The Principal Welcomes You to Varndean College
Welcome to Varndean College, a sixth form college with a strong academic reputation, located in the lively and cosmopolitan City of Brighton on a very attractive campus surrounded by playing fields and with views of the sea.
The country's Chief Inspector for Schools and Colleges has identified Varndean as a "particularly successful" college. Varndean has a high reputation for examination results and students progress to university and employment - with many of our former students now prominent in public life. Students at Varndean become involved in a wide range of enrichment opportunities in sport, music, drama and societies and there is a lively student union. Support for students is excellent whether this be from personal tutors or using important services such as welfare, careers guidance and additional support for learning, including language support.
Choosing Your Courses
At Varndean College we have a choice of three International Programmes:
The Programme
Studying 3 subjects plus General English in the first year of A-levels or Level 3 (L3) BTECS.
You leave with one L3 qualification plus an IELTs certificate
Dates of the course:
3 Sept 2024 – 20 June 2025
Tuition fee: £10,420
Accommodation fee: £8,674
General Entry requirements
- You need to be age 16 to 18 yrs old
- You need a minimum Secure English Language Test (SELT) level – see below
- You need a Student Visa – see below
- Your current school grades need to show good levels in the subjects you are choosing to study with us. We will convert your school grades to the UK GCSE grade equivalent to establish your entry levels. We will be asking for your latest school report with a written recommendation from your current school
- You agree to live with a host family arranged by Varndean College or by your agent
The Programme
Studying 3 A-levels plus General English
You leave with 3 full A level qualifications plus an IELTs certificate
Dates of the course:
Year 1: 3 Sept 2024 to 11 Jul 2025
Tuition fee: £11,110
Accommodation fee: £9,343
Year 2: Sept 2025 to June 2026
Tuition fee: £10,710
Accommodation fee: £8,897
General Entry requirements
- You need to be age 16 to 18 yrs old
- You need a minimum Secure English Language Test (SELT) level – see below
- You need a Student Visa – see below
- Your current school grades need to show good levels in the subjects you are choosing to study with us. We will convert your school grades to the UK GCSE grade equivalent to establish your entry levels. We will be asking for your latest school report with a written recommendation from your current school
- You agree to live with a host family arranged by Varndean College or by your agent
The Programme
Studying 6 IB subjects plus TOK, CAS and extended essay.
You leave with full IB qualifications
Dates of the course:
Year 1: 3 Sept 2024 to 11 Jul 2025
Tuition fee: £14,340
Accommodation fee: £9,343
Year 2: Sept 2025 to June 2026
Tuition fee: £12,760
Accommodation fee: £7,782
General Entry requirements
- You need to be age 16 to 18 yrs old
- You need a minimum Secure English Language Test (SELT) level – see below
- You need a Student Visa – see below
- Your current school grades need to show good levels in the subjects you are choosing to study with us. We will convert your school grades to the UK GCSE grade equivalent to establish your entry levels. We will be asking for your latest school report with a written recommendation from your current school
- You agree to live with a host family arranged by Varndean College or by your agent
Secure English Language Test (SELT)
All our courses require an official Secure English Language Test (SELT) certificate as part of the Visa requirement
We accept certificates from three different providers:
| IELTS | Language Cert International ESOL SELT | Pearson PTE Academic UKVI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Year (1 year) | Overall 5.5 with no category less than 5.0 Reading & Writing must be at least 5.5 | CEFR B2 Note: Visa requirement is B1 but Varndean requires B2 | 43 overall Visa requirement of minimum of 43 in each category |
| Full A levels (2 years) | Overall 5.5 with no category less than 5.0 Reading & Writing must be at least 5.5 | CEFR B2 Note: Visa requirement is B1 but Varndean requires B2 | 43 overall Visa requirement of minimum of 43 in each category |
| Full International Baccalaureate (2 years) | Overall 6.5 with no category less than 6.0 Reading & Writing must be at least 6.5 | CEFR C1 | 56 overall No category less than 46 |
All our courses require a UKVI STUDENT VISA
Please click on this link for information about the UK VI Student Visa www.gov.uk/student-visa
Please click here for an overview of the process involved in applying for a visa
Choosing your subjects
Details of courses are listed in Section 9 of the International Application Form - please click here to download
All Courses are also listed in detail on the Varndean College website. Please click below to relevant courses
Application process and deadlines
- 1. Apply by 31st May 2024 We are a very popular College. We will run a waiting list for any applicants who miss the deadline, but we cannot guarantee a place. If the college is full before the deadline date, then we will close early for applications and place a notice on the website.
- 2. Your paperwork will be assessed
- 3. You will be invited for an online interview to discuss your subject choice and answer any questions you may have
- 4. You will be sent a Conditional offer
- 5. A deposit payment is requested to hold the place
- 6. You take the Academic UKVI IELTS test (see appendix C on the application form)
- 7. We send you an Unconditional Offer and the CAS
- 8. You then apply for a UKVI Student Visa (see appendix C on the application form)
- 9. If applicable, we allocate you a host family (between March – June) (see appendix B on the application form)
- 10. We send you Induction and Orientation information (July)