brighton college review autumn 2015

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BRIGHTON COLLEGE REVIEW Autumn 2015 UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2013–14 “Brighton College. One word: exceptional.” TATLER SCHOOLS GUIDE 2016

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Page 1: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

BRIGHTON COLLEGE REVIEWAutumn

2015

UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2013–14

“Brighton College. One word: exceptional.” TATLER SCHOOLS GUIDE 2016

Page 2: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

One thousand A*s at GCSE

Brighton pupils celebrated stunning GCSE results, with 100% of grades at A*-C and 92.9% at A*/A, plus a record number of A* grades: over a thousand in total.

Incredibly, 112 pupils achieved As and A*s in every subject, with 32 securing 10 A*s each, 20 achieved 11 A*s and 5 gained 12 A*s. Just as impressive as these top scores, though, is the fact that every single one of the 1,852 GCSEs sat was at C or above, with only 3 at grade C.

Record numbers to Oxbridge and Russell Group universitiesMore Brighton leavers than ever are winning places at top universities, with over 139 pupils gaining places at Russell Group universities this summer.

Top Russell Group placesOxford 16 York 5

Bristol 16 Southampton 5

Cambridge 12 Edinburgh 5

KCL 10 LSE 4

Durham 10 Birmingham 2

Exeter 10 Cardiff 2

UCL 8 Liverpool 2

Manchester 7 Nottingham 2

Leeds 6 QMUL 2

Imperial 6 Warwick 2

Newcastle 5 Sheffield 2

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Page 3: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

The top co-educational school in EnglandThe Daily Telegraph has confirmed that this summer’s exceptional A-Level results place Brighton as the top fully co-educational school in England, ahead of many much more selective schools. The results also show Brighton pupils once again achieved the best results in Sussex at both A-Level and GCSE.

Head Master Richard Cairns puts the success down to a nurturing ethos: “Ours is a very happy, kind and supportive school. Youngsters feel valued for who they are and this warm, friendly environment allows them to focus on getting the most out of school without worrying about what other people think of them. So they can, and do, talk enthusiastically about Physics and French and so on. This has created a genuinely scholarly environment which, of course, has delivered these incredible results”.

Top 50 Independent Schools at A-LevelSchool A* /A Grades School A* /A Grades

Cardiff Sixth Form College 94.6% St Mary's School, Ascot 75.4%

Guildford High School for Girls 89.4% Highgate School 75.3%

Westminster School 88.0% South Hampstead High School GDST 74.3%

North London Collegiate School 86.7% Hampton School 74.0%

Brighton College 85.1%* The Maynard School 73.9%

Wycombe Abbey School 84.0% The Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls 72.5%

Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School 83.6% Bancroft's School 72.4%

King Edward's School, Birmingham 82.7% Latymer Upper School 72.4%

Magdalen College School 82.3% City of London School 72.3%

Queen Ethelburga's College 81.8% Ruthin School 72.3%

The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga's 81.3% Reigate Grammar School 72.0%

King's College School (KCS) 80.7% Wellington College 72.0%

Concord College 79.2% Cheltenham Ladies' College 71.8%*

James Allen's Girls' School 78.3% The Stephen Perse Foundation 71.7%

Manchester High School for Girls 78.3% Putney High School GDST 71.4%

Royal Grammar School 78.1% The Abbey School 71.3%

The Perse School 78.1% Merchant Taylors' School 71.1%

St Helen and St Katharine 77.8% The Manchester Grammar School 70.8%

City of London School for Girls 77.7% City of London Freemen's School 70.5%

St Albans High School for Girls 77.5% St Swithun's School 68.9%

The Grange School 76.9% Alleyn's School 68.0%

St John's College, Cardiff 76.6% Exeter School 67.9%

Tonbridge School 76.2%* Harrow School 67.5%*

Withington Girls' School 76.1% Oundle School 66.9%

Oxford High School GDST 75.9% King Edward's School 66.5%

Source: The Daily Telegraph’s ranking of the top independent schools (Sep 2015). Data marked (*) published by the school themselves. Some schools have not released their full results.3

Page 4: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

David Gilmour opens Music School Excitement grows as Brighton’s new Music School nears completion. Nestled in the heart of the campus, and complete with a spectacular ‘floating roof’, the School offers a dramatic double-height recital hall with a seating capacity of 150, a seminar room, private study and listening spaces, a music library, a recording control room and a percussion and rock room. We are delighted to welcome David Gilmour, CBE, who will officially open the Music School in autumn 2015.

