A COLLEGE and an adjoining school have received the highest possible rating in a recent inspection report.

Brighton College and Prep School were rated "excellent" in all categories in an Independent Inspection Report - the highest possible rating.

Both schools also passed every compliance standard.

Based in Kemp Town, Brighton College and Prep school had their first full inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate for more than five years.

The report highlighted the “extent of the pupils’ commitment to contributing to others in the school and the wider community is outstanding”, as well as that “kindness is at the core of the school”.

The report also highlighted that “there is a marked lack of pressure to conform to a stereotype” and that “pupils have highly developed social consciences, turning their awareness of social issues into positive action.”

Brighton College headmaster Richard Cairns said: “I am delighted for our pupils and our teachers that their values and achievements have been recognised in such glowing terms by the inspectors.

“It means a lot to all of us to have external affirmation of this nature.”

The school was also recently named United Kingdom Independent School of the Decade by The Sunday Times for regularly achieving the best A-level and GCSE results of any co-educational school in the UK.

The inspection took place just before Christmas.

In December last year, the school was also named the eighth best independent secondary school in The Sunday Times 2022 Schools Guide.

The school featured on the list alongside some of the UK’s most high profile schools, including Eton College and Westminster.

Mr Cairns said shared his delight, highlighted the “equal emphasis the college places on the non-academic elements of a proper education”.

“The best example of which is England rugby player Marcus Smith’s rise to fame, kicking the points that saw off world champions South Africa last week,” he said.

“We are also thrilled that this table coincides with our introduction of twenty 120 per cent sixth form scholarships for local students from socially or economically disadvantaged, or refugee, backgrounds.

“One of our first recipients of this, a Syrian refugee, recently won a scholarship to Oxford University.”

St Paul's Girls' School in London ranked first in the list with 97.8 per cent of their students achieving an A* to B grade at A-Level and 99.4 per cent achieving an A*, A, 9, 8 or 7 at GCSE.

At Brighton College, 97.4 per cent of students achieved an A* to B grade at A-Level and 90.9 per cent achieved an A*, A, 9, 8 or 7 at GCSE.