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The Quad NOVEMBER 2026

Welcome from our Head Master I began the new term reflecting with the pupils that we are at our best when part of something bigger than ourselves. As much as the educational journey is an individual path, with each child supported and encouraged in their own individual journey, it is also – crucially – a shared adventure, something we get to do alongside others. It is no surprise, therefore, that so many of the highlights from this first half term have been connected to this ‘shared adventure’. There have already been countless sports fixtures for all ages and abilities, the fixtures moving from September’s glorious sunshine to the more recent autumnal south coast wind and rain! Just under 1,000 pupils have already played a competitive fixture for the College this term. Brighton netball teams won the county title in every age group this term, the indoor hockey girls also won their county title, and the senior rugby teams are undefeated so far. Musicians have once again gathered in ensembles, orchestras, trios and quartets, jazz bands, rock bands and even one junior group called The Elastic Band! On the stage, behind the scenes and on the sound desk, pupils are gearing up for multiple productions and plays. And just before term began, the Senior Dancers enjoyed extraordinary success, not only reaching the All England National Dance final, but, incredibly, being named National Champions! Alongside all of this, nearly 150 clubs are bringing pupils together, some pursuing their long-standing love of certain board games, or astrophysics, or cake decorating, or knitting whilst listening to jazz (the appropriately named ‘Jazz Knitting Society’); others trying an activity or club for the first time, trying their hand at debating or dissection or Dungeons & Dragons. Our half term ended with every single pupil performing in the theatre, representing their House, together creating dazzling versions of some 80s songs with full band, dance routines, wonderful costumes and energetic vocals. It is true that the energy levels were higher than the levels of quality, but it was the most wonderful example of each individual pupil being part of something bigger than themselves, enjoying being part of this shared adventure we are on. Jonathan Sacks, the late Chief Rabbi, wrote many years ago that society needed to move from ‘me’ to ‘we’, highlighting the trend across much of the Western World towards a form of individualism that seems to leave many lonely and isolated. He would, I am quite sure, have been hearted to see Brighton College in 2026: a community in which the young boys and girls so naturally and easily draw others in, encourage others to join them and, above all, revel in and relish this shared journey. The pupils are so good at looking outwards, beyond themselves and beyond the College, supporting wonderful local and national causes, and throwing their hearts and souls into our Make a Difference Day, when the entire school community launched projects and partnerships across the local neighbourhood and all over Brighton and Hove – a wonderful and joyful celebration of the ‘me’ moving to the ‘we’. This has been a fabulous term already, and we look ahead to many more highlights to come. We would, of course, be delighted to welcome you to Brighton to experience the joy and generosity for yourselves. Perhaps you might consider joining us on this wonderful shared adventure! - Steve Marshall-Taylor (Head Master)

Record Breaking 2026 Results! Last year’s Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth pupils truly outdid themselves, achieving record-breaking results across the board. The hard work and dedication of our pupils have led to more Grade 9s at GCSE than ever before, with the University of Oxford being the top destination for our A-level pupils. At GCSE, Grade 9 was the most common grade awarded, accounting for an exceptional 63% of all results, while 97% of grades were awarded at 9-7. An impressive 1,426 Grade 9s were achieved by our pupils. These results spanned a wide range of academic interests throughout the year group, with pupils taking GCSEs across 11 different languages. At A-level, pupils celebrate an amazing 377 A* grades, with 98% of all grades awarded at A*-B, with the A* grades almost perfectly divided between girls and boys. Across the year group, 65 pupils achieved three or more A*s, including 28 who achieved at least four A*s and seven who achieved five A*s. There was exceptional success at A-level subject level too, with three Brighton College pupils achieving the highest marks in the country in English Literature, Art and Photography. These fantastic results are a testament to our pupils’ commitment and are the culmination of a wonderful journey of learning and intellectual engagement. We are incredibly proud of all our pupils. Our A-level pupils are now moving on to the world’s most prestigious universities. While Oxford is the top destination, we are thrilled that our pupils have secured places at nearly every one of the global top 30 universities, including Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth and Princeton.

Top of The Times GCSE Table We topped The Times GCSE table with a haul of grade 9s – more than ever before in our history. An exceptional 63% of all grades were awarded at grade 9, the highest possible GCSE grade, while 97% were awarded at grades 9–7. The school’s two highest achievers, received an extraordinary 27 grade 9s between them.