Academic buildingProviding a new central hub for Maths, History, Economics and Politics, plans for Brighton’s new teaching block are underway. The space will feature 20 new classrooms – each a quarter larger than any other in the school – and a large experimental teaching suite, alongside purpose-built facilities to enable the development of pupils’ public speaking and presentation skills. It has been designed by Hopkins, architects of the Glyndebourne Opera House and Olympic Velodrome.

Multi-award winning architects appointed

Renowned international architects OMA have unveiled their plans for the new state-of-the-art Sports and Science block for Brighton. The eye-catching design features a roof-top running track and basement swimming pool, whilst offering the very latest technology across both departments.

Stylish transformationsAlongside Brighton’s programme of redevelopments, continues the refurbishment of some of our original buildings. Top London designers DD/SB have provided sparkling redesigns to several boarding and day houses in recent months, including School and Seldon, with Leconfield and Ryle soon to follow.

NEWS

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Page 5: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

The College, Prep School and Pre-Prep School all achieved the highest possible grading in every single inspection category.A glowing inspection from the Independent Schools Inspectorate saw Brighton, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School, all achieve the very highest grades possible in every area of the inspection, a truly remarkable achievement.

At the College, 13 inspectors visited in April, interviewing 120 pupils and 46 staff, observing 116 lessons and analysing 1,396 anonymous questionnaires from pupils and parents. The result couldn’t have been better, as Brighton achieved the highest possible grading across all categories, including a coveted and rare ‘Exceptional’, which can only be awarded for Achievement and Learning. Inspections are graded according to four descriptors: ‘Excellent’ (the equivalent of ‘Outstanding’ in the state sector), ‘Good’, ‘Sound’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’:

Inspector after inspector commented on how positive the boys and girls they met were, and how warm the relations were between teachers and pupils. It is testament to the efforts of the boys, girls, teachers and support staff that Brighton achieved such an outstanding inspection.

An “Exceptional” Inspection

1. Achievement and learning 1* Exceptional

2. Curricular and co-curricular 1 Excellent

3. Contribution of teaching 1 Excellent

4. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural 1 Excellent

5. Pastoral care 1 Excellent

6. Welfare, health and safety 1 Excellent

7. Governance 1 Excellent

8. Leadership and management 1 Excellent

9. Boarding 1 Excellent

Overall judgement: Excellent

Here are just a few of the findings from the full inspection report:

“ Pupils of all ages show outstanding attitudes to their work and study.”

“ The particularly warm relationships between teachers and pupils contribute significantly to the excellent standard of behaviour in class.”

“ The philosophy of kindness is enthusiastically embraced by all.”

“ Pupils enjoy significant success in activities and events beyond the classroom.”

“ Pupils are well-educated, tolerant and intellectually curious, and demonstrate a love of learning for its own sake.”

“ A strong pastoral focus ensures that pupils are known as individuals.”

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Page 6: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

Every boy remembered

As part of the College’s WWI commemorations, every pupil in the Fourth Form researched one of the 147 Brighton College pupils who lost their lives during the conflict. During his research into Lister Durell Wickham, Harry North and his family traced and met with relative Jane Phillipson who presented his medals to the school. Next year, to coincide with the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, a new war memorial will be erected in the front quad.

Girl power!

Science continues to be popular amongst girls at Brighton College, a trend against the norm for UK schools. Incredibly, at GCSE every girl who studied Physics achieved an A or A*, a fact which received national coverage on Results' Day.

Meanwhile Upper Sixth pupil, Shiza Ather’s piece written for The Daily Telegraph gained praise as she commented on the importance of the rôle of women in science.

Brighton College Bangkok

Progress continues apace at the third of Brighton’s international schools. Mr David Tongue is to be Bangkok's founding Head Master, taking with him a wealth of experience gained as Head Master of Brighton College Al Ain. Fenn have been appointed as project architects; their design of the Performing Arts Centre is pictured.

Record results for the LAE

Flagship Sixth Form Free School – and brainchild of Brighton College Head Master Richard Cairns – the London Academy of Excellence achieved record A-Level results this summer. Situated in Newham, the LAE was set up to improve the life choices of disadvantaged children and help them secure places at top universities. Pupils secured an A*/A percentage of 36% and A*-B of 71%, with 20 Sixth Formers securing straight A*/A grades.

