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24 July 2024
by Ferdinand Steinbeis


English Boarding Schools in Profile: Brighton College, A School of Superlatives

Hello from a sunny Richmond!
The summer holidays are upon us! Things are getting quieter now at von Bülow Education HQ. We are using this opportunity to get out of the office as much as we can to visit schools old and new.
Brighton College is the latest addition in the von Bülow schools portfolio. We had always been curious about this school. Among London families Brighton has a mythical status: It was crowned by the Times newspaper as “School of the Decade” in 2023. Academic results have been consistently excellent for years, catapulting the school close to the top of the league tables. Headmaster Richard Cairns is feted as a visionary - and is clearly a very gifted marketer! London’s brightest flock to Brighton every Sunday night to stay there until Friday next.
At von Bülow we tend to be cautious about schools like Brighton College. Is the hype really justified? We took the train down to Brighton to find out.
As luck has it, good friends of our managing director Ferdiand Steinbeis currently have two daughters at Brighton College. Needless to say, Mr Steinbeis checked in with them.They have asked us to remain anonymous, so in this article we are calling them ‘The Smiths’ with daughter Maria heading for 6th Form and Naya for Y9 this September.
A first shot of the amazing campus
The Setting
It won’t come as a big surprise that Brighton College is located in the seaside town with the same name. The town Brighton is renowned for its vibrant cultural scene, its shabby-chic seaside charm and liberal outlook on life. Whether you're interested in exploring historic landmarks, enjoying the beach, or immersing yourself in arts and culture, Brighton has something to offer for everyone. How much Brighton College’s pupils are allowed to partake in all this is, of course, another question. Access to shops and amenities is granted, but the beach just outside the school’s campus is strictly off limits.
The famous Brighton Pier
We walked from the train station to Brighton College in under 15 minutes. The school is located in Brighton’s Kemptown neighbourhood. With its beautiful Victorian Gothic exterior it stands out amid the moderately attractive urban surroundings of Kemptown.
Kemptown neighborhood
Walking through the main gate onto Brighton College’s campus is quite an experience. The school’s main yard opens up before you, sporting immaculately kept lawns lined with trees, bushes and benches for pupils to while away the time between lessons (weather permitting of course, which it did the day we visited!). No cluttered piles of school bags here. It’s all pristine tidiness and calm.
The main gate
The most notable feature of Brighton College, however, is the perfect marriage of its original 19th century Gothic buildings with the incredibly stylish newer ones. The library, dining hall and chapel are originals that have clearly been restored with love and kept in shape with great care.
Harmonious: the old chapel and the new Performing Arts Center
We were especially taken by the School of Science and Sports building, which houses state-of-the-art laboratories (pupils work on beautifully designed, black work tables no less!), a huge sports hall and in-door swimming pool, along with social spaces for pupils to take a breather and catch-up with friends.
The School for Science and Sports
The latest addition to Brighton’s collection of architectural jewels is the new Performing Arts Center, the Richard Cairns Building (named after the school’s current head-teacher. No false modesty here.), complete with a 400-seats theatre, lecture spaces, social areas and dance studios. Both buildings were designed by renowned international architects. The school’s one-in-one-out policy to adding new buildings also ensures that no pre-fab or ugly 60s style buildings remain.
No doubt, this is a stunningly beautiful school. And no hyperbole when we say it’s quite possibly the nicest we’ve ever seen!
View onto the brandnew Performing Arts Center
What (we think!) Brighton College is about
Yes, this is a beautiful school. But we were just as impressed by how extraordinarily well run this place is. This is epitomized by our visit itself: we cannot remember a smoother school visitation experience than the one we had at Brighton College. From the friendly porter at the gate, via the school’s very own Welcome Team (reminded us of a concierge service at a swanky hotel!) offering tea and calling us by our names to our super charming tour-guide Francisco and warm-hearted boarding house matron Mrs Baker, everyone we met made us feel very welcome.
The school's library
And yet at no time did any of this feel staged. Francisco seemed the genuine article, effusive in his praise for the school (“I know how lucky I am to be at such a fantastic school. The teachers, the music, the sports. All amazing!”). The matron Mrs Baker showed us her house and patiently sat with us for 45 minutes afterwards, as we bombarded her with questions. We are sure that some of it was, but our visit never felt choreographed. Rather we felt like VIPs, the only party visiting Brighton College that day. “Your experience has Mr Cairns fingerprints all over it”, the Smiths told us. “He’s extremely thoughtful about everything and this extends to the school overall. They get the details right!”
Seen in the main house: a piece of art, pupil-made
Then it’s important to mention how astonishingly successful Brighton College is in terms of its academic results. In 2023 a mind-boggling 93 % of pupils received 9-7 grades in their GCSEs and 82% A-grades in their A-Levels. These kinds of results are usually the preserve of single-sex schools like Wycombe Abbey or the top London day schools like St Paul’s Boys and St Paul’s Girls. Sure, a key factor contributing to this is Brighton College’s selectiveness. And yet, the Smiths told us that neither daughter shone especially bright academically. “The school likes a diverse intake, not just the uber-geeks”, Mr Smith told us. So, all the more kudos to Brighton for these stratospheric results amid a relatively diverse intake!
