Open all
Our view
From the beautiful architecture and grounds to the pupils striding purposefully across quads on their way to lessons, Lancing College seems to have the playbook of an Oxford college. But while the environment feels awe-inspiring, it’s also refreshingly unflashy, with no sense of entitlement or privilege, just the love of learning, working hard and being part of a supportive community underpinning its solid foundation. It's an impressive school that surprisingly flies under the radar – but we suspect that won’t be the case for long.
Where is Lancing College?
High up in the South Downs, Lancing sits on a stunning, collegiate hilltop campus with gorgeous views over the Sussex countryside in one direction and the English Channel in the other. Approached by a bucolic winding lane, the magnificent neo-gothic Lancing College chapel (the largest school chapel in the world, no less) is the first thing you notice, and it really takes your breath away – legend has it that the architect died before seeing the completion of his masterpiece, so intent was he to put perfection before conclusion.
While it can feel a little windswept and bleak at times, the school has everything pupils need on-site, with playing fields stretching in all directions as far as the eye can see, then valleys and grassland rolling down towards the south coast. A new café is in the works while the old one is being refurbished to become a dedicated sixth form centre. Co-curricular facilities are good, and include an onsite pool and equestrian centre where pupils can stable their own horses.
Day pupils can use the extensive school minibus service, which covers routes towards Horsham, Chichester and Lewes. Extra routes from Cobham and Guildford are laid on at exeats and the start and end of each term. Brighton and Worthing are both within easy reach, while Gatwick airport is a 40-minute drive away (the school runs a shuttle bus to and from the airport at the start and end of each term).
Headmaster at Lancing College
Headmaster Dominic Oliver joined Lancing College from Bedales in 2014 (before that, he was head of the English department at Malvern). We’re big fans: he’s got a nicely relaxed and friendly approach to being a head, and is very popular with pupils and parents. His hands-on approach sees him getting very involved in the admissions process and actively getting to know all the new starters – they’re all invited to a September barbecue at the beginning of the year and he also takes all Year 9 pupils for debating classes. He’s passionate about pupils’ voices being heard and doesn’t shirk from tabling debates about school rules – which on occasions persuasive arguments have made him rethink and change.
Mr Oliver has admirable ambitions for the school: he’d like to make Lancing net carbon neutral, as well as expand the bursary provision in order to open up the school to all, regardless of means. The former is proving challenging due to most of the buildings being listed, but undeterred he’s currently exploring a plan that he wouldn’t be drawn on except to say it’s exciting and involves the estate’s land. ‘Watch this space,’ he told us.
In September 2025, Mr Oliver is off to head up Oundle School. Dr Scott Crawford – the current deputy head at Magdalen College School – will step into his shoes.
Admissions at Lancing College
The main entrance points are Years 9, 10 and 12 – all of which are almost always oversubscribed. At 13+, a significant number move up from Lancing’s affiliated prep schools in
Worthing and
Hove; external applicants need to put their names down by Year 5, and the growing popularity of the school means if you’re not quick off the mark, you’ll miss out. The school is selective, and entrance is via its own entrance test which is a similar format to ISEB taken in the autumn of Year 6. Assessment days involve collaborations and conundrums and while there is an academic focus, Mr Oliver stresses they are also looking for pupils with ‘human qualities, kindness and those with an ethical edge’. He describes the school as ‘marvellously exhausting’ and getting stuck in is a prerequisite, so admissions isn’t all about high scores on tests.
At 16+ the school takes another 45-50 stonkingly strong students (a sizeable majority are girls arriving from single-sex day schools). Sixth form places are in high demand – there’s a ratio of more than three students applying for every available spot.
Academics and destinations
Pupils all bring different strengths to the table. While the more academic are stretched, there is plenty of support for those who need it and Lancing really is a school for the full range of abilities – we were really struck by all the pupils’ can-do mentality.
Results are rising, and there’s a fantastic mix of subjects for pupils to pick from at both GCSE and, in particular, A-level. Pupils have a choice of A-levels or BTECs in business and sport – the latter are chosen because the courses are excellent and they’re highly regarded by universities that offer those subjects, such as Loughborough and Bath.
All the pupils get thorough academic preparation for the best universities. We’re hugely impressed with the level of further-education and careers support here, provided via Lancing’s dedicated ‘My Futures’ programme, which gives pupils access to everything from one-to-one coaching to careers fairs and networking opportunities with former students and pupils from a wide range of professions. There’s also extensive support with CV writing and mock interviews, plus a dedicated head of Oxbridge admissions and staff on hand who specialise in entry into overseas universities. There’s even a medical programme for those with their eye on a place at medical school, which acts as a major pull, and lots of advice on apprenticeships and alternative career paths.