Architecture awardsBrighton College claimed not one, but two awards at the 2015 Sussex Heritage Trust Awards ceremony. Recognising high quality conservation, restoration and design, both New House and the Cairns Tower received winners' prizes in the Public and Community category.

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Page 7: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

“Brighton College. One word: exceptional.”

“Brighton College. One word: exceptional. You want more? Cosmopolitan and urban but with the sea on one side and the South Downs on the other, and London a short train ride away. Brighton College is the highest achieving co-educational school in the UK for the third year running (99 per cent A*-B at A-Level; an average GCSE score of 10 A*s; 29 Oxbridge offers) and is, in the words of one publication, the most ‘forward-thinking school in Britain’.

Alongside the substance, there’s a whole lot of style: pupils learn presentation skills, and there are ‘how to’ clubs, where they learn to lay a table, iron a shirt and read a map. The rugby 1st XV is unbeaten in Sussex and Hampshire for the past eight seasons; the girls’ U15 cricket team are national T20 champions; runners won gold medals for England at the ISF athletics championships… ‘We know – we don’t know how they do it either,’ says the school. Music, drama and dance – you’ve guessed it: exceptional. When we asked, ‘What’s new?’, they said, ‘It’s more a question of

what’s not new’: one major building project per year under Richard Cairns's headship. The elegant new girls’ boarding house has won a RIBA award and all the others have had sleek makeovers by international interior designers – even the table football is chic grey and white. Mr Cairns told us he feels ‘incredibly lucky to be Headmaster of this amazing school’. Yup, he’s exceptional too.”

Music, drama and dance – you've guessed it: exceptional

Brighton College is the highest achieving co-educational school in the UK

The Headmaster... yup, he's exceptional too

The team from Tatler’s influential Schools Guide came to visit Brighton in 2015. Here’s what they have to say in their 2016 guide:

SCHOOLS GUIDE 2016

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Page 8: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

Changing lives in Sri Lanka and Ghana

Pupils have once again excelled themselves, raising £45,000 for charities both close to home and overseas in the last academic year. From cake baking and fashion shows to charity dinners and marathons, their varied charitable endeavours have been widely praised and have demonstrated pupils’ determination and entrepreneurial skills.

Amongst the many charitable activities undertaken, the ever popular “Big Balls” saw the whole school community gather for fun and a frantic race to the finish on the Home Ground, all to raise awareness and funds for male cancers.

COMMUNITY

Forty-two Sixth Formers volunteered with educational charity Extra Cover over the summer. Teaching children and delivering food in some of the poorest and most remote areas of Southern Sri Lanka, the trips were an unforgettable experience for all and proved to be inspiring and challenging in equal measure.

Meanwhile, Brighton has set up a new charity Reading Spots, to build community libraries in rural areas of Ghana where the local population currently have no access to books. Over £3,000 has already been raised and six pupils will visit Ghana in December to help and learn more about the project.

£45,000 raised for charity in 2015

The Brighton Society

This term saw the launch of the Brighton Society, an exciting initiative to foster even stronger community links between the school and parents. As well as providing a new way for parents and members of the Common Room to interact, the society offers a range of interesting events, from exclusive theatre trips and behind the scenes tours, to rambles on the Downs, live music, and health and beauty days. To find out more, please visit www.brightonsociety.co.uk.

Rugby World Cup comes to Brighton

Brighton College is proud to be the official Team Base for not one, but two international rugby squads during the Rugby World Cup. Welcoming both the Japan and USA rugby teams, the College provides full training facilities for the athletes after being selected as one of just 40 locations across the country to host the international teams.

The U11 and 1st XV teams were provided with an extra treat at the start of term as the Webb Ellis Trophy arrived at school, giving pupils the opportunity to see it up close. Some of the boys were also interviewed by the press, and appeared on the local ITV News alongside Director of Rugby, Nick Buoy.

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Page 9: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

SPORT

British Senior Athletics Championships

Despite being just 18, Anna Short competed at the British Senior Athletics Championships, making it through to the semi-finals of the Women’s 100m race which was broadcast live on BBC Two. Anna has enjoyed further success on the track, winning the 100m sprint at the South of England Championships, which places her fifth in the UK rankings for women under 20. She then went on to win silver at the Senior Girls' 100m at the English Schools' Championships.

