Brighton College

THE SCHOOL

Brighton College is an inspiring place to work. As the leading co-educational school in the UK, it is renowned for its inspirational teaching and innovative education, whilst  placing kindness and community at the heart of our approach to education. Named ‘UK School of the Decade’ by The Sunday Times in November 2020, we educate 1,300 pupils between ages 11 and 18.

Established in 1845, the College has grown  exponentially in recent years. The Principal, Richard Cairns, a recent Tatler UK Head of the Year, has been in post since 2006 and, under his leadership, pupil numbers have  doubled. Since 2006, the College has moved from 147th in The Sunday Times results table  to 3rd – the best position ever achieved by a  co-educational school.  

The school site in Kemptown has seen the addition of stunning new facilities,  sustainably designed by leading international architects, with recent investment well in  excess of £100 million. These include the Nicola Leach Music School and Sarah  Abraham Recital Hall (2015), the Yeoh Building teaching complex (2017), the School  of Science and Sport (2020) and The Richard Cairns Building (2024), a stunning new  performing arts complex and Sixth Form Centre, with a 400-seat theatre and Global  Futures hub. World-class facilities enable us to share a  huge variety of opportunities with pupils, and allow for innovative and exciting approaches to teaching and learning.

We believe that we are a part of society, not  apart from it, and so activism and community  involvement are key components of the  curriculum. We have a thriving volunteer programme, driven by pupils, and are proud  of our progressive stand on diversity, equality  and inclusion. Brighton College also has a family of schools,  which includes our three Sussex prep  schools: Brighton College Prep School, Handcross Park School and St Christopher’s, and our London prep school, Brighton College Prep Kensington. Overseas, we have opened schools in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and Vietnam.

Our approach to education is regularly celebrated. As well as being named 'UK  School of the Decade', we have been named ‘School of the Year’ twice by The Sunday  Times, and The Week named us ‘Most forward-thinking school in Britain’ for two years running in 2017 and 2018, ‘Best in the UK for STEM’ in 2020 and 2024, and awarded us 'Best Sixth Form in Britain' in their 2025 Awards. Our most recent ISI inspection in  November 2021 gave us the highest possible  grade (‘Excellent’) in both categories: the quality of pupils’ academic and other  achievements, and the quality of pupils’  personal development.

Most importantly, Brighton College is a  happy school. Staff and pupils feel fulfilled, and our emphasis on kindness lends itself to a thriving intellectual, sporting and performing arts culture. Our location in the city gives us the best of all worlds: we are a mere five minutes from the sea and the city centre, ten minutes from the South Downs, and in the heart of the local Kemptown  community.

We hope that you will want to come and join the fantastic group of professionals and  pupils who work here.

LIVING AND WORKING IN BRIGHTON

The College enjoys its location in Brighton, one of Britain’s youngest cities and one of the most vibrant and progressive in Europe. A recent national survey identified Brighton as the ‘happiest city in the UK’ and it regularly features within the top cities for quality of life nationally. With an extensive beach and seafront, and proximity to beautiful rural areas including the South Downs National Park, the opportunities for recreation and leisure are varied and numerous. Transport links are also excellent, Brighton being within easy travelling distance of London (50 minutes by train), and 30 minutes from Gatwick Airport. Brighton is also a university city, and the College has good links with both the University of Sussex and Brighton University. Our annual involvement in the Pride parade has strengthened existing links with the local community.