The best way to experience what life is like at Brighton College is to join us at an Open Morning, where you will have the chance to talk to pupils and teachers about what makes our school such a special place.
We regularly remind our pupils that they can make a difference in society – that they have the tools, strengths and confidence to make the world a better place.
At the start of each academic year, we hold our Make a Difference Day, where you and your teachers join forces with a local charity or organisation to help with tasks and projects, from caring for rescue animals to hosting music events at care homes to helping manage woodlands.
These endeavours are then continued throughout the year as our Lower Sixth undertake weekly charitable partnerships, from teaching local primary children maths, coding and science,to visiting elderly people, and volunteering their time to local projects.
Brighton College, through the energy and positivity of pupils, teachers and parents, provides sustainable support for local and national charities each year.
What we do as a school beyond the classroom is very much a reflection of our motto to ‘be a part of society, not apart from it’.
Every week, our Sixth Form pupils have the opportunity to develop their leadership and community skills through our community partnerships programme. This ranges from working with charities in the local community, being part of our Combined Cadet Forces, participating in sports leadership courses, and developing skills in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme.
Our pupils volunteer at local food banks, support the local children's hospital by creating activity books and donating Easter eggs and Christmas gifts, and take part in our weekly Pelican Primary Club, where they teach pupils from ten local primary schools.
Brighton College is proud to partner with local charity Time to Talk Befriending, to provide weekly visits to elderly members of our local community. Loneliness affects all generations, but is particularly prevalent amongst elderly people.
Our Sixth Form host weekly 'tea and chat' parties in a local church, with entertainment provided by our pupils. We also host a number of large events at the College for residents of nearby care homes. These events not only give pupils the joy of intergenerational socialising, but also let them gain experience in event planning. Time to Talk Befriending tell us these events are the highlight of the year for many of their community, and we have made many lasting friendships between the school and local residents.
When Oscar-nominated actor and LGBTQ+ rights activist Sir Ian McKellen visited the school to talk about the importance of accepting others for who they are, this inspired our pupils to request the school get involved in the city's annual Pride parade.
Sixth Form pupils, joined by their teachers, created the first Brighton College float. This was the first time that any school had a float in a Pride parade in UK history. Since then it has become an annual event for the College. Pupils and teachers design and build the float, banners and placards. Our Dance School choreographs a piece for the parade, and our Swing Band assemble on the float to play live music as we make our way through the city.
Pupils at Brighton College lead the charge in the fight against climate change, and the school’s overarching goal is to become fully sustainable. Next on our agenda is the ambitious plan to reach net zero for emissions by 2030 – 20 years ahead of the UK government’s target.
This means that sustainability is considered in every part of school life. It influences everything we bring into the school to function well, from energy and water to food and stationery, and what happens to all these items after we are finished with them. It guides the behaviours we all champion, from what we choose to eat to the clothes we wear and the actions we decide to take. It also steers the way we nurture well-rounded pupils, through the lessons we teach and the active lifestyles and diets we encourage.
Our spaces have been designed by award-winning architects to be more than functional; they use space, light and resources to inspire both teachers and pupils.
The best way to experience what life is like at Brighton College Sixth Form is to join us at an Open Morning, where you will have the chance to talk to pupils and teachers about what makes our school such a special place, and to answer any questions you have about life here.