Top 6 in the worldToby Harries (Lower Sixth) continues to make his mark on the international athletics track. At the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Columbia, Toby came sixth in the world in the 200m with a time of 20.92s, setting a new British record in the process. Shortly afterwards, Toby secured a silver in the 200m at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa with a new record of 20.56s – beating Usain Bolt's time of 20.60s when he was the same age.

Unbeaten in eight years!In an outstanding start to the season, the rugby 1st XV continue their unbeaten record. Now entering its ninth year, the team remain unbeaten throughout Sussex and Hampshire, celebrating a phenomenal 52-0 triumph against local rival Hurstpierpoint College in September.

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Page 10: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

A haul of over 50 medals College athletes achieved excellent results at track and field events in the Trinity Term, winning selection for County and regional competitions, and taking home over 50 medals at the Sussex Schools Athletics Championships.

Athletes win Copenhagen ShieldBrighton’s boys and girls won the Copenhagen Shield at Wellington once again. The annual fixture is attended by competitors from the South East’s top co-educational schools and is an ever-popular highlight of the athletics calendar. Brighton pupils performed spectacularly to win each of the age groups and numerous personal bests were set.

Girls triumph againGirls' cricket continues to thrive at Brighton as the U15 girls successfully defended their T20 title this year after finals' day wins over South Dartmoor Community College and Moreton Hall.

The girls' 1st XI have enjoyed one of their most successful seasons to date, beating both girls' and boys' teams from a number of reputable schools in the process. The girls enjoyed a resounding 61 run victory over Eastbourne U15 B boys' team and a 15 run win over the Harrow U15 C boys’ team.

Sussex Shield winners againThe girls’ U15 A tennis team won the Sussex Shield for a second consecutive year. After a challenging tournament, both the first and second teams faced Ardingly in the final, with first pair, Fay Brittain and Imogen Oxley performing powerfully and consistently, whilst in the second pair, Emily Chetwood dominated with powerful serves and Maya Sturgeon attacked the net consistently. The final result was 21-17, a well- deserved victory in a challenging tournament.

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Page 11: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

Sarah Taylor makes history

Sarah Taylor (2002-07) became the first ever woman to be honoured in the Legend’s Lane at the Sussex County Cricket Club. Sarah continues to impress on an international level and, alongside OB Laura Marsh, was part of the England team to take on Australia in the Ashes. Elsewhere, recent OBs Georgia Adams and Freya Evans were selected for the England Academy match against Australia. Both girls, alongside five other Old Brightonians were part of the Sussex Women's team that won the T20.

Harlequins AcademyCalum Waters (1999-2014) follows a long line of Old Brightonians to sign professional rugby contracts. He has already impressed since joining the Harlequins Academy, scoring a winning try against Worcester Warriors to help clinch the Rosslyn Park Floodlit Sevens title. Harlequins Academy Manager Tony Diprose commented: “We are excited to bring Calum into the academy. He is a hardworking and talented player who complements our squad well.”

Old Brightonians in the news

County and national triumphsIn a fantastic run of individual successes, many girls won the opportunity to represent their county in hockey this year. Storm Graham and Phoebe Redding played in the U16 National Hockey Cup finals, and Charlotte White and Polly Milsom played in the Sussex U17 team, finishing second in the South Championships. Meanwhile Sophie Huyton-Taylor and Ella Ward-Penny represented Sussex in the U15 team, and Nancy Harman and Storm Graham played for the Brighton & Hove 1st team.

Player of the Tournament

Old Brightonian James Chisholm (2011-13) was named by fans as Player of the Tournament in the World Rugby U20 Championship. Winning over a third of the votes, James is the first Englishman to win the prestigious title since 2011. As vice-captain, James scored a try in the semi-final victory over South Africa, before the team finished as runners-up after tough competition from New Zealand in the final.

We are delighted to announce the Harwoods Group as new sponsors of the Brighton College senior rugby teams for the 2015-16 season. The local dealer of Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar will support the squads by providing them with additional kit and equipment, and will subsidise tours and training opportunities throughout the year, all of which will undoubtedly bring huge benefits to the teams.

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Page 12: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

Montreux Jazz Festival Invited back to perform for a third year, the Swing Band gave a powerful and professional performance on the Parc Vernex stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Fronted by singers Jacob Westbrook (Lower Sixth) and Marina Pearson (Upper Sixth), the band has enjoyed a very active year, performing at the Brighton Marathon, a charity fundraiser at the Grand Hotel, the Theatre Royal and the College’s own Jazz Café.

