Brighton College Review 2026: Britain's Exceptional School of the Decade

Perched on Eastern Road since 1849, when Sir George Gilbert Scott's original Victorian Gothic structure rose from the foundations, Brighton College remains one of England's most academically formidable co-educational independent schools. Step through the gates today and you find a school that has transformed itself entirely within the past two decades. A generation ago it ranked 157th in England; today it occupies the elite, ranking in the top 2% of schools (FindMySchool data). The Sunday Times named it School of the Decade in 2020, and this reputation only deepens: in 2025, Brighton College claimed the title of UK Boarding School of the Year, Top School for A-levels, and Top Academic School in South East England. With over 1,200 students across a sprawling, architecturally layered campus that blends historic buildings with award-winning contemporary construction, Brighton College represents something increasingly rare: a school that achieves genuine excellence without sacrificing breadth or generosity of spirit.

Walking the campus, you notice the collision of eras. Scott's flint-and-stone main building with its gabled roofline stands adjacent to the 2020 School of Sports and Science, an OMA-designed structure that won architectural prizes. The Richard Cairns Building, completed in 2024, houses the new 400-seat Cairns Theatre with its dramatic oculus and naturally lit studio spaces. Yet for all this contemporary ambition, the school retains genuine warmth. Students describe an atmosphere of genuine curiosity and kindness rather than relentless competition.

Steve Marshall-Taylor took over as Head Master in August 2024 after a decade of preparation in senior leadership roles, stepping into the role vacated by Richard Cairns, who had pioneered much of the school's recent renaissance before moving to oversee the expanding Brighton College international family of schools. Marshall-Taylor, a Modern Linguist trained at Nottingham, brings deep institutional knowledge and a commitment to sustaining the school's distinctive culture. Pupils report feeling genuinely seen and valued as individuals. The pastoral system operates through 16 houses, each run by a Housemaster or Housemistress supported by tutors and matrons who live on campus, creating genuine pastoral accountability rather than administrative box-ticking.

Brighton's location (within sight of the South Downs, 50 minutes by train from London) brings cultural advantage. The city itself contributes. An independently minded, creative city attracts artists and performers who visit the school, and pupils absorb a certain creative confidence from living here. The school's pro-LGBT stance, marked most visibly by its annual participation in Brighton Pride since 2017, reflects something genuine in the school's character. When actor Ian McKellen came to speak about anti-bullying, it wasn't a PR exercise but alignment with actual school values. Behaviour is exemplary throughout the day; uniforms are worn with genuine rather than grudging compliance.

GCSE Performance

The 2024 GCSE cohort achieved 95% of grades at 9-7 (compared to 54% in England), with over half of all results awarded the top Grade 9 mark. In context, Brighton College ranks 18th for GCSE outcomes, placing it in the elite at the top 2% in England (FindMySchool ranking). Locally, among the 87 independent schools in Sussex and the surrounding area, it ranks 1st outright. STEM subjects performed exceptionally: 98% of pupils achieved grades 9-7 in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics combined, with 58% securing Grade 9. The scale of this achievement becomes clear when compared to the state school average of 54% reaching grades 9-7 in England.

A-Level Performance

The 2024 A-level results are exceptional. 99.3% of entries achieved A*-B grades, with 87% reaching A*-A. Almost half of all grades awarded were A*, an extraordinary proportion that reflects genuine mastery rather than grade inflation. Brighton College ranks 8th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool data), placing it in the elite alongside the most selective independent schools. At A-level, the balance between boys and girls is precisely equal, with 167 A* grades awarded to boys and 167 to girls, a deliberate equity the school highlights given recent national trends favouring boys at this level.

Progress is steady from GCSE to A-level, with students selecting focused subject combinations and exploring them in real depth. The school offers 27 A-level subjects plus BTEC options in Sport Science and Business Studies, allowing genuine choice rather than restricted pathways. An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is available for those seeking additional challenge.

Teaching follows explicit academic structures. Classes average 14 students at GCSE and drop further at A-level, creating genuine dialogue. Teachers hold subject expertise beyond syllabus requirements, and pupils engage with ideas rather than merely assessment tactics. Distinctive curriculum elements include Story of Our Land (Years 7–9), integrating British history, geography, philosophy and religious studies; Mandarin begins in Year 7 for all; weekly lessons cover presentation skills and public speaking; and sixth formers take a multidisciplinary course, Our Human Story, exploring contemporary issues alongside historical context.

Dance is taught as a GCSE subject, reflecting the school's serious investment in the creative arts. The Beyond Brighton programme teaches practical life skills including financial literacy, digital responsibility and practical problem-solving, recognizing that education extends beyond traditional academics. Masterclasses in subjects outside the standard curriculum (magical realism, stargazing, jazz history) occur regularly, showing teachers' genuine engagement with breadth rather than mere enrichment decoration.

The most recent cohort received 43 offers from Oxford and Cambridge combined, the highest number in the school's history. This extraordinary result reflects both the calibre of teaching and the school's relentless focus on cultivating genuine subject interest rather than tactical test-passing. Beyond Oxbridge, leavers regularly secure places at Russell Group universities: Imperial College, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, Bristol and Warwick feature prominently in destination lists. Medical school places remain particularly strong, with 18 students from the 2024 cohort entering medicine at leading universities.

The 2024 leavers' destinations show 63% progressing to university, with a further 15% entering professional employment. Boarding schools' destinations often include international universities, and Brighton's significant international student body means leavers disperse across America, Europe and Asia as well as the UK. The school's relationships with leading universities are genuine: staff visit regularly, and university representatives come to campus beyond the standard university fair circuit.

This is where Brighton College most clearly distinguishes itself.

Music: Professional Standard Ensembles

Music occupies the genuine heart of the school. The award-winning Chamber Choir performs at Westminster Abbey, the Royal Albert Hall and has undertaken international tours. A traditional Symphony Orchestra and multiple smaller ensembles (including Jazz groups, swing bands, and percussion ensembles) mean that playing classical and electric guitar, harp, piano, organ or singing presents genuine pathways rather than fringe activities. The annual Jazz Café event draws standing-room-only audiences. A Young Musician of the Year competition operates competitively. Roughly 40% of pupils learn instruments at school or with external teachers; this high proportion reflects genuine cultural embedding rather than pressured uptake.

The Music School, opened in 2015, includes the Sarah Abraham Recital Hall (capacity 195) with variable acoustic panelling. Distinguished musician David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) opened this facility, underscoring the institution's musical seriousness.

Drama: Awards-Winning Productions

The school stages four major dramatic productions annually, from intimate ensemble pieces to principal productions. Recent work includes a production of A View from the Bridge by the Lower Sixth that won professional-level praise, and a performance piece called The Trial that won the Best Play award at the National School Theatre Awards. The same production was nominated for Best Ensemble, demonstrating the calibre of ensemble work rather than isolated star performance.

The school participates in both the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, treating these not as tourism but as genuine theatrical endeavour. LAMDA qualifications (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) are offered to all, meaning pupils can pursue drama academically or recreationally without barrier. In recent years, pupils have gained admission to RADA, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, top drama schools with selective admission. The Drama Studio functions as an adaptable black box theatre for smaller-scale work.

Dance: Specialist Facilities and Competition

Dance attracts large numbers of both boys and girls, ranging from total beginners to advanced performers. Classes span hip-hop, jazz, ballet, tap, modern and contemporary styles. The purpose-built Dance Studio features a professional sprung floor, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and ballet barres. The annual Dance Show draws large audiences. The Senior Dance Show Team won two awards at the prestigious National Dance School Awards held at the Royal College of Music.

Sports: Beyond Rugby and Cricket

Sport is compulsory for all, reflecting genuine belief in physical education rather than mere health box-ticking. Rugby remains iconic: the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV teams all won every match in the most recent season. Hockey has experienced its most successful season ever, with England representatives in the squad. Cricket has produced numerous England players, including professional women cricketers who have represented England in World Cups: Sarah Taylor, Clare Conner (former England captain), Freya Davies, and Holly Colvin all emerged from Brighton College.

Facilities are substantial: the 25-metre swimming pool sits in the basement of the Sports and Science Centre (opened 2020); the floodlit astroturf allows hockey fixtures to continue through winter evenings; the Home Ground playing field sits within the school walls; Jubilee Playing Fields lie five minutes away by minibus. The Sammy Woods Pavilion (opened 2004) anchors the cricket operation. Rowing, though not an on-site sport, recruits serious participants who train locally.

Named Clubs and Activities

Over 100 activity clubs operate across ten designated weekly activity slots. Named offerings include the Black Hole Society, Chess Club, Robotics Club, Fencing Society, Entrepreneurship Challenge, Young Enterprise, Stand-Up Comedy Club, Slam Poetry, Improvisation Society, and Escape Rooms. Duke of Edinburgh Awards progress from Bronze through Gold. Approximately 200 students participate in the Combined Cadet Force. Pottery and bouldering clubs complete the creative-practical spectrum.

Detailed fee information should be accessed directly from the school website, as independent school fees are complex and vary by year group. Day fees run approximately £7,720-£10,590 per term (exclusive of VAT), whilst full boarding fees range from £14,770-£18,490 per term. These figures can be substantial for families. However, the school operates a genuine bursary programme: families with demonstrated financial need receive means-tested support, with some pupils receiving full fee coverage. Scholarships are awarded annually for academic excellence, music, sport, art and drama achievement, typically offering 10-25% fee reduction. Entry to scholarship candidacy is separate from entry to the main school, and competition is significant.

Brighton College operates selective entry at Year 7 (age 11-13). Entry requires competitive assessment; whilst no formal entrance examination sits at the gate, the school requires genuine academic capability. A total of approximately 2,300 pupils apply annually for around 120 places, making mathematics regarding admissions quite competitive. Offers are merit-based rather than quota-driven; international students form approximately 25% of the student body.

Entry at Year 9 and Sixth Form is also possible. Sixth Form entry requires GCSE performance at grades 7 and above, with higher requirements for subjects pupils wish to study at A-level. The new Sixth Form Centre, integrated into the 2024 Richard Cairns Building, provides dedicated social and study space for Years 12-13.

For day pupils, the school closes at typical dismissal times, with after-school activities available until early evening. For boarders, the experience is genuinely residential: students live in one of multiple boarding houses, eat together, pursue activities together, and build genuine community bonds. The house system remains the emotional and social centre of boarding life. Housemasters and Housemistresses live in-house with families, and matrons provide day-to-day care and pastoral oversight. A dedicated Boarding Team ensures wellbeing, safeguarding and happiness.

Exeats (planned leave) operate every three weeks, allowing family contact without total term-time separation. Weekends involve structured activity; Saturday features morning school and afternoon sporting fixtures; Sunday includes chapel attendance.

The school employs counselling services and operates clear mental health referral pathways. ISI inspection in October 2024 found all safeguarding and pastoral care systems to meet required standards.

The school day runs 8:50am to 3:20pm for senior students. Extended day activities conclude by approximately 5:30pm for day pupils with structured supervision. The school operates standard term dates with half-term breaks and extended summer closure. Transport: Brighton lies 50 minutes by train from London Victoria; bus connections serve the city; parking at the school gates is limited and not guaranteed. The school transport officer maintains information regarding shuttle services from key stations.

Fees and affordability. Whilst bursaries exist, they cover demonstrable need only. Families from middle-income backgrounds may find fee levels challenging without significant household sacrifice. Scholarship competition is fierce. Independent schooling represents a sustained financial commitment across five to seven years.

Boarding integration. The school mixes day and boarding pupils; whilst relationships across these groups are warm, boarding pupils remain the cultural centre of the institution, particularly in Sixth Form. Day pupils experience marginally reduced access to evening co-curricular activities. Flexible boarding options exist but remain expensive.

Selective entry. Not all academically capable children pass entry assessment. The school selects for capability and also for perceived fit with the school's cultural values. Pupils rejected at entry sometimes experience significant emotional impact after substantial tutoring investment.

**Mobile phone policy.In Years 7–11, pupils hand their phones in at registration and pick them up again at the end of the day. Sixth Form pupils are trusted with responsible independent use. This policy divides parent opinion: supporters appreciate device-free learning time; critics find the policy paternalistic for teenagers on the cusp of university.

Brighton College represents genuine educational excellence operating at scale. The architecture alone (from Scott's Victorian Gothic through contemporary award-winning design) signals serious institutional ambition. The results speak clearly: top 2% in England for both GCSE and A-level, consistent Oxbridge success, and a palpable culture where intellectual curiosity and creative expression coexist without hierarchy. This is not a school that sacrifices breadth for rankings; rather, it achieves rankings precisely because it cultivates real intellectual engagement, musical and dramatic achievement, and genuine pastoral care. Best suited to academically capable families within independent school sector who value both results and character formation, and who can afford fees without financial hardship. Entry remains genuinely selective, so families should begin consideration by Year 5 and engage seriously with admissions messaging.