Chaplain
Brighton College
Brighton and Hove
- New
- Salary:
- Brighton College has its own pay scale, above that of the maintained sector. The salary for this rôle is likely to be c.£60,000 per annum, depending on experience, and there is two-bed accommodation available for up to two years.
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- August 2025
- Apply by:
- 18 November 2024
Job overview
Brighton College and Brighton College Prep School are seeking to appoint a Chaplain who will be an inspiring leader of the spiritual life of pupils aged 3 to 18. The starting date for this rôle is anticipated to be August 20th 2025.
Spiritual Life of the College
Brighton College and its Prep School are Christian foundations in the Anglican tradition, and Chapel plays a central rôle in the life of the school. Worship is formal and traditional, but also inclusive. Pupils participate enthusiastically in daily hymn singing, are respectful of the rôle of Chapel and understand and respect the importance of spiritual life.
There is an established and strong choral tradition, reflecting the musical strength of the College, and the successful candidate will have an important rôle to play, alongside the Head of Choral Music, in maintaining this tradition.
Beyond the formal life of the Chapel, the Chaplain oversees discussion groups, prepares candidates for Confirmation, and each year leads baptisms and weddings for staff and families connected to the school. Chapel is a space where we hope that every pupil and member of staff feels welcome, supported and encouraged. It also provides each person with space to reflect, to appreciate and, importantly, to ask questions and develop curiosity in relation to faith and spirituality.
Rôle Specification
This is a wonderful opportunity for an ordained Church of England priest to become Chaplain at Brighton College, leading the spiritual life of the school community. The Chaplain is involved in all areas of school life, both in the College and the Prep School, including pastoral support for pupils and staff, co-curricular activities and community projects in Brighton and beyond.
It is anticipated that this will be a nonteaching rôle and candidates should identify how they would use their time to enhance further the spiritual life of the College.
We also hope that the Chaplain will play a leading rôle in supporting our extensive community outreach programme, working with the homeless, the dispossessed (the College has 24 Ukrainian refugees on free places), local charities and local state schools.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
This rôle will involve daily contact with pupils and the successful candidate will be engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
All staff and volunteers have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible and with whom they come into contact.
Person Specification
The successful candidate will model a number of qualities which are important to us as a school community: kindness and generosity towards others; spiritual and intellectual curiosity; a love of learning; a conviction that – as individuals and as a community – we can make a difference to those around us, particularly those most in need of support or encouragement.
The Chaplain should serve everyone - including the significant non-Christian community and, among others, the many pupils and staff from the LGBTQ+ community. In this way, she or he will help inspire, support and engage all pupils and staff on their spiritual journey - in the hope that it will be one that continues long after they have left Brighton College.
We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate an ability, and genuine desire, to develop pupils to their fullest potential, and who will thrive in an intellectually invigorating environment. The ability to inspire children is key, as is a willingness to support the ambition and values of the school, and to be involved in the whole breadth of College life. Successful candidates will be self-reliant and adaptable, with high levels of initiative. Candidates should be an ordained Church of England priest with a strong pastoral and academic record, including a good degree from a leading university.
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a genuine interest in young people, their spiritual and moral development, and in education in its broadest sense.
For full details of the role please see the Job Profile Document below.
Attached documents
About 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.
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