Brighton College
Let Right Prevail
Founded in 1845, Brighton College is a co-educational day and boarding school known for its reputation for academic excellence and for a culture built on kindness, curiosity, and a love of learning. Every pupil is known as an individual and encouraged to think independently, to be confident, and to make a positive difference in the world.
Key Facts
Location : Brighton, East Sussex
Type : Co-educational, boarding and day
Age Range : 11 to 18
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 1,100 pupils
Founded : 1845
Motto : ΤΟ Δ'ΕΥ ΝΙΚΑΤΩ ("Let Right Prevail")
Academic Profile
Pupils at Brighton College follow a broad GCSE curriculum that includes the College's own distinctive course in public speaking and oratory. In the Sixth Form they study A Levels, and Old Brightonians proceed to Oxford and Cambridge, alongside Imperial College London, UCL, and Ivy League universities in the United States.
Co-Curricular Life
Music is central to College life, taught in a RIBA award-winning music school and expressed through a symphony orchestra, chapel choir, and an award-winning chamber choir, with lessons offered on every orchestral instrument. Drama and dance are served by a purpose-built Performing Arts Centre, whose flexible theatre and studio spaces support a busy programme of productions, and a thriving LAMDA tradition has seen pupils go on to RADA and the Bristol Old Vic. Sport is played at a high level across a wide range of disciplines, supported by extensive modern facilities, and the College's coastal setting opens up activities, from sailing to open water swimming, not easily available to schools further inland.
Admissions Essentials
Pupils join Brighton College in Year 9, at age thirteen, with earlier entry also available at Year 7. Registration for Year 9 entry takes place in the autumn term of Year 6, when candidates sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test at their current school, ahead of an Orientation Day of written assessments in English and Maths, an interview, and activities, with offers following in the spring. A smaller number of places are available at Year 10. Sixth Form entry is assessed separately, through a school reference and an autumn Assessment Day, with requirements set against predicted GCSE grades. At Year 9 entry, scholarships are available across a wide range of categories, including academic, art, choral, dance, drama, design technology, music, and sport, alongside a combined all-rounder award.
In Essence
For a child who will thrive where achievement and kindness matter equally, Brighton brings real academic ambition together with a culture of kindness that defines school life.