Oxford International College, Brighton Review
Oxford International College Brighton (OIC Brighton) will open in September 2023. Located in the East Sussex coastal town, the school will be offering Pre-GCSE, GCSE and A Level courses for both British and overseas students in Years 9 to 13.
This is the second branch of Oxford International College, a Nord Anglia-owned sixth form college in Oxford that teaches A Levels. OIC is a small standalone college of around 250 students, and offers a strong choice of A Levels, GCSEs and short courses. It's a high achieving school that has topped the UK’s independent school league tables since 2019. Over 90% of students achieve A*-A grades and, in 2021, 50% of students achieved straight A*s and 100% of students received offers to study at Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
The college will be led by CEO Yasmin Sarwar who previously founded Cardiff Sixth Form College. Ms Sarwar said:
“OIC’s success results from a robust strategic system comprehensively designed to nurture each student’s talents and ambitions in order to give them the best possible start. Having led two schools to the top of the UK’s independent schools leaderboard, I am excited to see this successful formula applied at OIC Brighton on such a fantastic new campus.”
OIC Brighton is the fourth Nord Anglia school to open in the UK. In March 2021 OIC, Oxford Sixth Form College and d’Overbroeck’s all joined the global education group, which now has 77 schools worldwide. By becoming part of the Nord Anglia family of schools, students at OIC Brighton could benefit from the group’s collaborations with global institutions including MIT, Kings College London, Juilliard, and UNICEF; they will also have access to Nord Anglia’s Global Campus, a learning platform that connects students worldwide.
Andrew Fitzmaurice, Nord Anglia’s Chief Executive Officer, added:
“OIC Brighton’s students will benefit from the outstanding academic provision pioneered by Yasmin and the team at OIC while being taught on an impressive new campus. As a Nord Anglia school, OIC Brighton’s students will also have access to the global opportunities we create through our partnerships with UNICEF, MIT and Juilliard, while being able to connect with 70,000 other Nord Anglia students around the world.”
Curriculum
OIC will offer an intensive one-year pre-GCSE (Year 9), two-year GCSE (Years 10-11), intensive one-year GCSE (Year 11), and two-year A Level programme (Years 12-13).
All students will study maths, additional maths, chemistry, physics, biology and English for GCSE; options may include business studies, computer science, psychology, history, geography, and languages. There are also non-examined subjects including study skills, research skills, teamwork skills, PE and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education).
Students at the Oxford OIC campus follow a six-day timetable, which sees them taking short exams in each A Level subject on most Saturdays. This has not yet been announced for the Brighton campus.
A standout feature of OIC's curriculum is its focus on careers. OIC has created its own Supercurricular programme which goes one step further than traditional extra-curricular programmes by offering several career-centred activities alongside sports, charity work, and arts clubs. Students have opportunities to attend degree-related guest lectures, complete work experience, and enter competitions related to their chosen career. In addition, all students are supported by a University of Oxford mentor who offer them the benefit of their knowledge and experience of applying to a leading university.
Campus and facilities
OIC Brighton will be located at Ovingdean Hall in Brighton, with capacity for 500 students. Facilities opening next September will include a common room and student cafe, dining hall, medical centre, gym, prayer room and a learning resource centre; there will be boarding facilities for 450 students with dedicated study spaces and a communal hall.
Phase 2, due to be completed in Summer 2024, will add additional boarding, a communal hall, a sports hall and a full fitness centre.
Admission and fees
Fees and admission requirements have not been announced for the new campus. At the Oxford OIC campus, all students must complete admissions tests in their chosen subjects and an online aptitude test, as well as an interview in person or by Skype. Offers to non-native English-speaking students are conditional upon the student’s IELTS.
As a guide, annual tuition fees for the two-year A Level programmes are £23,970 (day students) and an extra £24,210 for its boarding accommodation package.
If you are the owner or the principal of the school and note any inaccuracies, or would like to update data, you can now open an account with us. You will also be able to add admissions availability per year group, and advertise current job vacancies. This is a free service. Please help us keep prospective parents up to date with your latest information.
Are you looking for a place for your child, and want help from our school consultants? If so, click on the link below, and we will forward your request for information to the school or schools of the same type that we are confident have availability. This is a free service for our readers. Request Information