All England Dance National Champions! An unforgettable evening at the All England Dance National Finals saw our Senior Show Team deliver two exceptional performances in the highly competitive Senior Jazz & Modern Large Group category. Our boys and girls were crowned National Champions after an outstanding performance, competing against leading dance schools: 1st: Abracadabra - National Champions with a perfect score of 30/30 Runner up: Message in a Bottle Abracadabra was crowned National Champion after receiving a perfect score from all three judges - an accolade achieved by approximately just 0.1% of routines in the competition’s history. The judges described it as a “flawless piece of theatrical art.” Congratulations to our outstanding dancers and to Miss Amanda, our amazing Director of Dance, whose exceptional choreography and unwavering dedication continue to produce performances of the very highest standard. A truly exceptional achievement that once again showcases Brighton College as the UK’s leading school for dance.

Pig Heart Boy Our Fourth Form pupils took to the stage for their production of Pig Heart Boy, adapted by Winsome Pinnock from Malorie Blackman’s novel. The moving production followed 13-year-old Cameron, played by Pranav, as he faced a life-changing decision that challenged scientific and ethical boundaries, while exploring the importance of family, friendship and the freedom to live life to the fullest. Through powerful performances and clever staging, the cast brought Cameron’s story to life, reminding us not to take the seemingly ordinary moments that make life special for granted. A huge well done to everyone involved in bringing this thought-provoking and fantastic production to the stage.

National Gold for Brighton Debators The Debate Society travelled to the London School of Economics to compete in one of the UK’s largest and most vigorous competitions. Across a 15-hour day, our five teams showed a fantastic array of skill, knowledge and commitment. In a field of more than 120 elite debate teams in the country, only four Gold awards are given to the top performers. Out of these best four teams, two were from Brighton College. Our teams have firmly established themselves as within the top tier of UK schools’ debaters.

Caleb Femi Inspires Pupils We were delighted to welcome celebrated poet Caleb Femi to Brighton College. Caleb Femi is the author of two poetry collections, The Wickedest and Poor, for which he was awarded the Forward Prize’s Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection, and which was selected as a Book of the Year by The New Statesman, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Observer and the BBC. In 2016, he was chosen as the first Young People’s Laureate for London. He is also a photographer and filmmaker who has produced and directed several award-winning short films, including Giraffe (2023), selected for the Sundance London Festival. With his poetry studied at GCSE, Caleb gave our pupils a unique opportunity to explore his work beyond the page, hearing first-hand about his creative process and inspiration. From lively Q&A sessions to a creative writing workshop and a special podcast interview, it was a fantastic day celebrating poetry, creativity and the power of storytelling.

Double Champions at the U18 BOWS Cricket Festivals! It was a fantastic season for Brighton College cricket, as both the boys’ and girls’ 1st XI teams were crowned Champions at the BOWS Festivals, remaining unbeaten throughout the competition. This marks a historic achievement, with the girls’ team winning for the first time and the boys securing back-toback titles.

Across the week, both squads delivered outstanding performances against strong opposition, showing exceptional skill and determination. A brilliant achievement for both teams - huge congratulations to all involved.

Sussex Cup Champions Make a Splash Our Swimming Team successfully defended their Sussex Cup title in emphatic style! The Intermediate and Senior swimmers produced an outstanding team performance, winning an impressive 13 of the 21 events and collecting a huge 111 points to take the Sussex Cup once again. Racing against the top swimming schools in Sussex, Brighton College finished clear at the top of the standings. While the results were exceptional, what stood out most was the team spirit throughout the competition. Our swimmers supported one another from the first race to the last, celebrated each other’s successes and, importantly, made our new swimmers feel immediately part of the Brighton College team. The Brighton College swimming team continued to make a fantastic start to October, racing at the ESSA Sussex Teams Competition. The competition was particularly important as it also serves as a qualifying round for the ESSA National Teams Final, which will be held in Birmingham later this month. Both our Senior Mixed and Intermediate Mixed teams put in outstanding performances. Competing in both freestyle and medley events, both teams won their respective events and have now put themselves in contention for a place at the National Final. We are eagerly awaiting confirmation of whether they have successfully qualified. Congratulations to all our swimmers for their hard work, commitment and team spirit. We are incredibly proud of their performances.

Chamber Choir Opens the Year with Greenwich Evensong The Chamber Choir made our way to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich for their first Evensong of the year! Departing from school in high spirits, they drove to Greenwich, before arriving and taking a look around the Naval College. The Choir visited the Painted Hall, marvelling at the intricate paintings enveloping the walls, and even took a look at some of the original foundations of the building. This was followed by some time to explore the surrounding area, and the biggest highlight was the market, in which many of us treated ourselves to some food and sweet snacks before the service. As the group gathered back to begin rehearsing, they had the pleasant surprise of seeing some of our old Chamber Choir members again, there to support us at our first Evensong! We all returned to the Chapel, before getting into place for the real thing. The service began with The Preces, swiftly followed by Psalm 94. which then led into the Evening Service in C by Bryan Kelly. The service finished with an incredibly popular piece within the choir; Let my Love be Heard by Jake Runestad. The performance was completed with a version of the beautiful voluntary Fiat Lux by Théodore Dubois. The trip was an exceptional opportunity to develop as a choir and was a very fun experience amid a busy week.