THE ARTS

A packed audience was treated to a wonderfully animated production of the Little Shop of Horrors. With fireworks, talking plants and plenty of razzle dazzle, a fabulous ensemble cast of Lower School pupils performed a truly great piece of musical theatre.

Festival ConcertThe annual Festival Concert saw performances by the College’s Choral Society, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Piano Trio and Quartet, Oboe Quartet and winner of the Young Musician of the Year competition, Toto Gill (Lower Sixth). The audience was treated to a wonderfully varied set of classical pieces at St Mary’s Church, including Mozart’s G major ViolinConcerto, Wagner’s Liebestod (arr. Liszt) and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.

Third Form musical

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Page 13: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

‘Infinity’ – a dance spectacular!

The College’s annual celebration of dance was held for the first time in Brighton’s wonderful Dome theatre. Hundreds of boys and girls took to the stage, from Pre-Prep penguins to Sixth Form scholars, performing a variety of technical and fun pieces, from a lively rendition of Uptown Funk, to street and contemporary dances, and the beautifully executed pupils' ballet, Sleeping Beauty.

Straight A* pupilsIncredibly, every pupil who took Dance or Drama gained an A* or A in their GCSE results this summer. In their earlier GCSE practical examinations, every dance pupil gained 100% in their Unit 3 Performance in a Group exams.

Royal Albert Hall performanceAfter progressing to the Winners' Concert of the National Chamber Music competition, the College’s Bolling Jazz Quartet has enjoyed further success. After competing in the Music for Youth Festival, the boys now go on to perform at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Live Music in Verdi series.

Brighton Fringe Five Upper Sixth pupils took audiences on a fast-paced journey of bizarre deaths, daunting bravado and quite a bit of tea, performing their accomplished A-Level exam piece for two nights at the annual Brighton Fringe Festival.

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Page 14: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

INDIVIDUAL SUCCESSES

Songs of PraiseAmelia Craddock (Upper Sixth leaver) gave a beautiful performance on BBC One’s Songs of Praise, the Sunday before receiving her A-Level results. Amelia was also described by The Daily Telegraph as "one of the UK’s most promising choristers" and sang a live solo on BBC One on Christmas Eve last year.

A future Grandmaster?

Hugo Westwood-Dunkley (Upper Third) played against Wales as part of the winning South East of England U14 chess team and gained valuable experience whilst competing in the 102nd British Chess Championships.

International silver in Astronomy and Astrophysics

William McCorkindale (Upper Sixth leaver) won a silver in the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Central Java, Indonesia. This incredible achievement sees him placed 23rd in the world and the highest placed competitor in the United Kingdom team. It is the second Olympiad William has competed in, securing a bronze for the UK in the Physics Olympiad in 2014.

Cambridge recognition for Rufus Rufus Saunders’ (Upper Sixth) essay on the ownership of the world’s real estate has been awarded “Highly Commended” in the Fitzwilliam Land Economy Essay competition. This long-standing Cambridge College competition receives numerous entries, only a handful of which are awarded this prestigious honour.

Exceptional mathematician

Amber Seaward (Lower Sixth) scored top marks in the elite AQA Further Maths Level 2 qualification over the summer. Sat by 26,500 candidates, Amber was one of only four participants not to drop a single mark.

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Page 15: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

West End starOld Brightonian Izzy Meikle-Small (2004-14) continues to impress on stage and screen after making her West End debut. Izzy played a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience at the Apollo Theatre alongside Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, DBE.

Corpus Christie Science PrizeMavis Chan (Upper Sixth) received high praise in both Oxford and Cambridge science competitions. Mavis won the 2015 Corpus Christi Science Prize in Materials Science for her essay on the development of white LEDs for low-energy lighting, and received a commendation for her essay on the hypothetical superheavy element, qilinium, in the Peterhouse Kelvin Science Prize.

Championship swimmer Sophie Shaw (Upper Third) competed in the backstroke event at the ASA Swimming Nationals in Sheffield, and following her performance has won the opportunity to compete at several County events this autumn.

National Riding Championships Jodie Rogers (Fourth Form) competed at the British Riding Clubs National Championships, finishing fourth nationally in the individual jump-off. In the show jumping final a faultless performance helped Jodie secure second place for her team, who were also crowned National Champions in the Style Jumping competition.