Definitely a marketing-savvy school ;-)
Brighton College strikes us as the epitome of the all-singing, all-dancing all-rounder boarding school. The teaching is fantastic and academic results are top notch; the sports offer is varied, exciting and competitive; the arts, music and drama are all fabulous and there’s a plethora of interesting extracurriculars on offer. So far, so similar to most other top boarding schools worth their salt, right? But Brighton College goes further than most other schools. With a truly holistic 21st century education in mind, the school expects pupils to be well-rounded individuals who are not only academically proficient but also socially responsible and emotionally resilient.
View through a door...
Working hard to achieve good grades is one thing. But being kind and helping others, both within the college and outside is just as important. “ Kindness is a huge theme here at Brighton College. In chapel, our headmaster Mr Cairns even praises individual pupils for random acts of kindness. And then on Thursdays we visit homeless shelters, schools and retirement homes to help”, Maria, the Smith family’s eldest daughter told us. The resilience piece comes with the territory at Brighton, but is further augmented by the school’s exciting additional courses. Pupils in the younger years take compulsory Mandarin and presentation skills lessons. Pupils in 6th Form take an exciting one-year Dragon’s Den-type Entrepreneurship Course, where they build real businesses and compete for seed money.
Especially the latter course is the kind of initiative that we’d love to see much more of at our partner schools!
A skeleton-model of a dinosaur in the Sciene and Sports Building
The Academics
Brighton College’s academic results are astonishingly good. As mentioned above, in 2023, 93 % of pupils gained 9-7 at GCSE; 82 % gained A*/A at A level The school has maintained these fantastic results pretty consistently over the last five years.
This makes Brighton College, academically speaking, the most successful coeducational school in the UK.
A quiet place to take a breather
So, what’s behind this success? No doubt, being a selective school helps. Brighton College chooses smart, academically-minded pupils through a fairly rigorous admissions process. These are children that are eager to work and do well. Also, Maria tells us, Brighton has been known to tell pupils to leave if they can’t cope with the considerable pace of academic lessons. On the other hand we were told by Mr Smith that Headmaster Cairns is very keen on a balanced intake: “ apparently he has no problem with an applicant’s mediocre maths admissions test if the child is interesting and kind”.
The beautiful art department
So, it can’t be just about skimming the best and brightest off the top. The Smiths all agree that it’s the great teachers and their tireless support that are fundamental to the school’s success. Maria: “the teachers are super engaging, which makes classes interesting. Of course, they also make us do a lot of work and test us regularly. But then we feel prepared for exams. I just took my GCSEs and felt properly ready!”. For those who struggle, there’s endless afternoon clinics in all subjects and even supervised revision for pupils the school is especially concerned about.
Seen on campus
Lastly, we sensed that a bit of healthy competition between pupils lifts all boats. “Everyone wants to do well here. Everyone is supportive of each other, but we are all ambitious and of course we compare grades”, Maria told us.
And yet, like any school in the universe, Brighton College isn’t perfect. Mr Smith told us about his frustration with an inexperienced teacher:” this maths teacher who was an Oxford Undergrad, 22yrs old and first year of teaching was let loose on Maria’s Y10 class. Maria struggled with maths that year, but we didn’t pay it heed until she scored 40% in a mock test. We got tutoring and Maria made a come-back. I’d prefer a little more focus on the basics at Brighton. Less investment in snazzy new buildings and more on great STEM teachers!”
Clear words there, from an otherwise very happy parent.
One of several sports pitches
The Extracurriculars
One might assume that with such phenomenal academic results, Brighton College’s pupils spend most of their time in the library swatting. Well, one would be wrong. Brighton College has an exciting and thriving extracurricular offer. And participation is strongly encouraged: “rarely an assembly goes by where Headteacher Cairns doesn’t remind everyone to get involved in stuff! And teachers are more flexible on homework deadlines if we have music recitals, dance or theatre performances on.”
On our tour through school, we inevitably only got a fleeting glance of what Brighton offers. But if the amazing facilities here are anything to go by, this school is filled to the brim with exciting past-times for children to explore.
Design Engineering very popular at Brighton College!
Music first, which has a stellar reputation. Over 60% of pupils at Brighton College play at least one instrument. The school employs 40+ visiting music teachers, teaching anything from the piano to the harp.It all happens in Brighton College’s very own Music School that has been named as ‘one of the UK’s best buildings for music’ by the Royal Institute of British Architects. At the heart is the stunning Sarah Abraham Rectial Hall, where pupils regularly perform in a space with superior acoustic design. For rehearsals and lessons there’s 15 bespoke practice rooms with a piano each at pupils’ disposal. With regards to opportunities to get involved, pupils have a choice of over 30 music groups - from orchestras and jazz bands, to string ensembles and rock bands. And with over 70 music performances a year, there’s ample opportunity to shine on stage. Truly, this is top-notch!
