5 Ways Brighton College Dubai Stands Out From the Crowd

Here are five things that make multi award-winning British school Brighton College Dubai stand out from the crowd

Posted on

28 November 2023

| Last updated on 15 December 2023

Why Choose Brighton College Dubai | Top British curriculum private schools in Dubai

Having opened its doors in 2018, Brighton College Dubai has been steadily making a name for itself amongst the competitive educational landscape of Dubai.

Here are some things that make it stand out among the plethora of British private schools in Dubai.

1. Amazing academic results & Award-Winning

The academic achievements of Brighton pupils are difficult to overlook. In 2022, GCSE pupils led the school to be placed among the top 3 in Dubai for GCSE results, with 2023 marking the third year with outstanding results.

2023 also marked the first Year 13 cohort to come out of the college, and their results did not disappoint either: 74% of pupils achieved grades A* to B in their exams, and many secured places in top universities around the globe, where they will go on to study alongside their counterparts in the UK.

The school has also won numerous prestigious awards, including ‘Best British School in Dubai’ by LuxLife Private Education Awards 2022 & 2023, ‘Support in Life Beyond School’ at Talk Education Awards 2023, and, most recently, ‘Best New School in the UAE 2018-2023’ in the highly competitive Top Schools Awards by SchoolsCompared.

2. The College offers a ‘school readiness’ programme for its littlest pupils

To help facilitate a smooth transition for the future FS1 pupils, Brighton College Dubai offers a highly successful ‘Bright Start’ programme, where children, along with parents or carers, are invited into the school once a week for ‘stay and play’ sessions ahead of starting their first full term.

In the course of those sessions, pupils will become familiar with the environment, get to know the teachers, and engage in activities that will help build their levels of independence and confidence. Whilst children are busy having fun in the classroom, parents and carers are invited to attend workshops and talks from experts in the field of early education and child development.

The ‘Bright Start’ programme is just one of many building blocks that help create a highly commended Early Years section that Which School Advisor called ‘quite possibly the most outstanding early years practice we have experienced in the UAE’.

The programme runs from April to June before the start of the new academic year in August.

School Readiness Programme at Brighton College Dubai

3. Extensive well-being support

On top of helping young people achieve amazing academic results, Brighton College Dubai claims to strongly focus on creating happy, kind and well-round individuals.

Those claims are supported by an ever-present culture of kindness at the school, as well as a comprehensive support system that ensures every child’s emotional needs are met.

This system includes not only counselling support and bespoke therapy groups for the pupils themselves, but on-demand counselling for the staff and even the parents, as well – as these are the people whose well-being directly affects the child.

On top of that, the school runs ‘Sunshine committee’ dedicated to staff appreciation and well-being, acknowledging that happy teachers = happy children.

4. Sister to ‘UK Independent School of the Decade’

Brighton College Dubai isn’t a Brighton College just in the name – its connection to its sister school, Brighton College UK, is reflected in many aspects, including a shared ethos, culture and academic standards.

UK Independent School of the Decade | Brighton College UK Dubai

The staff from both schools regularly visit each other to exchange experience and expertise and conduct friendly peer reviews, and Sixth Form pupils from Brighton College Dubai even take an annual trip to Brighton College in the UK where they get to attend classes for a few days alongside their UK counterparts and immerse themselves in a true Brighton College experience.

Thanks to this connection, Brighton College Dubai and its other UAE sister schools – Brighton College Abu Dhabi and Brighton College Al Ain - continue to benefit from the centuries-long history of their founding relative.

5. Pupils can choose from over 200 extracurricular activities

In addition to providing an outstanding curriculum, Brighton College Dubai offers its pupils an impressive range of CCAs (around 200 to choose from!), both internal and external, made to fit the interests, needs and priorities of every single child.

Student extracurricular activities at Brighton College Dubai

Those include a variety of:

Sports (from football, netball and swimming to horse riding, golfing and kickboxing).
Languages (Spanish, German, Italian and even a brand-new Mandarin course that launched this year).
Fun activities (puzzles, origami, creating comics, chess, board games).
Clubs that help prepare for subject specific competitions (Art and photography competitions, Chemistry Olympiad, MAT exam prep and more).
Clubs aimed for inclusion-related support (English as Additional Language).
More opportunities for Gifted & Talented children (Sheikh Zayed Group and Tournament of the Minds).

The pupils are actively encouraged to try different activities in order to realise their full potential.