Opinions on Brighton College from those with kids there?

[Helpmeunderstandbrightoncollege]

Does anyone have a child either at or recently left Brighton College who might be able to help me understand what sort of school it is? Is it just an exam factory or are the children happy, well-rounded and leave ready to face the world? For context DC is currently in year 5 at a Brighton College feeder school. Current school think they have a good chance of passing the entrance assessments but I can't get my head around whether a school that puts so much emphasis on academic results is a healthy place. We've obviously been to open days but I'd love an honest opinion from someone with first-hand experience. Thank you.

They are probably too busy working to pay the fees, or so totally satisfied that they are not browsing mumsnet to discuss problems.
The facilities look out of this world and results outstanding. Sorry I can’t give a first hand point of view.

Previous threads with anything negative have been deleted so I imagine no one will comment! Great school for the right child I am sure, if your prep school thinks DC will thrive I am sure they will. Not for the faint hearted.

We're looking at Brighton College right now and I fear I am a bit faint hearted! DC is very very bright but I value having plenty of downtime, which he doesn't get that much of already at state primary between after school activities and music.

Have you taken a tour?

I will add, we used to live in Kemptown and whenever I'd drive by BC I always noticed how happy the kids seemed as they were walking by. Hardly an in depth study into student well-being but it's something that stuck in my mind when we decided to apply.

@PaperDoves thanks, yes we’ve done tours & I agree about pupils looking happy. I just can’t quite decide if so much emphasis on extreme academic achievement (didn’t one of their pupils get 7 A levels all at A+ or something?!) at such a young age is healthy.

Those seven A levels are likely to have included a ‘native’ language which may have been relatively easy for the candidate, plus maths and further maths which can be ‘easy’ for a talented mathematician. I am only speculating of course. I imagine the majority do a normal number of subjects.

Yes, I made a completely truthful comment about Brighton College on a previous thread and received a legal threat via MNHQ: make of that what you will but I suspect you won’t get honest responses.

What did they threaten you with?

@WorkingItOutAsIGo Goodness!

Their lawyers wanted my real life name and address so they could follow up with me, and I wouldn’t provide it, MNHQ had to delete my post (and a load of others too).

Listen to @WorkingItOutAsIGo

@WorkingItOutAsIGo would you be willing to pm me your experience?

https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/brighton-college/

@WorkingItOutAsIGo the fact that they are so heavy handed with legal threats would put me off a school massively.

My kids are very happy there but it is a lot of work. They doing really well academically but you have to be happy to see your children work hard. Plenty of homework after school and at weekends and revising for exams in the holidays. That’s the deal.

I wouldn’t send anyone there who wasn’t up to it academically though, that would be unkind.

I don’t think it’s different to other academic schools in that respect though.

I was going to ask the same thing but I'm guessing PMs are also monitored?

I’m a lawyer and would say you’re safe with PMs. What will have happened last time is the school will have read public posts and complained to MN. MN have a defence if they supply the details of the poster, the idea being that the complaint can then be pursued against the poster.
MN won’t be monitoring PM or reporting them to schools discussed in them, and obviously schools cannot see what is being written about them in PMs.

“Yes, I made a completely truthful comment about Brighton College on a previous thread and received a legal threat via MNHQ: make of that what you will but I suspect you won’t get honest responses.”

https://www.brightoncollegeinternational.com/

It is now a brand and they lend the brand to overseas outfits so I would expect them to defend the brand on social media including places like Mumsnet.

However, there is only only 13 plus actual real Brighton College. A lot of the complaints I read previously on Mumsnet were about the prep bits? And people not getting into the real College after the preps?

@Soontobe60 - do private schools pay MuddyStilettos to do a review?

In answer to PPs: my comment was about the senior school not the admissions policy, and was actually quite mild and funny (as well as being completely true), and having had to have it deleted is much worse for their reputation than having left it up I would say.

Kids I know who went there were perfectly happy, enjoyed their time, made really good friends, just they noted some things about their experience which I shared.

No school is perfect!

Absolutely. A vaguely amusing, slightly critical post from someone who doesn’t actually have kids in the school would be very unlikely to put me off a school.

But the heavy handed legal stuff reminds me of a certain other school that turned out to be hiding something pretty horrifying.

And that would put me right off a school.

My friend teaches for them. Some years he's at the main school, he's also been sent to other branches. He likes it but says it's really high levels of study for the students compared to when he taught at a state school - not surprising.

As for the 7 a levels, it partly depends what, my dd (boarding but not bc) took 4 and could have taken further maths on top but didn't want to do the extra classes as she played competitive sport), she could have easily taken music on top and if she had another language (we don't) I can see a bright kid pulling that off. Easier if you board of course as dd had teachers available in the evening for extra help

DS was at a superselective state grammar, 4 A-levels is standard, some boys also took their native language. I think if it was a couple of MFLs and maths and futher maths it's completely possible.

The will weed out anyone who isn't performing relatively early on, so the results are understandably very good.

Friends kids are happy there but are also very bright and conforming. Other friends kid got asked to leave as despite being exceptional at sport his personality (behaviour) wasn't in line with expectations.

Excellent school for the right kids / parents but lots of work and pressure to achieve.

Options for boys are much more limited in Brighton area. There are two girls only independent schools but only BC for boys actually in the city.