Eastbourne College Overview
Eastbourne College, set in the seaside town of Eastbourne on England’s south coast, blends tradition with modern ambition. Founded in 1867, it became fully co-educational in 1995, with girls now making up around 44% of the student body.
The campus sits just five minutes from Eastbourne railway station, offering direct connections to London Victoria and Gatwick Airport. Heathrow is easily reached by coach from Gatwick, making the school well-connected for both UK and international families.
In its 2014 review by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, the College earned top marks—‘Excellent’ in eight out of ten assessed areas and ‘Good’ in the remaining two.
As part of its 150th anniversary, Eastbourne College embarked on a £33 million campus redevelopment, completed in Spring 2018, reinforcing its commitment to excellence for future generations.
Table of Contents
Basic Information
Location
Eastbourne College offers a striking blend of heritage architecture and modern facilities. The campus, just steps from Eastbourne’s vibrant arts scene—galleries, theatres, and cultural venues—is as inspiring as it is convenient.
Among Tier 2 UK boarding schools, Eastbourne College holds a strong reputation, particularly among traditional families. It’s often seen as an alternative to schools like Tonbridge or Charterhouse, and shares similarities with Caterham School—though with a sharper academic focus.
Academics
Eastbourne College places a strong emphasis on academic achievement within a supportive and balanced environment. The goal: for pupils to enjoy learning, think creatively, and pursue ambitious futures. The College also offers a robust careers programme, guided by experienced advisors. Students benefit from dedicated career lessons, alumni networking, and an annual careers fair hosted by the Old Eastbournian Association.
Eastbourne College Courses And Programmes
Eastbourne College follows the National Curriculum for England, offering GCSEs, A-Levels, and the Cambridge Pre-U. The academic programme leans into tradition, with a strong showing in Classical Civilisation, Greek, Latin, and Politics.
In Sixth Form, students choose from 28 A-Level subjects, and many complement their studies with an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or the Gold Arts Award. Beyond academics, the Headmaster personally oversees a life skills programme covering essentials like cooking, personal finance, teamwork, driving, charity work, and resilience. Parents consistently praise these practical courses for their long-term value.
A-Level Performance and University Success
Students excel across a wide range of disciplines—from Maths and English to sciences, humanities, languages, and the creative arts. Notably, half of the College’s top academic performers are girls. In 2020, six girls earned places at Oxford and Cambridge, including Chloe Cox, who achieved an exceptional five A* grades and now studies Veterinary Science at Cambridge.
Eastbourne College Application Deadline
Applications for boarding places should be submitted to the College before the September prior to the start of the academic year the student wishes to enter. For example, applications for entry in either September 2026 or January 2027 should be submitted before September 2025.
Eastbourne College Results
Eastbourne College had an amazing performance in the 2024 examinations. At A-Levels, 47% of students scored A*-A, while 52% of students scored 9-7 in the GCSEs.
Eastbourne College Boarding And Pastoral Care
The school has a very strong tradition for boarding and approximately half of the students are boarders. There are two boarding houses for girls (Nugent and School) and three for boys (Gonville, Pennell and Wargrave). All the houses are staffed by a resident housemaster or housemistress supported by a team of tutors that includes a resident tutor in the boarding houses. The boarding houses also have a resident matron. At weekends, a series of activities and events take place from house concerts, to dinners, sport, drama, music and trips. There is a medical centre in the campus to ensure that medical cover is available day and night for boarders.
Eastbourne College Extracurricular Activities
Typicall,y pupils will be involved in anything from one to three activity sessions per week depending on the term and the year group. The activities include drama, music, arts, skills, sports, games and fitness. There also programmes to train up the life skills of the students as well as to broaden their horizon such as Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and expeditions.
All Year 10 pupils join the Combined Cadet Force so that they can acquire a sense of responsibility, camaraderie and resourcefulness. The school is well-equipped with theatre, art centre and different kind of sport facilities such as pitches and swimming pool. And the school is located in coastal area so students can enjoy aquatic activities and water sports if they wish to.
Besides, the school organises many art and drama related courses, such as art, dance, drama and music. They co-operate with a lot of outstanding organisations to provide workshops and programme, including the Royal Society of Arts. The school also runs many student-initiated charity and fundraising activities to help the local society.
Eastbourne College Reviews
Eastbourne College Contact Information
- Official website: https://www.eastbourne-college.co.uk
- Location: Old Wish Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JY
- Email: reception@eastbourne-college.co.uk
- Phone call: +44 1323 452300
