Best private schools in Brighton and East Sussex
The county’s private school scene plays host to a few great pre-prep and prep schools, as well as some world class senior schools. Increasingly the senior schools are now using the ISEB pre-test in year 6 as part of their admissions process, with some dropping the Common Entrance at 13+ entirely. Some prep schools still run these exams in year 8 to aid senior schools with setting, but most have now adopted a more holistic approach to the year 7 and 8 curriculum, more in line with the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate.
Private schools in Brighton and Hove
Prep schools in Brighton and Hove
Brighton College Prep which has now ditched its entrance exams for its pre-prep pupils, offers a ‘phenomenal’ education from 3 until 13. No guaranteed admission to Brighton College although the vast majority (over 90 per cent) transition there in year 9. Others recently to Bede’s, Sevenoaks, Roedean and Eastbourne College, to name a few.
Lancing Prep Hove is another strong option. Our reviewer found that ‘parents praise the teaching throughout, saying the school takes a softer, more all-round approach than its better known rival, Brighton College Prep’. Nearly half of year 8s head on to Lancing College. The rest to the obvious local private options.
If you are looking for single sex then consider Brighton Girls Prep where a parent told us, ‘We just love the well-rounded education here, our daughter is delighted to go to school each day, which says it all.’ 95 per cent move up to the senior school.
Brighton College Prep Handcross, north of Brighton and in West Sussex, is another branch of the Brighton College family tree. The A23 makes it a very commutable option from Brighton and many families choose it to get one foot in the door for the senior school – although progression is not guaranteed.
Thanks to its convenient daily minibus, Windlesham House, also in West Sussex and newly merged with Charterhouse School in Surrey, is another favoured option for Brighton families looking for something more traditional, rural and with the option of boarding.
Private secondary schools in Brighton and Hove
Without doubt considered to be one of the leading schools in the UK, Brighton College has put the city on the education map. Its fleet of buses travel into East and West Sussex every day ferrying children from 20 miles away or more. This makes the school a viable day option for far more families and allows pupils to benefit from the school’s strong academic reputation and vibrant co-curricular offerings alongside its boarders.
If you are looking for an all-girls option, you are spoilt for choice with both Brighton Girls GDST and Roedean strong contenders in the area.
It is also worth mentioning Lancing College which, although officially in West Sussex, has one of its popular prep schools in Hove. A number of families therefore head there for the next stage of their school journey. You can board or catch the bus that ferries pupils to and from various locations in and around Brighton each day.
Private schools near Eastbourne
Prep schools near Eastbourne
Bede’s Prep, with its breathtaking views and incredible position, is a must see. ‘A happy school,’ says our reviewer, with families saying that it’s ‘good at turning out all-rounders'. ‘It’s pretty unsophisticated and relaxed – you don’t get awful pushy parents there – they trust the school to know what it’s doing,’ said one. And, in the words of a pupil, ‘My parents wish they could have come here.’ Most of the year 8s head to the senior school in Upper Dicker. The rest to Eastbourne College and Brighton College.
St Andrew’s Prep is the prep school for Eastbourne College. It is described by our reviewer as ‘a school that values kindness and nurtures loyalty, pride and character. Where children grow up at their own pace in a safe inspiring environment by the sea’. The majority of leavers go up to the College.
Private secondary schools near Eastbourne
Eastbourne College is the obvious choice. ‘Tradition intertwines with modernity at this forward-thinking all-rounder gem,’ says our reviewer. ‘Hard workers and doers thrive and go into the world as grounded people you’re going to want to be around.’ One long-standing parent told us, ‘If I’d have had 20 children, I’d have put them all through Eastbourne!’
Although not in Eastbourne, Bede’s Senior School is the most popular destination for children who go to its prep school, which is in Eastbourne. It is an interesting alternative to Eastbourne College which our reviewer describes as ‘not [a] typical public school, as you imagine them to be…Bede’s has more variety… it has the diversity that a modern school needs’. ‘Caters for all sorts,’ we were told by another parent with three very different children happily accommodated at Bede’s.
Plenty of children in the Eastbourne area head to Brighton College which has a useful daily bus to and from Eastbourne as well as the surrounding areas.
Private schools near Hastings
Prep schools near Hastings
Marlborough House Vinehall in Robertsbridge is a traditional rural prep school. The result of a recent merger between two local preps, Marlborough House and Vinehall School, and now occupying the previous site of the latter. The school is a member of the Repton School family of schools, despite the mothership being some 155 miles away.
The prep attached to Battle Abbey School, in Bexhill is a truly unique all through school. Worth noting that the prep school is on a separate site to the senior school in Battle. A small school with excellent pastoral care.
