Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Brighton College 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Brighton College 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
If you want a school that takes results seriously without losing sight of the child behind them, Brighton College makes a compelling case — and the results, it should be said, are formidable. In 2024 it ranked first in the country for A-level results, and has been named Independent School of the Decade by The Sunday Times. Founded in 1845 as the first Victorian public school in Sussex, it sits on a seafront campus in Brighton, teaching boys and girls from age 3 to 18 as both a day and boarding school. Among its alumni: two Prime Ministers, including the Earl of Rosebery, who is said to have had three aims in life — to win the Derby, to marry an heiress, and to become Prime Minister. He managed all three.
What gives it its particular character is the combination of genuine intellectual ambition and a pastoral culture that feels central rather than bolted on. Children are encouraged to be kind as well as clever, pupils are known as individuals, and the tone is one of inclusion rather than pressure. The campus itself reflects that ambition: the School of Science and Sport, opened in 2020 and designed by Rotterdam architecture firm OMA, includes university-standard laboratories, a swimming pool and a rooftop sprint track. Drama, music, dance and art all have serious presence alongside the academic core.
It suits a curious, sociable child who will make the most of a full timetable and a busy life beyond it — and who wants to be known as a person rather than a mark on a spreadsheet.
Brighton College uses the ISEB Pretest for its 11+ entrance exam.
No, there is no interview stage for 11+ (Year 7 entry) at Brighton College.
Brighton College is a mixed-gender school.
The official website for Brighton College admissions is https://www.brightoncollege.org.uk/college/join/how-to-apply.
For Year 7 day entry in 2025-26, the annual fees are £8,000 per term, excluding VAT. This is £24,000 annually.
Yes. Brighton College offers means-tested bursaries to help families who could not otherwise afford the fees, with the level of help matched to each family's situation. They are for day places, Years 7 to 13. You apply by completing a means-test form; for Year 7 entry the window runs from Aug to Nov in the year before joining. Awards are reviewed each year and can change as your circumstances change.
Brighton College offers 11+ scholarships in academia, art, chess, choral, dance, drama, design and technology, music and sport, and they can be held in combination. For an academic award, your child is assessed during the normal entry process, so there is no separate application. For the talent-based awards you apply at registration; most are assessed in January, with chess and choral applied for separately at the time of registering.
Entry has two parts. In early December your child sits an academic assessment day covering maths, English and verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Then in January they come back for an interview and activities day: a mix of fun activities with teachers plus two short, friendly interviews with members of staff. The interviews are a chance for the College to get to know your child rather than catch them out, and offers follow by the end of January.
