honour. We’ll find out the result on Thursday 10 September, so until then, keep everything crossed for us. 🤞 Read more via the link in our bio. #HighfieldSchool #TalkEducation #TalkEducationAwards #PastoralCare #PupilWellbeing
Happy Friday, everyone! As we get everything ready to welcome our children and families back next week, we’re delighted to end the week on a high… Highfield School has been shortlisted in the Pastoral Care and Wellbeing category of the Talk Education Awards for Innovation in Education 2026! 👏 This recognition celebrates our whole-community approach to wellbeing and the care our staff show every day to ensure that every child is known and supported. We’re incredibly proud to be one of just five schools shortlisted in this category. The winners will be announced on Thursday 10 September. Keep everything crossed for us! 🤞
We’re in The Times! @thetimes 🗞️ Our Head of Pre-Prep and Early Years, Georgie Hunter, shares her expertise in a thoughtful piece about helping August-born children thrive in Reception, with Highfield parent Olivia Watkins also offering her perspective as a mum. As Georgie explains, what matters most is seeing the individual child, rather than making assumptions based on their birthday. Read more via the link in our bio
Over the past few weeks, we’ve loved sharing our next chapter as Highfield School with you. Alongside our new look, we’ve also been thinking carefully about how we share school life here. As the digital world evolves, we’re adapting our approach to sharing photographs and videos, with the privacy of the children in our care at its heart. This means we’re moving away from publishing clear, identifiable photos of children’s faces on our public digital channels. We know how much you love seeing your child in a school photograph. Those glimpses into their day matter, especially when they capture moments you can’t be there for. You’ll still see plenty of life at Highfield here, as we find creative ways to capture the moments that make our school so special. There is so much to share, and we’re looking forward to showing it to you through a slightly different lens. Please do take a few minutes to read our blog. This is an important change for our school community, and the article explains why we’re making it and what it means for the photographs you’ll see and receive.
We’re incredibly proud of our maths and sports teacher, @sumattingly, who has been representing South Africa at the Masters Hockey World Cup in Belgium! 🏑 Three World Cups and still loving the game she first played at school. Who better to inspire our next generation of hockey players here at Highfield? 🔗Read more about Su’s World Cup experience via the link in our bio.
When is a summer-born child ready to start school? It’s a question many families find themselves considering. We’re delighted to see Highfield featured in The Times in a thoughtful piece about helping August-born children thrive as they start Reception. Our Head of Pre-Prep and Early Years, Georgie Hunter, shares her expertise, while Highfield parent Olivia Watkins offers her perspective as a mum. As Georgie explains, what matters most is seeing the individual child in front of us, rather than making assumptions based on when they were born. 👉 Read the full article below.
And here it is… our new Highfield School logo. 🗝️💚 A new identity for the next chapter of our story, rooted in more than a century of Highfield history. At its heart are our familiar cross keys, a symbol that has been part of Highfield for generations, now enclosed within a circle to represent us coming together as one. One Story. One Purpose. One Highfield.
And here it is… our new Highfield School logo. 🗝️💚 A new identity for the next chapter of our story, rooted in more than a century of Highfield history. At its heart are our familiar cross keys, a symbol that has been part of Highfield for generations, now enclosed within a circle to represent us coming together as one. One Story. One Purpose. One Highfield.
