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Brighton College has the recipe to bring out the
best in every child

Last summer The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times praised Brighton College after pupils at the country’s top co-educational school secured a record breaking 94 percent A and B grades at A-level. While parents generally appreciate the importance of achieving the best possible examination results, some might fear this leading Sussex institution is only interested in academic success. The Headmaster, Richard Cairns, reassures parents this is not the case.

“I can’t deny the pleasure I felt seeing so many smiling faces in the Front Quad last summer when the A-level and GCSE results were published. The greatest satisfaction came, not from seeing those who were always likely to get a string of A-grades, but from seeing those who had worked and really stretched themselves to achieve B grades – when a year ago they might have been predicted far less. Of course, with the annual debate about ‘grade inflation’ and the decision of some Sussex schools to boycott league tables, some may have overlooked the true significance of our results. Many people assume we take only the cleverest of pupils, or that Brighton College is some sort of brain factory churning out boys and girls who can pass exams but little else. Thankfully neither is true. I could not take any pride in running such a school.

“Every child is unique and needs to be encouraged to develop at their own pace”

“Brighton College takes children of all abilities and has a very modest benchmark for entry. We look for the potential in a child, not just academically but as a swimmer, a musician, an actor or artist, dancer or chess player. I believe that by encouraging boys and girls to thrive outside of the classroom their studies benefit. One of my earliest decisions after being appointed Headmaster was to shorten the school teaching day to allow more time for clubs and activities, of which there are now more than 140 per week. Whether a child wants to juggle or learn digital photography they should have the time and the support to be able to.

“As a school, we have always celebrated the individual and their achievements. Not every boy or girl is as comfortable playing cricket as they are playing saxophone in the swing band, but everyone has a talent for something. Every child is unique and needs to be encouraged to develop at their own pace. It is this philosophy, combined with the talents of an outstanding group of teachers and some of the best facilities to be found in the South East of England that help our pupils achieve so much.
It is my goal that every boy or girl who attends this school is happy, considerate to other people and achieves their full potential. I am sure these are goals every parent desires for their children.“

Education shouldn’t be a lottery
Almost a year ago Brighton College announced that children will be admitted to the senior school from the age of 11 rather than 13. The popularity of the change took the school by surprise. The Headmistress of the Lower School, Leah Hamblett, said: “We knew there was demand for entry at 11+, especially from parents of children at local primary schools who were not prepared to risk losing out on good secondary schools because of the city’s lottery system. However, we have been inundated from families further afield as well, many of them keen to take advantage of our extensive school bus services across the county.”

Many parents have been attracted by the unique curriculum which has been designed to inspire young children to learn about this country’s rich history and its place in the world, as well as to provide a good grasp of Maths and English – including spelling and grammar. Children will learn Mandarin Chinese and French or Spanish, but also have plenty of time to use the exceptional facilities on offer such as the indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, art studio, dance centre, and music rooms. In short, they will receive the best preparation possible in the run-up to their GCSEs.

A taste of school life
Throughout the year Brighton College plays host to children from local primary and preparatory schools from across Brighton and Hove, offering them an insight into what goes on here. Some try their hand at building rockets in the science labs, others write their names in Mandarin. Children may choose to experience a night in a boarding house to experience the adventure of being away from home, or could simply try a sport they have never played before. These taster days are an invaluable insight for children and reassure them that the move to ‘big‘ school is not as scary as they might think.

Brighton College educates girls and boys aged 3 to 18. For further information about Brighton College, including taster days, contact the admissions office, call 01273 704201/2 or email registrar@brightoncollege.net. www.brightoncollege.net

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 at 11:49 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.