Make a Difference Day Every one of our pupils journeyed out into Brighton and beyond at the end of September to volunteer their time to community projects. From working with the National Trust to preserve local ecosystems; to park and community cleans across the city and surrounding areas; to visiting local care home residents and supporting charities, everyone played a part. Throughout the day, we saw so many examples of pupils collaborating and showing kindness, and many learnt new skills as part of working with the community and the environment around us. Every pupil worked enthusiastically alongside community volunteers, proud of their contribution and grateful for the opportunity to support local organisations.

Antarctica 70 Twelve Travel. The Whole School Journeys. In December 2027, Brighton College will embark on an extraordinary expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, made possible with the generous support of Old Brightonian President Mark Green. The expedition will commemorate 70 years since Old Brightonian Sir Vivian Fuchs led the first overland crossing of Antarctica during 1957-58, and will be an opportunity for pupils to explore what this remarkable continent can teach us today. 12 Lower Sixth (current Upper Fifth) pupils will make the journey south. Hundreds more will be part of the story. Across the College, pupils will explore Antarctica through science, geography, art, writing and beyond. There will be opportunities to research, create, question, communicate and respond to the expedition – both from Brighton and, once the team is underway, through despatches from the Antarctic Peninsula. Pupils are currently undergoing a selection process, and those travelling will bring the experience home; sharing what they see, what they learn and the questions Antarctica leaves them asking. Antarctica is one of the most remote and extraordinary places on Earth – a place of scientific importance, extraordinary wildlife and profound environmental significance. For more information about our journey, please click here.

The 1957-58 Crossing 2,158 miles across Antarctica 99 days from coast to coast 1st overland crossing of the continent Fuchs was a scientist first and an explorer second; he was appointed Director of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1958, which became the British Antarctic Survey in 1962.

County Netball Champions! Brighton College netball competed at the National Schools County Round, with all three teams, U14A, U16A and 1st VII, qualifying for the Regional Round of the National Schools Competition. All three teams finished top of their respective groups, demonstrating outstanding skill, determination, teamwork and resilience throughout the competition. The girls held off some stiff competition to secure a clean sweep for Brighton College, with every team earning their place in the next round. This is a particularly special achievement, as it marks the first time in 10 years that all three age groups have qualified for the Regional Round on the same day, a fantastic milestone for the club Congratulations to all the girls involved. We are incredibly proud of what you have achieved.

Chess Success The school’s chess players enjoyed an impressive run of results across several major competitions. At the English U19 Finals in Nottingham, the team qualified by winning their regional event and produced an excellent performance, recording two wins and a draw on the opening day before narrowly challenging the tournament’s top two seeds on day two. At the Sussex University Masters, several pupils competed alongside former pupils returning from university. One player achieved a notable milestone by defeating an International Master in the final round. The British Championships, held at the University of Warwick, also brought significant success. Several pupils competed in the Major Open, while one player became a double British champion by winning both the British U14 Rapidplay Championship and the British U14 Championship with an outstanding score of 6½/7. Early-season tournaments provided further success, with a pupil finishing runner-up and claiming a rating prize at the Fareham FIDE Congress, while another secured second place in the U1900 section of the Golders Green FIDE Rapid Congress, marking a strong start to the academic year.

Celebrating a Special Teacher It was a special few days as we remembered our much-loved friend and chemistry teacher, Pete Bellenger, who died three years ago following a long illness with Motor Neurone Disease. Various sports fixtures were played, and we enjoyed a special evening meal together, reflecting on friendship, inspired by Pete’s example of kindness and generosity. The events culminated in a fantastic ‘Pete Bellenger Memorial Match’ on the Home Ground, with the 1st XV teams from Brighton and Cranleigh joining forces to celebrate Pete’s life, and to honour all those affected by MND, particularly family members, those in care roles and those who are leading medical research into a cure. The Cranleigh players, inspired by one of their players who had lost a family member to MND, had galvanised their whole school to raise funds for the MNDA, and it was a moving moment when their Captain presented us with a significant cheque to support the work. The match itself was a fullthrottle and exciting affair, with two exceptional teams giving their all, and the large crowd present completely united together in remembering that there are so many things in life more important than sport or victories, not least our friends and our families. It was an occasion that Pete himself would have loved.