Ardingly College is an independent co-education day and boarding school for pupils.  Located in the 230 acres of Sussex countryside, Ardingly College benefits from being close to the vibrant university city of Brighton, while London is 45 minutes away by train and Gatwick airport 20 minutes by car.   

 

Academic

The Senior School provides an all-round education centred on a strong academic core with excellent academic results. Once in Senior School, students work towards their GCSE’s. Then in the Sixth Form students select to take IB, A-Level and/or BTEC. In addition, there are academic enrichment and extension opportunities.  

 

Ardingly attract both top performers and also late bloomers who have a strong work ethic and apply a good attitude to school. The school work towards nurturing both academic ability and life skills to build future success beyond school and nearly every student seeking a place at university is successful. 

 

Wellbeing

College life is based on a strong boarding provision with a progressive ethos around preparing the students to be ready for the world.  Each house has a House Master / Mistress and an assistant. In addition, each house has a tutor team. Every student will be appointed a personal tutor who they will meet at least once a week either individually or in a small tutor group and be the first point of contact with parents. In the Upper Sixth, each student is appointed a tutor whose subject or background is most aligned to what they are considering as a career or for further study.  They are therefore best placed to help them with their university or job application.   

 

Boarding

There is a friendly boarding community consisting of six boarding houses each with a diverse range of boarders from around the world and the UK. With such busy and active school days, the boarding house is a welcome retreat to relax during breaks and evenings mid-week. During the weekend boarders may visit the local shops or visit Brighton, or sometimes there are organised trips, such as to a local theme park. Saturday night socials are very popular, these tend to be themed (such as Octoberfest, Casino night or Chinese New Year) and each house takes it, in turn, to organise and host the event.   

 

Extra-curricular

The school offers an outstanding range of co-curricular activities and has a proud tradition of sporting achievement, particularly in football and girls’ hockey. Music and Drama are particularly strong, with a vibrant extra-curricular provision including international music tours, concerts held at a range of venues across the Southeast, while the Drama department frequently takes productions to Chequer Mead Theatre in Sussex and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.