ENGLAND'S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2019 BRIGHTON COLLEGE
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ENGLAND’S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2019 BRIGHTON COLLEGE
‘‘Brighton College Brighton College
England’s Independent School of the Year
is one of the
great modern “Brighton The Sunday Times visited and
success stories of College is on here are some of the things
a remarkable
they had to say.
British independent journey.”
education.’’ “Entering Brighton College’s
sleek reception area with its
white marble desk and tasteful
lighting, visitors would be
forgiven for thinking they were
checking in for a seaside mini-
break at a boutique hotel. But
make no mistake: its luxuriant
soft furnishings are a velvet glove
to the iron fist of the school’s
educational strength. Brighton
“K indness is College is leading the new
guard of elite British
Brighton College wins our
Sunday Times Independent
“The Cairns
the currency independent schooling. School of the Year award for touch is not far
at Brighton off legendary
the second time. It last held
In a remarkable journey from the title in 2011 and this year is
College.” the league table middle ground,
the school has risen from 136th
the top school with a mixed
gender intake.
in independent
place in 2005 to seventh this
year, its joint highest position. On its six-acre campus near the
school circles.”
Pupils at this academic big hitter seafront in Kemptown, the
achieved 98.7% A*-B grades in school’s flint and brick Victorian
their A-levels this summer. GCSE Gothic revival buildings are
results were outstanding too: complemented by the ongoing
90.4% returned A*-A or 9-7 addition of purpose-built
grades. These stellar exam facilities designed by world-
performances are produced class architects.
in a co-educational setting,
with 40% of pupils boarding Under the leadership of Richard
weekly or full-time – more than Cairns since 2006, the dramatic
ever before. upturn in academic standards
“The combination has been accompanied by
pioneering policies that have set
geography,’” he comments, his
soft speaking voice forcing his
of achievement and a progressive tone. audience to sit up and listen.
distinctiveness in a Cairns came to the school from “I really focused on trying to
great setting make Magdalen College School in
Oxford, where he was deputy
recruit super new teachers. I’m
not saying we didn’t have some
a place at Brighton head. It is unlikely to be a very good ones already; we did
College one of the coincidence that both have
been named Sunday Times
– but like all schools there was a
significant group of average
most sought after Independent School of the Year performance.”
in the country.”
twice during his tenure.
Casting his net wider than the
The Cairns touch is not far off readership of TES, Oxford
legendary in independent school graduate Cairns recruited with
circles. When he arrived at advertisements in Oxford and
Brighton College, he tackled Cambridge pubs aimed at
teaching standards head on. “I third-year undergraduates and
hate the thought of a child getting postgraduates. “Do you want to
their timetable and thinking, teach? Do you fancy living in
‘Oh God, I’ve got Mr Jones for Brighton? No need to do a PGCE,
“Social conscience “A dramatic upturn in
is a defining academic standards has
feature of taken place.”
Brighton College.”
we’ll train you,” read the adverts, Entry is “not as selective as
which also dangled a tempting the London schools”, Cairns
starting salary. maintains, and the school is not
as oversubscribed as people
“We recruited a lot of staff that may assume. Places occasionally
way, trained them up ourselves crop up outside the main points
with reduced timetables, and it’s of entry at 11-plus and 13-plus.
worked brilliantly.” Day fees start at £5,600 a term
in year 7 to £8,180 in the sixth
Pupils agree. Upper fifth-former form. Weekly boarding starts at
Patrick Mayhew, 16, describes £11,130 a term and those living
his teachers as “young and in full-time pay up to £13,190.
approachable but not matey.
