"The top co-educational school in England". THE TIMES, 2011
In November 2011, The Sunday Times awarded Brighton College the coveted title of England’s Independent School of the Year 2011–12. This, the most prestigious schools award in the United Kingdom, has never before been won by a Sussex school. Indeed, Brighton College – ranked 18th this year - is the only Sussex school to feature in The Sunday Times’ Top 100. Brighton College, for boys and girls aged 3 to 18, is also the top co-educational school in the country, based on results at GCSE and A-level. Here is an extract from what the The Sunday Times had to say:
“Brighton College has made a staggering climb up our league table from 147th position in 2006 to 18th this year based on its ever improving exam results, which now rival those of much more selective establishments. The school has been transformed from one of middling academic achievement into one of the powerhouses of the independent sector – and all achieved without restricting entry to only the very brightest. Children are encouraged to achieve through exceptional teaching and pastoral care – and they are pushing the bar ever higher with the passing of each year.
This summer saw Brighton College students surpass themselves. At A-level, 95.7% of all examinations achieved an A*, A or B grade, with 65 students getting at least one A*, the new super grade introduced to allow top universities to discriminate between the best candidates.
Meanwhile, at GCSE, 91% of all exams were awarded A* or A, up from 83% last year and a key factor in the college jumping from 41st in 2010 into the top 20. Performance at both A-level and GCSE was record-breaking for Brighton College, which is now the highest ranking co-educational school in the country and the only one in our top 20.
Head Master, Richard Cairns, puts Brighton College’s phenomenal turnaround down to good teaching and the school’s emphasis on tolerance and kindness.
‘It is a very gentle environment, very tolerant. If children feel cared for and supported they will excel,” he says. “A good school does not focus just on good results but creates the right environment in which, as if by magic, children get results beyond their imagination.’”
The Sunday Times rightly highlights Brighton’s outstanding academic record, but the College also places great emphasis on what it calls the ‘other half’ of a pupil’s education: the world beyond the classroom. Brighton is one of the leading sporting schools in England and its top sportsmen and sportswomen regularly achieve regional and national honours; the school’s main focus, however, is involving every child, from the less confident to the naturally talented; no-one is left sitting on the bench.
The arts are also hugely important to the school. Pupils are encouraged to discover the performer within and each year sees a vast range of musical, dramatic and dance productions, from informal concerts to major performances, open to the public. Inspectors gave high praise to the school’s creative arts provision, commenting that “pupils are nurtured by enthusiastic teaching to achieve unforeseen potential”. The widest range of extra-curricular opportunities is also available, making for a wonderful all-round education, whatever a child’s interests may be.
“I believe passionately in the importance of the individual,” says Richard Cairns. “Every child at Brighton College is valued for his or her own sake, encouraged to develop his or her talents to the full in a community where there are no stereotypes and where every achievement, however small, is noticed.”
We do hope you will join us at our open morning on February 4th, or on 28th April 2012. Our Prep and Pre-Prep Schools, offering entry to children aged 3 to 10, have their open morning on 12th May 2012. Do join us at any of these events, or contact us to arrange an individual visit. You will be assured of a very warm welcome.
Brighton College
Eastern Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN2 5JF
Tele: 01273 704200
Fax: 01273 704204