Springboard Music Festival successes Outstanding performances by three Lower Sixth pupils saw several wins in the Springboard Music Festival. Oliver Harris won three classes: Romantic Piano Class, Senior Recital Class and Contemporary Piano Class, Yvonne Helmore won first place in both the Piano Sonata class and Bach Piano Class, and Toto Gill was runner-up in the Senior Recital Class.

Sussex Golf ChampionshipsAnya Olsen (Upper Fifth) competed in the Junior Girls’ Sussex County Championships, winning the handicap trophy by 10 shots.

England U16 star

Marcus Smith (Lower Sixth) was selected to play for the England U16 team against Wales in his first international rugby fixture. Playing a full game at fly half, Marcus scored a try as England beat Wales 34-0 in the fixture at Caerphilly.

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Page 16: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

National Youth Dance Company

Ethan Nott (Upper Sixth) has secured a place in the National Youth Dance Company from over 300 applicants after impressing the Director of NYDC, Jane Hackett, and next year’s guest artistic director Michael Keegan Dolan.

Dance World Cup

James Duprey (Upper Sixth leaver) competed as part of the England team that won the Dance World Cup. James achieved sixth place in the extremely competitive Boys Modern Dance Solo category – a great achievement for his first international contest.

The benefits of co-education

Outgoing Head of School Charlotte Haney made national news after her views on the benefits of co-education were published in The Daily Telegraph. Charlotte’s piece highlighted that boys help girls succeed in co-educational environments: “There is something incredibly accepting about our school – no one is judging you. A girl can play cricket, a boy can love tap. I think that comes from a gentler, kinder atmosphere rooted in boys and girls understanding each other because they have grown up together and can see each other as friends.”

Prince Philip ScholarshipHerman Lam (Upper Sixth leaver) has been awarded the highly sought after Prince Philip Scholarship to read Human, Social and Political Science at Corpus Christi, Cambridge University, by The Friends of Cambridge University in Hong Kong.

Dressage Champion

Francesca Channon (Lower Sixth) became the Southern Region Champion at medium level in the British Young Riders Dressage Scheme, also winning the rosette for Youngest Rider.

Innovative Technology Sam McKay (Upper Sixth) won second place in the 2015 Kroto Prize for Innovative Use of Technology in Learning. An international competition, Sam was awarded for his short film on the science of alcohol and was presented his award by Nobel Laureate, Sir Harry Kroto.

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Page 17: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

PREP SCHOOL

Tournament winnersThe U9 A team won the Westbourne House rounders tournament, coming first in all three of their group matches in the lead-up. In a tense final against Twyford, the girls played brilliantly to take the title and top off a fantastic term of rounders.

Chamber Choir tour to Lake GardaAt the end of the Trinity Term, 31 pupils from the Chamber Choir embarked on a tour to Lake Garda. Performing in churches in Lazise and Malcesine, both concerts were a triumph and the final performance was rewarded with a standing ovation,

plus an invitation to perform in an International Choir Festival in 2016. The concerts were punctuated by trips and sightseeing, including a boat trip on the lake, a cable car ride and a day trip to the theme-park, Gardaland!

ScholarshipsThe Prep School is celebrating its greatest scholarship success to date. A total of 34 Senior School Scholarships were awarded to the Year 8 pupils, including two Major Academic Scholarships to Brighton College. This is an outstanding result and very well deserved by each and every pupil.

National AthleticsTwelve children qualified for the National Prep School Athletics Championships, achieving two gold and two bronze medals. Luke Twigger (Year 7) and Anouska Fairhurst (Year 7) became National Champions in the javelin whilst Leo Brewer (Year 8 leaver) and Katya Kuleshova (Year 8 leaver) won bronze medals in the 1500m and discus respectively, with a total of twelve pupils finishing within the top ten.

The Jungle BookYear 6 performed to a packed audience for the Prep School's production of The Jungle Book, which saw the Hall transformed into the leafy wilderness of the Indian jungle. A great team effort from the members of the chorus gradually brought the jungle to life. Beautiful soundscapes voiced by the cast perfectly captured the mysterious atmosphere of the rainforest.

