Varndean School is a

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

serving a large area of

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. In 2013, 2017 and 2022, Ofsted inspectors described Varndean as a 'Good' school. Varndean shares the Surrenden Campus with Balfour Primary School, Dorothy Stringer School, Varndean College and Downs View Link college.

History

Varndean was founded in 1884 in central Brighton as York Place Higher Grade School. An Organised Science School was added in 1894. The name changed to Brighton Municipal Secondary School for Girls in 1905. During World War I, the York Place buildings were taken over for use as an Indian Military Hospital and not returned until 1919. In 1926, the school moved to a new site on the outskirts of Brighton. It was renamed 'Varndean' School for Girls, after the nearby farm. The new building was opened by the Duchess of Atholl. During World War II half the school evacuated to Yorkshire. The School was a Grammar school for girls until the comprehensive movement and the take-over of Brighton by East Sussex County Council saw the educational system reorganised. Between 1975 and 1979, Varndean Grammar School for Girls became Varndean High School, a coeducational comprehensive. The Boys' Grammar School became Varndean Sixth Form College. The school’s position on Ditchling Road provides far reaching views across Brighton and Hove, and equally the school is visible from much of the City. The original building design from 1926 has been both modified and expanded since to accommodate increased pupil numbers. In the original building, several rooms have been converted into IT suites and extensions made to house new Mathematics rooms, a Music suite and extra PE facilities, such as a Fitness Suite and a Dance Studio. A Sports hall, astro-turf and 3G pitches have also been added. The Balfour Building, opened in 1993, houses Art and Design Technology. The Friar Building, in use since 2000, accommodates English and Humanities. In 2008, a new expanded Library opened in the Ditchling building, which was refurbished in 2013 as the new Reading Room. Further expansion works within the existing building footprint in 2021-22 brought a second floor to the canteen, new classrooms for Mathematics, Art and Philosophy, and an IT office. The creation of the new Art classroom made way for one of the existing Art rooms in Balfour building to be repurposed as a dedicated clay studio complete with a kiln. Upgrading of the exterior multi-sports surfaces was completed in 2023-24 and regeneration of two classrooms on the Balfour hardcourt took pkace in 2024. Varndean was the first specialist school in the city, being granted a specialism in Technology in 1998. In 2005 it went on to be designated a high-performing specialist school; in 2006 Varndean obtained its second specialism in Music, followed by a third specialism in Applied Learning in 2007. Several Pygmy goats were introduced in September 2016 and were cared for by students. The goats were initially being rehomed and intended to control grass, but their therapeutic effects and recreational benefits were recognised. In April 2021, the goats were moved to Ferring Country Centre during construction works at the school, but are now there permanently. In the summer of 2022 several Continental Giant Rabbits were introduced as the school's new therapy animals, followed by a herd of guinea pigs in the autumn.

Headteachers

Below is a list of all the headteachers of the school. *1884–1894 M. Brion *1894–1901 A. North *1901–1909 L. Hilton *1909–1937 E. Ellis *1937–1961 M. Warmington (Varndean School for Girls) *1961–1977 R. Clarke (Varndean School for Girls) *1977–1986 M. Smithers *1986–1999 P. Bowmaker O.B.E *1999–2008 A. Schofield *2009–2021 W. Deighan *2021– S. Baker

Notable current staff

* Stuart Tuck, Professional footballer and coach ( Brighton & Hove Albion, Eastbourne Borough, Bognor Regis Town, Whitehawk, Burgess Hill Town).

Notable former pupils

* * Russell Martin, football manager (

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

, Swansea City, MK Dons) and international footballer (

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, Rangers, Norwich City, Peterborough United, Wycombe Wanderers) * Lewis Dunk, international footballer (

, Brighton & Hove Albion) * Darren Freeman, professional footballer and manager ( Brighton & Hove Albion,

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

, Gillingham,

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

, Whitehawk, Peacehaven & Telscombe,

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...

) * Tommy Fraser, professional footballer ( Brighton & Hove Albion, Port Vale, Barnet, Whitehawk, Ebbsfleet United, Peacehaven & Telscombe,

, Burgess Hill Town, Bognor Regis Town) * Alfie Deyes, Youtuber ('' PointlessBlog'', ''

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...

'', ''William Hill Casino TV''). * Steve Gill, professional footballer (

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...

, Hastings United, Bognor Regis Town,

Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...

, Whitehawk) * Allan Gunn, international football referee *

Helena Normanton Helena Florence Normanton, Queen's Counsel, QC (14 December 1882 – 14 October 1957) was the first female barrister in the United Kingdom. In November 1922, she was the second woman to be call to the bar, called to the Bar of England and Wales, ...

, the first woman to join an institution of the legal profession, second woman to be

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

of England and Wales, first British married woman to have a passport in the name she was born with. Pupil when school called York Place Higher Grade School. * Amita Suman, actress ( ''Shadow and Bone'', ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'', ''Casualty'', '' Ackley Bridge'')

References

External links

{{authority control Secondary schools in Brighton and Hove Educational institutions established in 1884 1884 establishments in England Community schools in Brighton and Hove