Brighton College 11+ entry guide

Considering Brighton College for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about 11+ entry. Learn how to apply, what’s on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare for success.

Key information for Brighton College

• Address: Brighton College, Eastern Road, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN2 0AL
• Age range and gender: boys and girls aged 11–18
• Type of school: independent day and boarding
• Number of students: 1,200+
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• 11+ selection criteria: ISEB Common Pre-Test, interviews and activities
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries and sibling discounts
• 11+ scholarships: academic, junior (academic plus one additional interest from sport, music, art, dance and drama), chess and choral

About Brighton College

Brighton College is an independent school for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1845 in the popular southern seaside city of Brighton. In 2021, The Sunday Times named Brighton College ‘United Kingdom School of the Decade’. It praised the school's culture of kindness and ‘remarkable upward journey’.

Brighton College has a strong focus on pastoral care and wellbeing. This provision includes weekly mindfulness classes, meditation workshops and yoga. All pupils belong to a house and socialise with pupils from different age groups. Boarding is available for pupils in Year 9 and above, with around half of students living in boarding houses.

The school is one of the leading sports schools in the country, with 50 matches played every week. Some of the state-of-the-art sports facilities include a rooftop running track and a 25-metre swimming pool. Music, dance, drama and art are also thriving, with a musical, carol service, art exhibitions and pupil-directed plays featuring in the annual calendar.

Dates for your diary

• Registration closes: November in Year 6
• Entrance exam: December in Year 6
• Interviews and further activities: January in Year 6
• Offers of places: January in Year 6

Brighton College 11+ entrance exam

All children applying for 11+ entry to Brighton College sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test. This is an exam created by the Independent Schools Examination Board which is usually taken in the autumn term of Year 6.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is taken online and consists of multiple choice questions. It is entirely adaptive, which means the questions become more difficult depending on how your child is performing. The questions span four subjects:

• Maths: questions are based on the Year 5 national curriculum – although children in Year 6 may find this section challenging. The questions range from arithmetic to multi-step problem solving.
• English: questions are split into two sections: reading comprehension, and spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Verbal reasoning: your child will be tested on their ability to reason and solve problems with written information, such as letters, words, symbols and numbers.
• Non-verbal reasoning: these questions assess your child’s logic, critical thinking and problem-solving skills using figures and diagrams. They will need to show that they can analyse and manipulate 2D and 3D figures.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test takes around 2 and a half hours to complete. Your child can sit the four subjects together or at separate times. If they are taking all four subjects on the same day, they will be allowed a short break between each section.

All children are invited back to the school in January for an interview and activities day. Children take part in a range of immersive activities with teachers, and have two short interviews with teachers. Learn top tips in our guide to independent school interviews.

Atom’s top tips for applying to Brighton College

Brighton College is a selective school, and competition for places can be high. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.

Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Hone curiosity

Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.

Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.

When you set Brighton College as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get ISEB mock tests as part of their learning plan. Atom’s mock tests mirror the real ISEB – the curriculum, the timings, the controls and even the colours. Know what to expect on exam day.