Eastbourne College A GSG School
- Eastbourne College
Old Wish Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JX - Head: Mr Tom Lawson MA (Oxon)
- T 01323 452323
- F 01323 452307
- E admissions@eastbourne-college.co.uk
- W www.eastbourne-college.co.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 13 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: East Sussex
- Pupils: 622; sixth formers: 300
- Religion: Christian
- Fees: Day £30,495 - £31,080; Boarding £46,455 - £47,175 pa
- Open days: 8 February 2025; 10 May 2025; 18th September 2025 (Sixth Form); 4 October 2025
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
The stunning main building with its cloisters opening onto College Field, the iconic rugby and cricket pitch, gets you at first sight. We dropped into the school’s recording studio and saw the magic: a current year 11’s music video up on the control centre’s screen...The removal of Saturday school has shifted the dial at this traditionally full boarding school and now...
What the school says...
Few top senior independent schools in Britain offers a six-minute stroll to the doorstep of a national park, an international tennis venue, a county cricket ground, two challenging golf courses, award-winning beaches, theatres, a modern art gallery, a modern shopping centre with state-of-the-art cinema, and a mainline station with direct trains to London (85 minutes) and London Gatwick Airport (55 minutes). ...Read more
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Curricula
Cambridge Pre-U - an alternative to A levels, with all exams at the end of the two-year course.
Sports
Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.
Rowing
Fencing
Shooting
Sailing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
Since 2016, Tom Lawson, read PPE at Oxford and previously deputy head at Christ’s Hospital. Spent 16 years at Winchester as a housemaster and head of boarding.
Over the course of his headship at Eastbourne College (EC), Mr Lawson has overseen a vast renovation of the campus. Project 150, as it is known, has resulted in a new fitness centre, swimming pool, school cafe, 32 new classrooms, art gallery, canteen, and has completely transformed the school site. But he is less about glamour projects and more about ‘rounding the individual’. Regarded by staff and pupils as an ‘intellectual genius’ he is intent on upping the academic ante, ‘We want to be all-round, but academics must come first,’ he says.
He showed us round his lovely house...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
The College operates a policy of integration for pupils needing learning support, while providing additional help through extra tuition from specialist teachers, dispensations in examinations and monitoring as necessary. The College aims to recruit pupils who will cope with the academic demands and pass the GCSE hurdle for entry into the sixth form, currently a grade average of six. Children who have experienced some learning difficulties, but achieve an average of 50 per cent at CE, and have interests and talents that can be nurtured and developed here, should thrive. Specialist lessons are generally provided on an individual basis, though, when appropriate, pupils are occasionally taught in small groups. Pupils have one or two 35 minute lessons a week. Lessons usually take place within the academic timetable. Pupils in Years 9-11 can choose Supported Study as an option, providing time for tuition and supervision from specialist staff. Otherwise suitable times for lessons are arranged. Fees for tuition are set by the College, and charged as extra on termly bills. The learning support co-ordinator, house master/mistress and tutor work to provide good communication between all those involved in teaching, monitoring progress and meeting pupils’ needs. Eastbourne College is a family co-educational school, and we are always happy to meet parents, show them round and discuss their children’s needs. If there are any doubts about the college being the right school for a particular child, then there will be careful consultation with parents and the feeder school.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
Y |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
Y |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
Y |
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
Y |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
Y |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
Y |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bede's Preparatory School | 2024 | 3 | ||
| Brambletye School | 2024 | 5 | 4 | Scholarships: 2 Art, 1 Sport, 1 Drama |
| Holmewood House School | 2024 | 5 | ||
| Saint Ronan's School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Vinehall School | 2024 | 3 | 1 |
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