Hanford School

About us

Hanford Prep is a day and boarding school for girls aged 7 – 13 years set in beautiful, rolling Dorset countryside where childhood is cherished and celebrated in a warm, inclusive community. Pupils develop lifelong skills and interests alongside being free to play, climb trees, ride ponies and form friendships for life.

Hanford is a small school where everyone is known and valued. Dedicated teaching staff bring out the best in every girl and small class sizes ensure each pupil is supported to achieve, with many gaining scholarships to senior schools year on year.

Boarding is at the heart of the Hanford experience, with most pupils choosing to board at some stage, developing confidence, independence and learning to live alongside each other happily in a supportive environment. Day girls blend seamlessly with their boarding peers, very much part of the close-knit community.

Hanford is a truly creative school with a strong tradition of drama, music and art; girls make their own clothes, write their own plays and stories, and dream up their own games.

Girls enjoy pony rides across the surrounding hills, catching ponies from the fields before breakfast and like nothing more than spending time helping in the stables in their free time.

Part of Sherborne Schools Group, the education we offer shapes girls for the 21st century while enabling them to enjoy a carefree, adventurous childhood.

Latest news

07 May 2026

Alan Turing Centenary Bike Ride – 100km from Southampton to Sherborne

To mark one hundred years, to the day, of Alan Turing's arrival into Sherborne Boys from Southampton train station, where he commandeered a bicycle and rode 100 km to get here, Sherborne Schools Group re-enacted Turing’s journey, with a group of staff and pupils from the schools, arriving in Sherborne at 6pm on Tuesday the 5th May.

The cyclists were greeted at the end of their ride as they swooped into Cheap Street with pupils and staff from Sherborne Boys, Sherborne Girls and Sherborne Prep lining the street along with the Mayor and other local members of the community.

The Centenary Bike ride was masterminded by Alastair Poulain, Deputy Head of Sherborne Prep and the Turing Project lead for Sherborne Schools Group. Alastair said, “A century on from Alan Turing's arrival into Sherborne for his first day at school, and with the weather looking kindly upon us, pupils from all schools took part in a 100km cycle from Southampton to Sherborne, culminating in a mini parade down Cheap Street. A happy way to remember the start of Turing’s time with us at Sherborne.”

Alan Turing’s actions on 4th May 1926 were a small glimpse of the man he would become: the father of computer science, the mind behind Bletchley Park, and the visionary who gave birth to Artificial Intelligence.

On 4 May 1926 the General Strike had brought Britain to a standstill. Every train stood idle. A thirteen-year-old boy named Alan Turing was due to begin his first term at Sherborne School. Most boys would have waited. He did not. He borrowed a bicycle and rode nearly 60 miles alone through the Dorset countryside, stopping overnight before arriving at Sherborne the following morning – composed, punctual, and entirely unbothered.

A Sherborne School report from 1927 showed that these actions were typical of Turing’s character. “Alan has been doing distinguished work for us… his determination is remarkable.”

Caio, a Sixth Form pupil at Sherborne Boys, said of the day: "It was really good to ride the route that Alan Turing did 100 years ago to commemorate him and his ride to school during the general strike. The weather was with us and we had a good team of riders and support crew for the ride. With plenty of stops on the way, including a warm welcome at Hanford Prep, it was a pleasure to do. The final procession down Cheap Street was a great way to finish the ride and it was great to see so much support for the event."

Notes to editors

Sherborne Schools Group offers a distinctive and dynamic blend of single-sex and co-educational learning for pupils aged 3 to 18, rooted in tradition but driven by a forward-thinking, values-based vision for education. The Group includes Sherborne Boys, Sherborne Girls, Sherborne Prep and Hanford Prep as well as Sherborne Schools Worldwide .

For more information about Sherborne Schools Group please contact Camilla Bashaarat, Group Head of External Communications on [email protected] or 01935 818316

7 May, 2026

News from Attain | Terms and Privacy

30 Apr 2026

New Head Takes Up The Reins at Hanford Prep

The Governors of Sherborne Schools Group are delighted to announce that Sophie Blewitt has been appointed as the next Head of Hanford Prep.

30 Apr 2026

New Head Takes Up The Reins at Hanford Prep

The Governors of Sherborne Schools Group are delighted to announce that Sophie Blewitt has been appointed as the next Head of Hanford Prep. Sophie brings considerable experience of leadership within girls’ education. She was previously Director of Studies at Sherborne Girls as well as Head of Languages, Assistant Head of Professional Development, and a tutor to many pupils. Prior to Sherborne Girls, Sophie taught in both the Prep and Senior Schools at Ryde School with Upper Chine on the Isle of Wight, where she was a Head of Year with pastoral and academic responsibilities and part of the school’s management team.

Sophie, currently the Interim Head at Hanford, says of her appointment, “I could not be more delighted. I have loved living and working here these past months. Hanford is an amazing school where a magical childhood and academic excellence go hand in hand. The girls here are curious, funny, kind and determined. As someone who cares deeply about all aspects of education, I can say that they are exceptionally well taught and cared for.”

Sophie studied French and Italian with European Studies at the University of Bath and spent a year working in Italy before returning to the UK to teach English and EAL at Dauntsey’s School. After completing her PGCE at the University of Oxford, Sophie taught French and English in the state-maintained sector and went on to gain an MSc, also from the University of Oxford.

The Governors were struck by how seamlessly Sophie has taken over the reins at Hanford, ensuring the ethos of the school is protected and enhanced, and by her leadership style which combines academic rigour with genuine warmth.

Dr Ruth Sullivan, Head of Sherborne Girls, said, “At a time when childhood feels harder to protect than ever before, Hanford offers something increasingly rare: a childhood that is genuinely, unhurriedly a girl’s own. I have no doubt that Sophie will be an exceptional Head and am delighted to continue working with her, especially in this new role.”

Sophie added, “I didn’t come to Hanford to change it. I came because of what it already is, and because I believe, deeply, that what happens here matters more than ever. My ambition is simple. I want every girl who experiences Hanford to feel that she has had a magical childhood and to be absolutely ready for whatever comes next.”

Set in the Dorset countryside and rooted in real academic ambition, Hanford is built on the belief that girls flourish when they are given time and space to develop at their own pace, pursue what genuinely interests them, and grow up with awareness and respect for the world around them. Sophie and her husband Damian, also a highly experienced teacher and Head of Maths at Sherborne Girls, and their two children are settling in to their new surroundings very happily. Sophie says, “As a family we are embracing all the beauty of Hanford as we live in its grounds and marvel constantly at all this unique and exceptional community has to offer.

Notes to Editors

Hanford Prep is a leading day and boarding school for girls aged 7 – 13 years set in beautiful Dorset countryside.

Hanford Prep is part of Sherborne Schools Group which offers a distinctive and dynamic blend of single-sex and co-educational learning for pupils aged 3 to 18, rooted in tradition but driven by a forward-thinking, values-based vision for education.

For more information about Hanford please contact Camilla Bashaarat, Group Head of External Communications for Sherborne Schools Group [email protected] or 01935 818316

News from Attain | Terms and Privacy

News powered by Pressburst | Terms and Privacy

Return to listing