As we prepare to become Highfield School this September, we’ve been looking back at how our identity has evolved along the way. Our logo has taken a few different forms, but the cross keys have remained a familiar part of Highfield for generations. And that isn’t about to change. They’ll continue to be part of our story as we move forward. 🗝 Which of these logos do you remember from your Highfield days? Perhaps you still have one tucked away on an old school jumper, book or keepsake – we’d love to see your photos! As for our new Highfield logo… all will be revealed tomorrow! 👀
There’s more news to share from Highfield as we look ahead to the next chapter in our school’s story. 💚 For almost 100 years, one particular building has changed and adapted alongside generations of Highfield children. Built as the school sanatorium in 1926, it later became our junior boarding house – a place that holds many happy memories for pupils, families and staff. From October half term, the building will begin its next chapter as Floreat House, bringing together support, wellbeing and enrichment for children across Highfield. Its role may be changing, but the thread running through its history remains the same: caring for children and responding to what they need. We’ve taken a look back at the building’s story, the memories held within its walls and what comes next. Read more 👇
Some brilliant advice from our Head of Learning Support and SENDCo, Leigh Fisher, who has been sharing her expertise with Netmums this week. 💬 With the return to school getting closer, Leigh has shared some practical ways parents can help children with SEND feel more prepared for the transition back. From gradually getting back into familiar routines to thinking ahead about sensory challenges, her advice is all about making those first days back feel a little more manageable. “Support will look different for every child, so notice what is working, keep routines consistent where possible and work with the school to address concerns early.” We’re very lucky to have so many people with a wealth of knowledge and experience here at Highfield, and it’s always lovely to see that being shared beyond our school community too. A big thank you to Netmums for giving Leigh the opportunity to do just that. Read the full article 👇
Our young chefs have been learning the art of sushi making at Holiday Cooking Club 🍣 From preparing their ingredients and spreading the stickiest rice to arranging their fillings and mastering that all-important roll, there’s quite a knack to getting it all just right! And of course, the best part at the end… getting to eat what you’ve made! Thank you @neishsophie for such a brilliant (and delicious!) day. ☺️ #IndependentSchool #HolidayClubs #SummerHoliday #YoungChefs #LifeSkills
September is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Highfield. 💚 As we prepare to begin our next chapter as Highfield School, we’re also getting ready to open our doors for our first Open Morning of the term. If you’re thinking about Highfield for your family, we’d love you to come and spend the morning with us. And for those already part of our Highfield community, if you have friends or family who you think would love it here too, please do spread the word and invite them along. 📅 Friday 18 September 🕙 10am–12.30pm Book here:
If you haven’t already, go and listen to our Head, Suzannah Cryer on the @maverickschoolpodcast 🎙️ A brilliant conversation about the qualities our children will need in a rapidly changing world, and why keeping that joy of learning alive matters more than ever! #IndependentSchool #FutureofEducation #LifeSkills #EducationLeaders #FutureReady
As we prepare to become Highfield School this September, we’ve been looking back at how our identity has evolved along the way. Our logo has taken a few different forms, but the cross keys have remained a familiar part of Highfield for generations. And that isn’t about to change. They’ll continue to be part of our story as we move forward. 🗝 Which of these logos do you remember from your Highfield days? Perhaps you still have one tucked away on an old school jumper, book or keepsake – we’d love to see your photos! There is, of course, one logo missing from our timeline…👀 All will be revealed later this week!
There’s something rather lovely about seeing Highfield buzzing with activity during the holidays. 💙 Last week, it was our Super Sports Holiday Club bringing the energy, making the most of the grounds and facilities we’re so lucky to have at our school. It’s certainly making us excited to see Highfield full of life again in just a few weeks! 🏃♀️ #IndependentSchool #HolidayClubs #SuperSports #ActiveKids #SchoolHolidays
👀 We have some VERY exciting news to share! From September 2026, we will become Highfield School, bringing our whole school under one name and one identity. It marks an exciting moment in our story that stretches back to 1892. Highfield has evolved considerably over that time, while remaining proudly independent and in the same family for more than 120 years. Becoming Highfield School reflects who we are today: one school from Nursery through to Year 8, with one shared purpose and a commitment to knowing every child as an individual. Our history matters enormously to us, and while our name is changing, the things that make our school so special remain firmly at its heart. Keep an eye on our socials over the coming weeks as we share more of what’s to come! One Story. One Purpose. One Highfield. 🔗 Read the full story in our latest news via the link in our bio.
We have some VERY exciting news to share! 💚 From September 2026, we will become Highfield School, bringing the school together under one name and one identity. It is a significant moment in our story that stretches back to 1892. Highfield has evolved considerably during that time, while remaining proudly independent and in the same family for more than 120 years. Pictured is our owner and Chairman, Bill Mills, whose grandfather William Mills became owner and Headmaster of Highfield in 1904. Becoming Highfield School reflects who we are today: one school from Nursery through to Year 8, with one shared purpose and a commitment to knowing every child as an individual. Our history matters enormously to us, and while our name is changing, the things that make our school so special remain firmly at its heart. Keep an eye on our socials over the coming weeks as we share more of what’s to come. One Story. One Purpose. One Highfield. 🔗 Read the full story here: