Brighton College

Hi all! I’m a current Brighton College pupil, if anyone wants to ask any questions about the college, please feel free to write below

Hiii, I'm actually researching on multiple college for A-Levels.
Is this school competitive?

Hiii!
Brighton College is known for being academically competitive, especially in the Sixth Form. This year, we’re ranked #1 among all independent schools for A-Level results (99.3% A*-B, 85.2% A*-A, around 50% A*, and there were only 5 C grades out of 750 A-Level exams). The school consistently ranks highly in national league tables, with many pupils achieving top grades and securing places at prestigious universities like Oxbridge (more to Cambridge than Oxford), Imperial, UCL, KCL, LSE, Bristol, and others. Many students also go on to prestigious US colleges such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, and Columbia. We also have some pupils going off to NUS, Tsinghua, McGill, Sydney, Hong Kong, Toronto, Melbourne etc. There’s a lot of STEMM applicants in BC, this year 22 out of around 200 went to medical school.
The academic environment is challenging, with a strong emphasis on both achievement and personal development. We have a specialised team for university applications in both the UK and abroad, including dedicated teachers for medical and engineering applicants. While the atmosphere is academically competitive, it’s more about self-motivation than competition among peers.
I’m currently in the Fifth Form (GCSE years), but I’m pretty sure this applies to the Sixth Form as well. With around 200 pupils in each year group, we’re divided into two halves, with 5 sets per side (10 in total). For core subjects like maths, English, and sciences, students are placed into sets based on exam results and class performance. Other subjects like humanities, languages, and creatives are mixed ability. In top sets, the competition can be quite intense - for example, in maths last year, there were 3 top sets for us instead of the normal 2 sets, and the grade boundaries for the end of year exams were very high (e.g., 95% for a 9, 90% for an 8, etc.), with quite a few of us getting 100% or something close to that.
Despite the competition, there’s a strong sense of community. Teachers are supportive and encourage extracurricular involvement, ensuring a well-rounded experience. We also have a team of learning support and wellbeing teachers, as well as counsellors, so there’s always help available if you need it. There’s also lots of subject booster/support clubs during P7 (free period after lunch and afternoon registration, 14:00), and P10 (after lessons, 16:00), and extension/olympiad-prep clubs if you would like to stretch yourself. Each pupil is part of one of the 15 Houses, where you’ll have tutors, a Housemistress/master (HMM), deputy Housemistress/master (DHMM), and matrons if you’re boarding. They provide both academic and pastoral support.
For 16+ entry, I believe around 350 students apply each year, and the College accepts about 50 or more.
If you’re driven and looking for a place to excel both academically and personally - whether in sports, arts, or other areas (everyone here is very well rounded, with a few playing sports for national and/or county teams) - Brighton College could be a great fit!
Please let me know if this doesn’t answer your question, or if you would like to ask me anything else!

Thank you! This was very informative for me 👍
Can I know more about teachers and students? To be honest, the school I am studying at the moment does not have the best school environment and the best teacher.

Of course! I’m glad you found that useful!
The teachers here at Brighton College are awesome. They really know their stuff and are super passionate about what they teach - you can tell they genuinely care about helping us succeed. If you’re ever stuck on something, they’re always up for a chat or extra help after class. For example, near the end of Trinity (summer) Term of school last year, my geography teacher noticed I had missed some lessons due to personal commitments. He approached me after class and suggested we go over all the content from the year together. We ended up spending a whole free period (about 35 minutes) going through everything. He made sure to pinpoint the topics I struggled with and even gave me advice and extra notes to review over the summer! The teachers here are also super chill - I honestly don’t think there’s a single teacher here that I don’t like.
All the teachers at Brighton College are highly knowledgeable in their subjects, with many holding degrees from top universities, including quite a lot from Oxbridge. There are quite a few teachers with PhDs, so chances are, you’ll have at least one PhD holder teaching you.
Plus, as I mentioned earlier, some teachers specialise in helping with university applications, particularly for competitive courses like medicine or engineering. They guide you through the entire process, from writing your personal statement to prepping for interviews.
The students here are diverse and quite talented in various things - everyone is driven, but in a positive way. We’re all encouraged to push ourselves, but it doesn’t feel like we’re competing against each other. Instead, there’s a lot of support and encouragement going around. You’ll often see pupils across different years working quietly by themselves or with friends in the library during their free periods or after school - the library is open until 20:30 every night, with 1-2 librarians on-duty at all times. The art department is also open on Saturdays 10:00-15:00 with 2-3 teachers on-duty for all GCSE and A-Level art/photography pupils to go work over the weekend if they need to.
Out of all the secondary schools I’ve visited for 13+ open days and sports fixtures, Brighton College has by far the friendliest people I’ve met. Everyone is super welcoming and genuinely nice - it’s easy to fit in and make friends. The House system really helps with that. It’s like having a built-in family at school, so there’s definitely a strong sense of community at BC. You get to know people really well in your House, and it’s a great way to connect with pupils across all year groups. If you’re new to the school, you’ll be paired with a ‘buddy’ from your tutor group (within your House) who has lots of classes with you to help you settle in. Even when I’m just walking around school, people - especially teachers - often smile and say hi, even if I don’t necessarily know them very well, or at all. I’m not just saying this because I go to BC, but everyone here is SOOOO nice.
The overall vibe is super positive and respectful. Everyone’s pretty chill and gets along well. Also as mentioned above, there’s a big focus on wellbeing here, so if you’re ever feeling stressed or need someone to talk to, there are counsellors and a group of wellbeing teachers who are really helpful.
We also have regular external speakers come in for something we call Brigh10 Lectures. It’s where external speakers from various fields give talks in one of our lecture rooms or assembly halls. Both pupils and teachers are free to attend, and it’s a great opportunity to hear new perspectives from each other and share ideas.
There’s also lots of stuff to do outside of class. Whether you’re into sports, drama, music, or just want to try something new, there’s something for everyone. It’s easy to get involved and find something you’re passionate about and you get to meet so many people who share the same interests as you - there are so many different clubs and societies on offer each term, you can even create and lead your own club! Music and sports are probably the two most popular activities here - there’s 232 sports teams, available for different skill-levels, and we have so many different music ensembles, with lots of performances and shows throughout the year from movie-themed concerts to jazz night, which are always one of the highlights every year.
We also have a very big alumni network, connected through a website and various social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn, with frequent newsletters updating news from various alumni across the years and in different career pathways. There are also lots of drinks and dinners scheduled in the calender throughout each year in various locations across the UK and Internationally, with lots of Old Brightonians and teachers attending to catch-up.
I hope this answered your question! Feel free to ask me anything else!

Thank you so much! This is really useful 👍

Hi all! I’m a current Brighton College pupil, if anyone wants to ask any questions about the college, please feel free to write below

hi! what is the entrance exams like?

Hi!
I’m assuming you’re asking for the 16+ Entrance Exams? I joined BC at 13+ so I’m not too sure about this sorry!
You’ll be able to find lots of information about this on Brighton College’s website, or you can email the admissions team directly, as they’ll be able to answer lots of questions. But I think for 16+ entry, you’ll just need to sit the 4 subject papers you’re planning on doing for A-Levels, and I think it’s more like problem solving and application of knowledge, rather than what you’d see typically in A Level papers, so it can be quite challenging - you’ll need a solid grasps of the GCSE subjects, and you’ll probably benefit from practicing academic competition past papers e.g. for maths - UKMT etc. You’ll also need to go through interviews to be given a conditional offer, and after receiving your GCSE results, you submit them to BC, and you’ll get a place once you meet whatever grade requirements they give you, but I think it’s typically a minimum of 7s and 8s?

Hello, Can you give more information about 13+ entrance? The interview and the tests. Thanks in advance!

Hi all! I’m a current Brighton College pupil, if anyone wants to ask any questions about the college, please feel free to write below

Hi all! I’m a current Brighton College pupil, if anyone wants to ask any questions about the college, please feel free to write below

Hiya, I’ve already completed the admissions process for 16+ entry in September of next year (as an international student, the timeline is earlier than that of UK-based students), but just feeling some anxiety about my chances of admission 😦
In the school report I submitted, I’m currently predicted 9 9s and 1 8 (for a total of 10 I/GCSES), but I am also predicted a 9 in FM and have already achieved a 9 for Japanese GCSE which I don’t think the admissions officer was able to see. I’m also heavily involved in extracurriculars at my school, but didn’t get a chance to talk about them in my interview as it was only 15 minutes long as we mainly chatted about the A-Levels that I was planning to take. I also had a previous BC teacher who taught me for a period of time write a letter of recommendation to the current head of Year 12. As for demographics, I am female and do have British citizenship, but I live in Asia.
To summarise, I just want to ask you this: what are the levels of those who are admitted to the school? Are all of the kids who are admitted at 16+ super super geniuses? Because from what I’ve heard the level at BC is super high (probably much higher than the school I attend right now). Thanks in advance (and sorry for the long, anxious paragraph!!)

Hi, I have read all your answers which are very helpful.
I would like to ask more about the international students there. I am from Asia and plan to enter at 13+.
Are there many international students in each year group and do they blend well with the English students?
And how is the food at the school? I heard that the boarding school food in England is not very good.
Thank you in advance.

Hi!
I’d say there’s about 10-20% of international students in each year group, but probably slightly more in the Sixth Form (Y12-13), but they all blend really well together, and most friend groups I see are a mix of both international and English pupils! Everyone here are all super nice and welcoming, so you don’t need to worry about making friends - it’s a very inclusive environment!
As for the food, I personally really enjoy it! Since I’m a day pupil, I’ve only had breakfast and dinner at the College a few times, but I’ve always found it to be really good. Breakfast typically includes a full English, with options like cereals, pancakes/waffles, a fruit/salad bar, and lots of drink options - coffee, tee, hot chocolate, juices, milk, etc. Dinner offers a wide variety of dishes, and we often get to try foods from different countries. Of course, there are always some people who aren’t big fans of school food, but i think it’s great overall. The rice isn’t always perfect, but considering the huge number of people the catering staff cook for three times a day, in addition to making meals and snacks for special occasions etc., I’d say they do a fantastic job!
Some of my favourites are the chicken dishes, pasta options, katsu curry, and desserts like peach or apple crumble with custard! They also make REALLY good bread and soups!
Also, if there’s anything specific about the food, or suggestions for the menus, you can always bring it up with your tutor group’s student council reps, who will pass it on to the catering staffs. Alternatively, you can speak to the catering team directly - they’re always very approachable and willing to listen and make changes!
Hope this helps, and best of luck with your application!

hey!
i’ve gotten through to the interview round for 16+ entry in 2025, i was wondering what the interviews are like?

hey!
i’ve gotten through to the interview round for 16+ entry in 2025, i was wondering what the interviews are like?

Hi, does anyone know how many people applied for sixth form 2025?