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Page 18: Brighton College Review Autumn 2015

The Prep School General Election

The Prep School held its own General Election during the Trinity Term, with five parties vying to take on the leadership of the school. Led by Year 8 pupils, each party was convincing throughout their campaign and it proved to be a fun and useful way to enhance pupils’ thinking on politics. The 'Democratic School Party' ultimately came out top.

Ardingly ReservoirTo mark the end of their first year at the Prep School, Year 4 had a great day out at the Ardingly Reservoir. The children enjoyed kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and raft building, all the while learning new skills, working in teams and challenging themselves!

Rugby at the Olympic Stadium

The U11 rugby squad travelled to the Olympic Stadium in London for a friendly tournament, joining other schools and clubs in being the first to play competitive rugby on the stadium pitch. The boys played well to draw both their matches, and Calan Chisholm was awarded the honour of ‘match ball boy’, leading the professional teams onto the pitch in the ensuing Barbarians versus Samoa World Cup warm-up match.

A glowing inspectionThe Prep School, alongside Brighton College and the Pre-Prep School excelled in the recent ISI inspection, achieving the top rating of 'Excellent' in all possible categories. One quote in particular stood out from lead inspector, Linda Donowho: “I would have been more

than happy for (my children) to be pupils at Brighton College Prep and experience the effort, encouragement and inspirational gift of its staff in guiding its pupils to ‘be the best you’.”.

Bill Nicholson at Speech Day

The Prep School was honoured to welcome screenwriter and author Bill Nicholson to present the prizes at the annual Speech Day at Brighton Dome. Bill delivered an inspiring and thought-provoking speech about the secret to happiness that was wonderfully received by staff, parents and children alike.

Sussex ChampionsMaddy Braithwaite, Florence Sole, Mirabel Jackson and Ella Kennedy-Martin formed the U11 A tennis team that became the Sussex Champions this year, beating Moira House, Lancing Prep, Bede’s, and Sion to win the competition.

Boys shine at World Youth Cup

Oscar Girling and Dan Brewer from Year 6 took part in the world’s largest international youth football tournament, the Gothia World Youth Cup in Sweden. Playing as part of the South East District U11 team, the boys joined more than 40,000 players from 74 countries, finishing 17th and gaining great experience in the process.

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PRE-PREP SCHOOL

Instrumental Concert

The young musicians in Years 2 and 3 gave a wonderfully diverse performance at the Instrumental Concert. The newly formed Pre-Prep Orchestra performed an extract from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony which was followed by performances on cellos, violins, fifes, trumpets, guitars, pianos, recorders and ukuleles!

Swimming gala

The poolside was filled with the noise of cheering from children and parents alike at the annual swimming gala. Some 150 keen children took part and when given the choice, every child from Year 1 chose to swim a whole length of the pool rather than just a width. The determination of each child was incredible and they should all be very proud of their achievements.

Fossil rock!

Year 3 took to the stage bedecked in magnificent Victorian costume to tell the tale of Mary Anning the palaeontologist as part of their Fossils and Rocks topic. Singing and dancing to rip-roaring tunes, the pupils performed wonderfully and were even joined on stage by a giant tyrannosaurus rex!

Confident speakers

Reception pupils excelled themselves, all talking clearly and comfortably in the new English Speaking Board assessments in public speaking. Meanwhile in Year 2, 38 pupils achieved the Junior Introductory Grade in public speaking.

Gardening Club

Pupils transformed the Pre-Prep growing area, tending to the most amazing flowers, herbs and vegetables whilst learning how the seasons, weather, light and shade affect growth. Not only did the flowers blossom and bloom, but the children did too, along with their confidence to ‘have a go’!

Book Week

A fantastic time was had at Book Week, as author Sandra Horn delighted the children with tales of scarecrows, moon thieves and the Aurora Borealis – before showing them how to move like penguins! Later in the week, Liz Pichon taught the children how to do their own doodles based on the style of her award-winning Tom Gates novels.

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BRIGHTON COLLEGE

01273 [email protected]

“Exceptional” INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE 2015

“ Britain’s most forward thinking school” THE WEEK 2014

• Extensive bus routes across Sussex • Day, weekly and full boarding

Open MorningsSixth Form Saturday 17th October 2015(16+) 9.30am – 12.00pm

Pre-Prep and Prep Saturday 23rd January 2016 (3+ to 10+) 9.00am – 1.00pm

College Saturday 30th January 2016 (11+, 13+, 16+) 9.30am – 12.00pm