Welcome to Hanford Prep

Welcome to our website which I hope will give you a first insight into what makes this little school so special.

Mrs Canning, who founded the school with her husband in the 1940s, always wanted Hanford to work just like a family, encouraging freedom of thought, creativity, individual development and mutual respect and trust.

These principles have been upheld ever since along with a healthy dose of looking ahead to the future to ensure a Hanford girl is ready for whatever life might throw at her.

Ambitious for Every Girl

Hanford most definitely does look to the future and is ambitious for every girl here, but we are also very aware that childhood is brief and precious.

Children growing up these days are too often pushed into achieving the next step, marking off the next goal on the list and being told to “grow up”. We are a school where children are free to enjoy their childhood, can begin to develop lifelong passions and interests and are brilliantly prepared for life at senior school and far beyond. 

Academic and creative subjects are celebrated here, and our girls go on to achieve great things, but equal emphasis is given to climbing trees, building dens, riding ponies and playing in the garden.

Giving girls free time is something Hanford has always believed in as it encourages girls to become lost in their own imagination and develop creatively.

Straightforward Philosophy

Time and space to think are increasingly important in this world where butterfly attention to social media seems to be encouraged and the ability to focus and concentrate is less prized.
 

Our philosophy is straightforward: we aim to ensure that the girls at Hanford flourish in all areas. We encourage them to make the most of what is on offer here.

We focus our resources on ensuring that the girls have access to the highest quality teaching and pastoral support.

This includes a wide range of valuable Co-Curricular activities. As a result they are thoroughly prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the next steps of senior school and whatever path they choose in the future.