It boasts a lot of unique facilities, and could soon be honoured as one of nation’s best’ independent prep schools
A young student at Highfield and Brookham playing golf in the school’s very own 9-hole course(Image: Highfield and Brookham)
An independent prep school just barely outside Surrey which has its own golf course has been shortlisted for the ‘Independent Prep School of the Year’ as part of a prestigious annual education award ceremony.
Surrey is home to dozens of highly-praised private and public schools, however it is one just barely minutes drive outside the county which could soon be named among the nation’s best independent prep schools.
Highfield and Brookham is an independent, co-ed Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School in Liphook. It teaches both boys and girls, from 2-years-old all the way up to 13.
Its facility is spread across 175-acres, and notably features its own 9-hole golf course, café, purpose-built swimming pool and much more.
Highfield and Brookham has round 450 pupils ranging from 2 all the way to 13(Image: Highfield and Brookham)
The day and boarding school is just one of only three independent schools in and around Surrey to be shortlisted for school of the year award at the 2026 Tes Schools Awards.
The awards are a annual celebration showcasing the achievements of staff and schools in the UK’s private education landscape.
Alongside the Liphook school, the Surrey schools which have been shortlisted for ‘best of the year’ awards are Caterham Prep School and Charterhouse in Godalming, with the pair nominated for ‘best’ awards in the prep and senior schools categories.
The Tes shortlist is selected annually by a panel of expert judges, including experienced school leaders and education specialists with Highfield and Brookham being given its plaudits for its whole-school curriculum “transformation” which the school claims is built on the belief that academic excellence and essential life skills are “most powerful” when “deliberately and structurally linked”.
Speaking on being shortlisted, Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham, said: “The Tes Schools Awards are one of the most prestigious celebrations of excellence in education, and to be shortlisted is something we are all enormously proud of.
The school is set in 175-acres of land and features a range of facilities for education, notably a 9-hole golf course(Image: Highfield and Brookham)
“This recognition reflects our whole-school commitment to a curriculum where skills and knowledge are taught together, embedded in every part of school life. A heartfelt thank you to our whole school community for making this possible.”
Bosses of the some-450-pupil school boast of an ‘Essential Skills Framework’ which is “at the heart” of its approach to education in children.
This is said to allow for children to develop eight core skills, including leadership, problem-solving, creativity and resilience. These are nurtured through “carefully scaffolded steps” prevalent in every lesson, subject and co-curricular activity.
First established in 1892 in Southampton before moving to its current site 175-acre site in Liphook in 1904, Highfield and Brookham became co-ed in 1978.
Now, the school consists of a 9-hole golf course, swimming pool, all-weather pitches and playing fields, a café and ‘forest’ school alongside a range of specialist art, music and drama spaces.
An image of Year 7 children from Highfield and Brookham Schools performing Macbeth in the woods in 2020(Image: ad hoc)
Students have the option between day, weekly and full boarding for pupils from Year 3 or 4 upwards with smaller classes generally with an average of 16 pupils.
The winners of this year’s Tes School awards are set to be announced at a gala ceremony on June 19 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. With 23 awards set to be given out.
Rod Williams, CEO of Tes, spoke on the 2026 rendition: “This year’s shortlist showcases the exceptional standard of entries across the Tes Schools Awards, reflecting the breadth of impact being delivered in UK education.
“Each category highlights schools and individuals who are not only driving meaningful change within their own settings, but also setting a benchmark for the wider sector.
“The Tes Schools Awards are designed to recognise and elevate this work, celebrating those making a measurable difference to pupils, staff and communities across the UK – and with a record number of nominations received this year, it clearly reinforces the strength and impact being delivered across the UK education sector.”