History of Seaford College

Seaford College was founded in the seaside town of Seaford in 1884.

But in 1941, when the threat of invasion was high, the School was evacuated to Worthing.

In 1946, rather than return to the coast, the Johnson family bought the current estate in Lavington Park near Petworth, and Charles Johnson became the Head of the then proprietorial school. He created a full boarding school for boys that, at its height, had about 450 pupils. Before he retired in 1990, he oversaw the School’s conversion to a Charitable Trust.

Numbers dropped during the recession of the early 1990s. The Board decided to admit day pupils, and in 1996 the School went fully co-educational. Since 1996, the School has seen almost continual growth and development. 

Seaford College is owned by a Charitable Trust and governed by a Board of Trustees.

The relocation of Seaford College during World War Two

Our Headmaster, John Green explains the history behind the relocation of Seaford College from Corsica Hall in Seaford, East Sussex to our current location at Lavington Park near Petworth, West Sussex.

A fascinating letter from our archives, read by Seaford's Chaplain, Fr Colin