They are empathetic and Cairns says he would never
inspiring”. Mayhew is one of a again work in a boys’ school.
number of pupils who turned “Most parents want their
down offers from Eton to come children to be prepared for the
to the college. Top results, first- world, and frankly single-sex
rate facilities, weekly boarding doesn’t do that. You wouldn’t
and co-education provide a segregate your own children at
compelling alternative to home, so why do you segregate
traditional full-boarding single- them in school?” he asks. Sexist
sex schools in remote locations. banter (“which isn’t banter at
all, it’s just pure sexism”) gets
The Duke and Duchess of no oxygen at Brighton College,
Cambridge favour co-education. where confidence, kindness and
Their elder son, Prince George, curiosity are championed.
is a pupil at Thomas’s Battersea,
one of the largest London feeder “I love that sometimes when we
prep schools for Brighton College have discussions about sexism
– supporting rumours that he the boys say, ‘Why is it that my
may join the school at 13. parents would be disappointed
in me if I became a nurse or a
primary teacher, and not you?’
educates youngsters from
disadvantaged backgrounds
“Weekly boarding and
There is that inverse sexism, who have the ambition to go to a co-education provide a
compelling alternative to
and girls need to hear that, too,” leading university. The school’s
he says. social entrepreneurship initiative
Cairns sees “no evidence”
gives the children £10 to invest
in a money-making scheme
traditional full-boarding
supporting the argument that girls for charity. single-sex schools in
do better in single-sex schools.
“And so what are you left with? “They don’t just make cakes remote locations.”
You’re left with girls who then and sell them, they promote and
struggle with sexism later when advocate the charity as part
they see it in the workplace, and of the fundraising,” explains
on the boys’ school side you’ve got Leah Hamblett, the deputy
boys who think sexism is normal. headmistress. Every year, on
Neither are good for society.” Make a Difference Day, all
teachers and pupils help with
Social conscience is a defining community enterprises such as
feature of Brighton College, a beach cleaning or working with
founder of the London Academy the homeless.
of Excellence in Newham, which
“Boarding and For a number of years, Syrian
refugees have been taught
Dance is strong for both
girls and boys. Cairns has “A school where
day houses English and citizenship by encouraged boys to join in. He confidence,
are furnished Brighton College teachers and
pupils, who also look after their
says: “In the school as a whole
there are 94 boys dancing, kindness and
to a level of children while they are in class. around 20 in the sixth form. It
curiosity are
comfort and championed.”
Two who studied at the school made me realise, coming here,
on scholarships have gone on to the colour you can get in a co-ed
style far beyond university. One, Sulaiman school that you can’t in a boys’
the norm.”
Wihba, 20, gained a place at school.” Entrants queue up to
Oxford University this year. take part in the school’s annual
Strictly Come Dancing contest.
Sport, drama, and music benefit
from specialist teaching and A large polythene bubble
coaching, as well as enviable houses the temporary
facilities. The music school’s sports hall, while a new £55m
modern and airy auditorium sports and science centre is
looks out on to the Jubilee sports under construction. Due for
ground, where the England completion soon, the flagship
rugby team sometimes trains. building will contain a 25-metre
“With first-rate
teaching and a
“Top results,
sense of social first-class
responsibility, facilities.”
Brighton College is
forging a new path
among independent
schools.”
swimming pool, a strength and Making sure pupils know they
conditioning suite and a double- are “very lucky to be here” is a
height sports hall, alongside 18 motivating factor for Cairns.
university-standard laboratories, “If you think about education,
six breakout learning spaces and it’s not about a set of results.
a cinema-style auditorium. The OK, that’s one thing we do, our
roof will have a botanical garden children get good results, they go
and a running track. to a good university. I wouldn’t
do this job if that’s what it was
Boarding and day houses are about. We do this job because
furnished to a level of comfort I think we create among the
and style far beyond the norm. children we have here a strong
Hanging from the double-height social sense. There isn’t the sense
ceiling of the Simon Smith of entitlement that you get in
building café are giant mirror many schools.”
balls and Tom Dixon copper
light shades.
England’s Independent School of the Year 2019 registrar@brightoncollege.net 01273 704 200 brightoncollege.org.uk THE SUNDAY TIMES PARENT POWER / NEWS LICENSING
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