Study Programmes
1) Short year programme (September to June) studying the first year of A levels and/or BTEC Level 3
This is a one year programme, where you will be joining the UK students for the first year of A Level or Level 3 BTEC courses.
You will study three subjects, which is the norm for UK A Level students. You will also study Academic IELTS English in your first year. If your IELTS is above 6.5 in every category on entry, you may not need to take IELTS. This will be discussed at interview.
Each subject has 4.5 hours of tuition plus 5 hours of planned study homework assignments per week. You will also have an ‘Enrichment’ opportunity on your timetable of 1.5hrs per week.
You will leave with one Level 3 qualification plus and IELTS certificate.
2) Two year full A Level/BTEC programme (September to July)
A Levels are a recognised route to UK university entry and are also viewed as prestigious qualifications across the world.
Some students choose a blend of A levels and Level 3 BTECS – which are more vocational subjects. You will study three subjects, which is the norm for UK A level/BTEC students.
You will also study Academic IELTS English in your first year. If your IELTS is above 6.5 in every category on entry, you may not need to take IELTS. This will be discussed at interview.
Each subject has 4.5 hours of tuition plus 5 hours of planned study homework assignments per week.
You will also have an Enrichment opportunity on your timetable of 1.5hrs per week.
| A Levels & BTEC | Tuition | Planned Study Assignments |
| Subject 1 | 4.5hrs | 5 |
| Subject 2 | 4.5hrs | 5 |
| Subject 3 | 4.5hrs | 5 |
| Enrichment | 1.5hrs | x |
| IELTS (if applicable) | 4.5hrs | 3 |
| Work commitment per week | 19.5hrs | 18hrs |
Occasionally on request if you are not studying IELTs, a student may take four subjects. This will depend on their having very high grades and clear reasons for studying an additional subject and will need the approval of the Vice-Principal for Curriculum.
You will leave with three A level qualifications plus an IELTs certificate.
3) International Baccalaureate – two year programme (September to July)
This is a full two year programme joining the UK students in the IB programme. There are approximately 100 students a year in the college choosing the IB and the results are always extremely high and above the global average. It is a globally recognised qualification.
You will study six academic subjects, study the Theory of Knowledge, write an extended essay and do projects for the Creative, Activity and Service (CAS) programme.
You study three subjects at Higher level at 3 hours tuition a week and three subjects at Standard level. All subjects have homework assignments.
You leave with the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Further information for IB is available on the website.
Find out more
How to Apply
Four great reasons to choose Varndean College
1. Excellent results
• Varndean is in the top 10% in the UK for ‘added value’ – this means that Varndean students perform better than 90% of all other schools/sixth forms in the country compared to students with the same GCSE grades on entry. This confirms the high quality teaching support, care and guidance that takes place here
• Our IB results are officially world class and are 4 points above the global average
2. A wide choice of subjects to study
• We offer an usually wide choice of 56 subjects of A level and BTEC vocational subjects
• We are the only college on the south coast of UK offering the International Baccalaureate
3. Excellent location
• We have a beautiful campus with fields and views of Brighton. Our students love the vibrant life in Brighton which is on a 15 min bus ride direct from the college
• We are 45 mins from Gatwick and 1hr 45 mins from Heathrow airports and 1.5hrs direct train line to London
4. International team support for welfare for all international students
• We have a dedicated International team, who support the students throughout their entire time at Varndean. We are renowned for our welfare support and many students recommend us due to our commitment to enabling them to have the best time here possible
• We select, monitor and support our team of local host families to provide a ‘home-from-home’ experience for our students. We have a dedicated Host Family Co-ordinator for support, and the International team monitor a 24/7 emergency phone line
• We run a very well-received Induction week at the start of the programme which is designed to give a warm welcome, build friendships and settle everyone into the new college, home and UK environment. It includes cultural trips out in the first week and throughout the first year
“Varndean College is an amazing environment for young people. All of the teachers are here to help students, especially Internationals. The International team have been a pleasure to know and have taught me so many things that I will bring outside the school grounds and into my adult life.” (Agnese, Italian 2024)
For all Application enquire please contact Shaun Clark at scl@varndean.ac.uk or telephone 0044 (0)1273 508011 ext 418
For Host family enquire please contact Siobhan Winney at international@varndean.ac.uk or telephone 0044 (0)1273 508011 ext 114