Founded in 1845 by William Aldwin Soames, Brighton College was the first independent school to be founded in Sussex. Our historic gothic buildings were designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott R and, later, Sir Thomas Graham Jackson RA. As the school has evolved, so too has our campus, with numerous award-winning buildings being added over the years.
The school has a long history of being innovative, occupying a significant place in the development of British education.
During the nineteenth century the College helped promote the use of individual classrooms for teaching small groups; we were an early pioneer in teaching both modern languages and science, and later erected the first purpose-built science laboratory; we invented the school magazine; and we set up the first gymnasium.
From our foundation we established a reputation for entrepreneurial thinking and for questioning the traditional teaching methods.