Praise for Hanford's Co-Curricular Offer

We are delighted to be featured in School House Magazine's excellent article 'More To Explore' about co-curricular activities at prep schools and how this helps pupils build resilience, develop their confidence and engage with the wider world.

"Hanford Prep School in Dorset offers a huge extra-curricular programme – around 60 different activites each term – that can be shaped to take into account the passions and personality of every girl. But what might be considered extra-curricular is often part of everyday school life for Hanford girls, with head Hilary Phillips describing it as a ‘more of a lifestyle than an add-on’.

‘Catching’ the school ponies from the fields before breakfast, feeding them, grooming them and riding them is part of the norm, says Phillips.

‘The girls can also skip off to feed the guinea pigs before lessons, or check up on their garden allotment in their free time.’

And when it comes to choosing the girls' favourite activity?

‘It is hard to pick a favourite activity,’ says Hanford’s Hilary Phillips, ‘but Make and Mend, introduced this year, is already proving popular.

Run by our deputy head, David Horton, girls bring in objects that need mending, like old radios and CD players, and have a go at making things from scratch – we’ve had an outdoor run for the guinea pigs and even roadside “open morning” signs.’ She adds: ‘What pleases me most is the girls’ attitude to trying something new, their willingness to have a go and their openness to a challenge. There is something very special about this; no one is worried about “being cool” as they are free from those sorts of external pressures."

This mindset seems to be catching at Hanford. New girls observe the older girls getting stuck into everything on offer and naturally emulate this, creating a wonderful skillset for later life.’ "