Claremont School in St Leonard’s is an all-through school with a junior department on a different site to its senior school in Bodiam.
Private secondary schools near Hastings
Battle Abbey is a school with a truly unique history. The senior school is on the site of the Battle of Hastings, with William the Conqueror’s ruined abbey in its grounds. A small and nurturing nonselective school of which parents speak highly.
Claremont School is another small option in the area with an emphasis on pastoral care. You can find the senior school in Bodiam, whilst the prep school is down in St Leonard’s.
Private schools near Lewes
Prep schools near Lewes
In Lewes itself you are limited to the small and nurturing Morley House, junior department of Lewes Old Grammar School.
West Sussex is close enough to have considerable draw for families living in and around Lewes. Cumnor House Prep School near Hayward’s Heath is just across the border and a large number of East Sussex families choose it for their children. This successful and well known ‘destination’ prep school feeds a number of the leading schools across East Sussex and further afield.
Right on the border of the Sussexes, near East Grinstead, is Brambletye. This picture-book prep school has handy minibus routes into Kent, West Sussex and surrounding East Sussex villages.
Hurstpierpoint College Prep is in West Sussex. But, with an extensive bus network that extends into East Sussex, it is chosen by plenty of families further afield. The prep shares the senior school’s 140-acre site and all its facilities. Nearly all the children move on to the big school at 13+.
Brighton College Prep Handcross is part of Brighton College’s family of prep schools, so a common option for families hoping to smooth a path for their children into Brighton College although there’s no guaranteed admission.
Private secondary schools near Lewes
Lewes Old Grammar School is an all-through and the only private school on offer in Lewes itself. With an emphasis on pastoral care, it prides itself on its inclusivity and acceptance of all and manages to keep its fees lower than nearby competition.
Bede’s Senior School, (see Eastbourne) is an easy journey from Lewes and has a web of bus routes picking up and dropping off around the county. The school even has its own bus service app. Brighton College and Eastbourne College are also particularly popular with families round this way.
Although in West Sussex, Hurstpierpoint College attracts families living around Lewes, no doubt helped by the school running a bus service here. ‘Hurst’ as it is fondly known, has a local reputation for being impossible to get in to. Indeed, since upping the ante on academics, it is no longer a back-up choice for those who miss a place at more famous public schools. So registering early is a must.
Private schools near Crowborough
Prep schools near Crowborough
Skipper’s Hill Manor Prep in Mayfield is a traditional co-ed prep set in 22 acres of woodland and fields. Unsurprisingly there’s an emphasis on outdoors learning and, for a small school, they pack a punch on the sports field with pupils winning sports scholarships to the likes of Brighton College and Eastbourne College. Crowborough families also like Cumnor House (see West Sussex) which runs a minibus service picking up and dropping off every day from the Blue Anchor.
Private secondary schools near Crowborough
Mayfield School is a Catholic school for girls, with a strong pastoral focus. Our reviewer described admissions as ‘gently selective’ with academic expectations increasing further up the school. A number of schools in the county, including Brighton College and Eastbourne College, have an excellent daily and weekly bus network with stops in Crowborough and the surrounding area.
Private schools for children with special educational needs in Brighton and East Sussex
Northease Manor School near Lewes is a specialist independent school for children aged 10-18, who have autism and/or specific learning difficulties including ADHD. Mainstream in style, but suits children who need a gentler pace, smaller class sizes and a broader curriculum. Lots of hands-on practical subjects and therapies alongside academic learning. Meticulous four-day entrance procedure with most children funded by local authority. Small sixth form offers dual placements with college courses, and supported transitions.
Frewen College near Rye is a specialist school for children whose primary need is dyslexia, speech and language difficulty, dyscalculia and sometimes dyspraxia, taking children from 7 years old. A uniquely special school where the children are ‘encouraged to value themselves and eventually walk, fully equipped, over the bridge to face the world beyond’.
LVS Hassocks, although strictly in West Sussex, is one of three schools in the LVS family which specialise in a secondary education to 16 for autistic children who are school able. With lots of attention to core skills in the classroom, the children are free to explore more practical interests in the grounds, polytunnel and animal enclosures. Good liaison with local businesses to create opportunities for practical placements. All children funded by local authority.
Also in West Sussex, Muntham House School is a day and boarding school near Horsham for boys 5-18 with autism, ADHD, some trauma and social, emotional needs. Set in a grand manor house, the school makes use of its spacious grounds for practical subjects, such as animal care and car maintenance. Excellent therapies in a purpose-built suite, provide holistic as well as a room specifically for Lego therapy. All children funded by EHCP.
