Brighton College Connected Brochure

Brighton College A Global

Family

United Kingdom School Of The Decade

Brighton College is a family of schools united by a shared ethos and a common purpose, to provide an outstanding education for every pupil.

At the heart of what makes Brighton College so special is its leadership. Since Richard Cairns became Head Master in 2006, the College has transformed from 147th in national rankings to become the UK’s leading co-educational school. Now, in his twentieth year with Brighton College, Richard’s enduring commitment has been instrumental in shaping the College’s distinctive ethos: a belief in academic excellence, curiosity, confidence and kindness.

As Principal and CEO of the Brighton College family of schools, Richard works in close partnership with Vice Principal Leah Hamblett, whose experience and insight are central to the College’s continued success. Together, they ensure that the values and standards of Brighton College are embedded across the global family of schools.

Through regular school visits and their roles on governing boards, Richard and Leah provide thoughtful, strategic leadership, supported by the Senior Management Team and UK Governors, ensuring consistency of experience and excellence for every pupil.

“We believe every child should be encouraged to become the very best version of themselves, not a copy of someone else.”

Award-Winning in the UK

UK

School of the Decade

Top Co-Ed School in the UK 2025 & 2026

UK

Boarding School of the Year 2025 & 2026

Best

Sixth Form in Britain 2025

BRIGHTON COLLEGE

Top 100 Independent Schools in the World 2026

BRIGHTON COLLEGE

Top

School of the Year for A-levels 2025

BRIGHTON COLLEGE

Top in Britain for STEM 2024

BRIGHTON COLLEGE

Best 125

Private Schools

Across the Globe

Most Forwardthinking School

Global Family of Schools

Award-Winning Globally

BRIGHTON COLLEGE AL AIN

British International School of the Year 2025/2026

BRIGHTON COLLEGE BANGKOK

British International School of the Year 2024/2025

BRIGHTON COLLEGE ABU DHABI

Top 100 Independent Schools in the World 2026

PREP

London School of the Year 2025

BRIGHTON COLLEGE (SINGAPORE)

Top 100 Independent Schools in the World 2026

BRIGHTON COLLEGE BANGKOK

Best International School in Thailand 2025

BRIGHTON COLLEGE VIETNAM

Top Recommended School 2026

BRIGHTON COLLEGE (SINGAPORE)

Digital Technology in Learning 2024

COLLEGE DUBAI

Best New School in the UAE 2024

Exceptional Academic Results

Brighton College is proud that its pupils achieve outstanding academic results and is consistently ranked as the top fully co-educational school in the UK.

Following record-breaking examination results this summer, we were thrilled to be placed as the top school in the UK for A-levels by The Sunday Times, with an astonishing 45 pupils (one in five) awarded offers to Oxford or Cambridge.

Brighton College international schools are also highly ambitious for their pupils. Whilst some schools are eagerly waiting for their inaugural cohorts of Year 11 and Year 13 pupils to receive their first set of exam results, many of the established Brighton schools have experienced record results in recent years.

Examination results across our international schools are equally impressive. Our schools in the UAE consistently rank among the very best in the region and, in 2025, the Brighton College international schools were recognised as the best-performing group in the country.

Our international schools are also regularly recognised in global rankings. In 2026, Brighton College Bangkok, Brighton College (Singapore), Brighton College Abu Dhabi and Brighton College UK were all included in the Spear’s Index list of the top 100 schools in the world. And Brighton College Vietnam was named a Spear’s top recommended school.

We believe that no two children are the same and the teaching philosophy at each of our international schools allows pupils to be the best versions of themselves.”

Being Part of the Brighton College Family

Alongside schools in Brighton, Hove, London and Handcross, there are seven international schools.

Brighton College Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Bangkok, Bangkok Vibhavadi, Singapore, and Vietnam, share and build upon the ethos and vision of Brighton College, providing an inspiring education that combines academic excellence with a wealth of co-curricular opportunities. This is underpinned by a deep commitment to the needs and enthusiasms of each and every pupil.