Seen in the Music School
Theatre is massive also. We got a sneak peek into Brighton College’s brand new Performing Arts Center complete with the 400-seat theatre at its heart. Brighton College has four major drama performances a year, one of which is a musical. On top of this are six house drama performances. And as expected, the performances certainly don’t lack ambition: a recent Les Misérables production involved over 100 pupils on and off the stage! Moreover, pupils regularly take part in the Brighton, and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, as well as in the National Theatre's New Views play-writing competition. Pupils have also performed at the Brighton Dome, Shakespeare’s Globe and in the West End. With all this going on it probably comes as no surprise that the school has some hugely successful alumni, like Golden Globe Award-winning film director Chloe Zao.
A quick peek at the 25m pool
Dance is a further highlight. “The school does a dance show at the Brighton Dome every year, that is simply spectacular!” Mrs Smith told us. Over 400 pupils partake, of which 100 are boys. There are over 100 dance classes every week and with everything from hip hop and jazz to ballet and tap on offer, there’s plenty of opportunities to showcase budding talents.
Brighton College’s sports offer is varied and strong - but apparently it’s not quite top-drawer. “We do well in competitions, especially rugby and netball, but get beaten quite regularly by schools like Millfield and Repton overall”, Maria tells us. Nevertheless, we were impressed. The facilities are of course top notch! The stunning School of Science and Sport building houses a 25-metre in-door swimming pool, a double height sports hall with basketball court, a running track, a state-of-the-art gym and a dance studio. Brighton College’s major sports are athletics (most competitions in the summer), cricket (the major summer sport), cross country (in the first two terms), football (for boys and girls, 350 in five competing teams), hockey (16 teams), netball (25 teams and the school’s most competitive sport) and rugby (strong tradition,350 boys play, famous alumni like Marcus Smith come from here), tennis (played in the first term by 250 pupils). Other sports include equestrian (all levels, own competing team), fencing, golf, rounders, squash, swimming and beach volleyball. Needless to say with a school as socially integrative as Brighton, the ethos is very much ‘sports is for everyone’.
Stairs leading to the new theatre
And if none of these activities are your thing, you’ll find it among the over 100 clubs and activities Brighton College offers in addition. The most popular to mention but a few, are: Duke of Edinburgh, debating and the Economics Club. And for the more exotic tastes there’s things like Cake Decorating, Dungeons & Dragons and Knitting on offer.
Lots on. Always.
Lastly, Brighton College pupils are a socially conscious lot and fully aware of their privilege at being at this amazing school. Everyone is required to do community work here, but there’s a real desire to give back to society anyway. Thanks to a variety of local volunteering programmes, pupils are busy every week helping homeless people, dementia sufferers or people with addiction problems - all of which Brighton town has a fair share of. “ Volunteering is a huge thing at Brighton. One could be cynical and say it’s for the CV, but one gets a palpable sense that they mean it! It’s all part of being kind really”, Mrs Smith explained.
Super cozy: boarding house School House's living room
The Boarding
Brighton College is a 50/50 boarding school. About half of pupils are boarders, half are day pupils. The lionshare of boarders board Monday to Friday and return home to their families on week-ends. Given the school’s cache and proximity to London, it is especially popular with London-based families. “There’s a bit of a divide between the Londoners and us locals”, Maria told us “it’s perfectly friendly, but I think they look down on us a little bit”.
Spacious and in good shape: single-room in School House's
Boarders live in one of the six boarding houses, most of which are on-site. All are single-sex, of course and include pupils from Y9 all the way to Y13.
We got to see School House and were impressed. Pupils in the younger years share a room of up to three. In 6th Form everyone get single rooms. This is mirrored across all boarding houses at Brighton College. The rooms are spacious and incredibly well maintained compared to what we get to see at other schools in general. We came away especially impressed by School House's house matron Mrs Baker, who took ample time to talk to us about her role, international pupils and boarding at Brighton College in general. She struck us as exceptionally dedicated and caring. The kind of person you’d want to look after your child in your absence.
"Phone prison": where all smartphone live during the day
The school has a mobile-phone policy with younger year childrens’ smartphones in “phone prison” for most of the day. Older pupils have more freedom but will be made aware of excess usage by teachers and house-parents (or even their friends!)
Cinema evenings and chilling in the VWs at week-ends is very popular!
On week-ends, the school empties considerably, of course, with approximately 20% of pupils - mostly the internationals - remaining. “ There’s never a dull moment, though. Pupils have the extensive facilities at their disposal and even get cinema evenings with popcorn and pizza in the Sports and Science Building. Other than that, they have access to Brighton and all its delights including cinemas and restaurants. Only the beach is off-limits without an adult!”, Mrs Stone told us.
Another shot of the beautiful campus
Who, we think, would be suited to Brighton College.
We came away thoroughly impressed by Brighton College. This school, however, is not for everyone. A real interest in academic subjects and a work-hard mentality are table-stakes. In addition, a real willingness to get involved is absolutely key. Just sitting in the library won’t cut it here. But given the amazing opportunities to get involved in sports, music, drama, dance, volunteering or any of the other dozens of extracurriculars, you’d be crazy not to!

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