Popular destinations include
Durham,
UCL,
Bath and
Exeter, but there’s no set route for these leavers – last year’s highlights include spots at acting school and Royal Holloway to study video games art and design.
Co-curricular at Lancing College
Sport is part of the curriculum for all, the whole way up to the U6 – and with acres of pitches on site, there’s plenty for pupils to get stuck into. The main sports are football (for both boys and girls), hockey, netball, tennis and swimming (an incredible elite programme produces national and international-level athletes); riding at the equestrian centre; not to mention a developing reputation in women’s cricket. Note there’s no rugby. Other options include water polo, squash, cross-country, fencing, fishing and sailing, as well as co-ed dance, badminton and golf.
Music here centres around the blockbuster chapel (there’s space for 1,100 at a squeeze), with sung Eucharist each week. The chapel choir has sung in the likes of Chichester Cathedral and St George’s Chapel at Windsor, and a huge team of peripatetic teachers offer lessons in pretty much every instrument under the sun. There are also orchestras, bands and ensembles galore, plus heaps of concerts, recitals and opera trips.
The drama department produces plays and at least one musical every year, plus playwriting competitions and student-led workshops. The lovely open-air theatre was opened by Agatha Christie in 1960 and a play is performed every summer term.
The art department is housed in one of the nicest buildings on campus (with blockbuster views of the Downs) and has a very enthusiastic head at the helm who adapts the course to suit the strengths and interests of each cohort – there is currently a strong group of students interested in studying architecture and there’s talk of introducing A-level history of art.
Two hours a day are ringfenced for clubs, activities and societies, with over 130 for pupils to choose from including CCF, shooting, foraging and roller skating. Pupils are encouraged to mix it up and try options outside of their comfort zone. The Year 9s have a carousel afternoon once a week where they try out lots of different activities. The pupils also get a say in bringing in new clubs – one girl wanted to try boxing so one of the sports teachers took her for special classes.
A big shout-out to Lancing’s very own farm too – students can muck in and take part in all the tasks, even helping to deliver lambs (which, in turn, has inspired a fair few pupils to go on to study veterinary medicine). The farm’s land plays a big part in the school’s sustainability efforts: a large part of the land is set to be re-wilded and turned into a wildflower meadow to help offset the school’s carbon footprint.
Boarding
Around two-thirds of pupils opt into boarding, choosing between full or flexi. Full boarders are allowed home at weekends; flexis are able to upgrade; and day pupils can even book in for the occasional overnight – if an activity or rehearsal overruns beyond 9pm they can stay over at no extra cost. There are seven boarding and three day houses in total: four boys’ boarding; three girls’ boarding; one boys’ day house; one girls’ day house and one co-ed day house (an increasingly popular option). They’re all situated on site and close to the main college building, which makes getting around a breeze. Pupils share a room with two or three others until they reach Year 11, when they move to their own single bedrooms. We had a recent snoop round two girls’ houses which were both homely and comfortable – one had breath-taking views of the South Downs and a lovely huge common room.
Nearly all staff live on campus, creating a unique community feel. At weekends, there are sometimes up to 300 pupils in school, and there is certainly enough going on to keep those who stay entertained. There are lessons on Saturday mornings, then the afternoons are dedicated to sport – Sundays are reserved for studying, activities and downtime. The younger years can book trips to the local leisure centre, while older pupils are allowed to walk into Shoreham or get a train to Brighton.
Day pupils regularly stay for evening school and supper. All meals are taken in the stunning, panelled dining room, which makes for a cosy, family environment, and the food, we were told, is great, with many ingredients sourced locally, including from the school farm.
Lancing school community
Pastoral care is taken seriously here, with an onsite chaplain and counsellor supported by a solid house system and network of tutors. Every year, sixth formers are trained up as peer supporters, and there’s a special PSHE programme for parents and pupils. Sixth formers also choose a tutor to stay with them for their final two years, supporting them pastorally as well as academically. The school chapel is a focal point of life here – weekly services are attended by all, regardless of faith, and there is also a prayer room for pupils who are Muslim.
Pupils come from 45 different countries and there are 40 different languages spoken, making up a diverse community of backgrounds, faiths and beliefs. Mr Oliver wants the Lancing community to be tolerant and outward-looking – an ethos that neatly sums up the atmosphere of the school.
Pupils we spoke to said they feel very supported by staff and friends; there are lots of friendships between year groups, which add to the school’s family feel. There’s also a strong alumni network, known as the 'The OL Club', with former pupils regularly popping back for mentoring and careers talks.
And finally...
There’s a very special atmosphere at Lancing where pupils and staff have strong bonds and their motto – ‘Be inspired. Be brilliant. Be you.’ – isn’t just a catchy slogan. You really see it at work here.