With established schools across the United Arab Emirates and South-East Asia, the Brighton College Family are excited to be welcoming three new schools in continental Europe:

Brighton College schools share the same values, commitment to academic excellence, innovative curriculum enhancements, access to guidance on university pathways, alumni networks and much more. We invite you to read on to discover just some of the ways that Brighton College schools are connected with Brighton College UK and the wider family.

Curiosity, Confidence and Kindness

All Brighton College pupils across the globe share the same values: curiosity, confidence, and kindness.

Every Brighton College school is a happy place, with a warm, inclusive and respectful community. All Brighton schools promote curiosity and a love of learning from our nursery pupils, right through to our leavers at age 18. Confidence should not be a loud or arrogant confidence, but an inner confidence and self-belief, that lies at the core of each child’s personal wellbeing. And finally, but most importantly, kindness is our currency.

We understand that the best way to achieve a happy community, which also produces the most successful learning outcomes, is to ensure that everyone feels valued for who they are. We strive to turn out well-educated, tolerant, and intellectually curious young adults, who are ready to take full, active, positive roles in the world.

Every pupil is assigned to a House, where pastoral care is provided by the tutor team and a Housemaster or Housemistress, who oversees the House team.

We are very proud of the high-quality care given to all Brighton College pupils. These communities provide a nurturing environment, and each tutor or form teacher is responsible for ensuring that their tutees fulfil their academic potential and are involved in a wide range of co-curricular activities.

Our Thriving House System

“Brighton College turns out good human beings, not just clever ones.”

Richard Cairns Principal and Group CEO

Houses give pupils the opportunity to take on leadership roles, with senior pupils encouraged to mentor younger pupils. All Houses are actively engaged in developing partnerships with local organisations and charities; this reinforces the importance of social responsibility and making a positive difference to the world around us.

Recruiting World-Class Teachers

Working at Brighton College schools for the past 13 years has given me so many opportunities, from leading my own department when I started at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, to joining Brighton College Dubai as Head.”

Simon Crane Headmaster Brighton College Dubai

Over ten years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work at three Brighton College schools; Brighton College UK, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, and Brighton College Vietnam. What makes the Brighton College community so special is its shared academic ethos and deeply held values. In many ways, Brighton College feels less like what I do, and more like a reflection of who I am.”

Michael Cooper Director of Expressive Arts Brighton College Vietnam

Being part of the Brighton College family of schools has been an incredibly rewarding journey. I began as a Year 2 teacher at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, later moving into pastoral leadership, and I am now Deputy Head Pastoral at Brighton College Vietnam. Being part of this family of schools has given me wonderful opportunities to grow professionally while working within a community that genuinely cares about its pupils and its people.”

Kate Brosnan Deputy Head Pastoral Prep School Brighton College Vietnam

Brighton College teachers are inspiring, enthusiastic experts in their subjects, dedicated to engaging pupils creatively in their area of expertise.

They cultivate a passion for learning and demonstrate an ability and genuine desire to develop pupils to their full potential. Senior staff from Brighton College UK and Brighton College International work closely with Heads and Heads of Prep to help recruit world-class teachers, from interviewing candidates, to support with recruitment documentation and induction for key staff and senior leaders.

We are especially proud of the fact that so many staff choose to remain within the family of schools as their careers progress. Well over 100 members of staff have worked at multiple BCI schools, with three Deputy Heads in 2026 having been promoted to headship within the group.

Educational Visits Sharing Best Practice

Senior staff from Brighton College and Brighton College International regularly visit each and every school, bringing experience, both from the UK and internationally, and ensuring real-time roll-out of best practice.

Visiting teams spend time with both pupils and teachers, delivering workshops, meeting parents, working with teachers in classrooms and deepening the connection with Brighton College UK.

All Brighton College international schools have members of Brighton College UK on their Board of Governors. We ensure governance is a collaboration between BCUK, BCI, the Head and our local partners, combining the values and standards of Brighton College with local custom and practice.

