About Us
Sussex Downs College has been welcoming international students for over 20 years. We are a multi-award winning college offering outstanding international student support and value for money. We are accredited by the British Council and we have a proven track record for the success of our international students.
International students from all over the world come to Sussex Downs for many reasons: to experience a comprehensive UK education, to improve their level of English, to take the IELTS test at the largest IELTS test centre in the UK, to prepare for their degree course and to prepare themselves for the global workplace.
Sussex Downs College, An Award-Winning College
These national awards and achievements recognise the hard work of our staff and their commitment to our international students. These awards are your guarantee of quality.
2008: Sussex Downs College awarded Learning and Skills Beacon Status in recognition of our "outstanding performance"
2007: Ofsted describes the college as "outstanding"
British Council awards points of excellence for our: teachers’ qualifications, academic management resources, IT facilities and pastoral care
2006: Awarded the British Council AoC Beacon Award for international student support
Our Locations
Sussex Downs College is located in the beautiful English countryside of the sunny South East of England. We have 2 campuses located in the historic town of Lewes and the famous seaside resort of Eastbourne. Both Eastbourne and Lewes are easily accessible via direct train services to the major cities of London and Brighton, as well providing easy access to London’s international airports, Gatwick and Heathrow. From mainland Europe Lewes and Eastbourne can be easily reached from Newhaven ferry port and Ashford International train station.
Lewes
Lewes is the historic county town of East Sussex, and is located on the banks of the River Ouse within the South Downs National Park, a protected area of outstanding natural beauty. Overlooked by Lewes Castle, the town has many winding streets, interesting shops and restaurants, bars and cafés to keep you occupied when you are not studying. The medieval town of Lewes is a great study location and will provide you with the best of both worlds: A safe and peaceful town surrounded by picturesque green hills, but located only 13 minutes away by train to the lively and cosmopolitan city of Brighton and Hove.
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a world famous tourist destination, renowned for its Victorian seaside resort and international tennis tournaments. Eastbourne has a large student population and attracts around 40 million visitors each year. Its numerous accolades include Most Friendly Group Destination winner in 2005 and finalists in 2006 and 2007, and no. 1 UK holiday destination in 2007 (Coop Travel Awards). With great shops and entertainment you will have lots to do outside of college life.
Our Facilities
Both our Lewes and Eastbourne campus have modern and extensive facilities. Our Eastbourne campus currently has the largest IELTS test centre in the UK.
Lewes Campus
Self-access centre
IT facilities
Libraries
Canteen
Cafés
On-campus student residence
Eastbourne Campus
Self-access centre
IT facilities
Libraries
Canteen
Cafés
Sports facilities
Largest IELTS test centre in the UK
Our Students
We have over 400 international students from over 50 countries worldwide enrolled onto English language courses and academic and vocational courses at our Lewes and Eastbourne campuses.
Our international students not only study alongside UK students, they take part in an enriching programme of social and cultural activities to ensure that both our international and UK students benefit from the experience.
Outstanding Results
Our students' results are consistently higher than the national average, and we are very proud of their achievements. Their results demonstrate our excellent teaching provision and our commitment to supporting our international students.
2008 Results: 100% pass rate in A Levels. 92% of our international students passed with grades A-C
Ethical Policy
Sussex Downs College is an ethical organisation operating within the parameters of the Human Rights Act and other EU and UK government legislation. We fully-understand that our day-to-day has an impact on the local and global environment.
We aim to promote sustainability amongst our staff and students, and as one of the leading government-funded colleges in the UK, we actively contribute to the improvement of education provision worldwide.
Sussex Downs College reduces its impact on the local and global environment by:
Recycling paper, cardboard and plastics and providing facilities for staff and students to do this
Promoting the college ‘Car Share’ scheme to encourage sustainable transport for both staff and students
Allocating staff to ensure computers, lights and air- conditioning is turned off at the end of each day
Sussex Downs International College is improving education provision worldwide by:
Providing resources and student volunteers to assist with the building of community facilities in the Buwanyanga village in Uganda.