Expertise Across the Group

We are proud of the expertise across the Brighton College family of schools and place great value on collaboration between them. Heads from across the group meet annually for a week-long conference to discuss the issues shaping our schools and to share new ideas in educational research and practice. Prep Heads meet in a similar forum every other year, while groups of senior and prep school leaders meet at least termly to exchange ideas and share best practice.

Shared Curriculum, Shared Spaces

Brighton College International’s own Architecture and Design Team work closely with Heads across the Family of Schools to introduce new spaces which inspire both teachers and pupils to engage with their subjects creatively.

From rooftop swimming pools, to new Sixth Form Futures Centres, to robotics labs and adventure playgrounds – our spaces ensure that the learning environment doesn’t merely accommodate education, it enhances it. From the confidence built on the stage, to the curiosity sparked in science labs and the kindness cultivated in our shared spaces, the architecture at all our Brighton College schools supports the full development of every child.

Brighton College teachers collaborate and attend joint training sessions, ensuring that our youngest learners benefit from the very best teaching practice.

Excellence from Early Years

When children join a Brighton College school in Nursery or Reception, the enquiry-led approach adopted by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) underpins the pupil journey.

Through both structured and independent activities, Brighton College teachers look to develop characteristics of effective learning which support development across all seven areas of the EYFS curriculum.

Outdoor learning also enriches classroom-based learning. Desert Discovery, Beach and Forest Schools inspire younger children to develop an understanding of the great outdoors; children play, explore and take risks through hands-on outdoor experiences which develop confidence and self-esteem.

Trips to Brighton College UK

University Guidance

All international schools are closely linked with Brighton College UK, and this sets us apart from other British international schools.

Brighton College UK welcomes Year 12 pupils from the international schools to visit each year, allowing pupils to participate in workshops on critical thinking, research and presentation skills. They also work with the Brighton College UK Sixth Form Team and Director of Global Futures, who share their expertise on both applying for university and future career pathways.

All Brighton College schools provide expert guidance in university preparation. Our Heads of Sixth Form and Directors of Futures collaborate regularly, helping every individual pupil reach the university of their choice.

While Oxford and Cambridge remain the top destination overall for our sixth formers, we are delighted that pupils from across the family of international schools are winning places at world-class universities.

Within the last three years, pupils from Brighton College international schools have secured places at universities such as:

Sorbonne

University of Hong Kong

University of Singapore Melbourne • McGill and many more.

Heading

We are delighted that pupils from across the Brighton College Family of Schools are studying at the best universities around the world.

Group-Wide Competitions

All Brighton College schools deliver a diverse and inspiring range of academic competitions organised by the UK team.

These include creative writing, art and design, sculpture, textiles and pottery, music, dance and drama, film photography and computing, as well as a science project and a Young Musician of the Year competition.

Sixth Form pupils have their own essay competition that provides them the opportunity to undertake undergraduate-level research.

The Brighton College Games

Pupils can take part in the Brighton College International Schools Games, a biennial event most recently hosted by Brighton College Bangkok.

After an Olympic-style Opening Ceremony, celebrating the many different cultures and nationalities represented, this sporting event sees pupils from across our family of schools come together for five days of friendly yet fierce competition.

The Brighton College international schools from the UAE, Singapore, Vietnam and Bangkok all took part, with over 215 pupils competing across 18 events in a full programme of sport over five days of competition, before the Games concluded with a cultural visit to Bangkok.

“I had not realised how helpful the OB network could be and how unique it is. My friends at university have nothing like the support or sense of community with their old schools like we do.”

Brighton College Connect

Our pupils have a lifelong connection to Brighton College UK, and we are proud to have a vibrant global community of 15,000 past pupils and staff.

The Old Brightonians network offers a wide range of active sports clubs, societies, and events, and has a dedicated online platform, Brighton College Connect, for professional networking and connections. Every Year 13 leaver from a Brighton College school has the opportunity to join this network, helping them access work experience, internship opportunities, and careers guidance.