Varndean School Rebrand – Brighton
The Brief
Varndean School is a large secondary school in Brighton, England. Founded in 1884, it is one of the most established educational institutions in the city. It moved from its original central Brighton site to its current site on the outskirts in the 1920s.
In 2012, the headteacher William Deighan restructured the school into 4 constituent schools. This ‘4 schools in 1’ system that was designed to improve the pastoral needs of the growing school community. As a consequence, the new structure allowed the staff in four pastoral bases to get to know their students better.
Once the smaller school system was embedded, the headteacher commissioned our studio to rebrand the school. The brief was twofold. Firstly, to communicate the ‘4 schools in 1’ system. Secondly, to bring update the image of the school.
Brand History
Varndean school has featured dolphins in every incarnation of its logo since it was founded in 1884. The dolphins originate from the Brighton & Hove Crest.
Left: Brighton & Hove Crests. ı Right: Logo History of Varndean School 1880s – 2012
The Varndean School Rebrand – The Outcome
Varndean School Rebrand – Logo before and after – Toop Studio
Our approach was to evolve the dolphin-themed logo into something more modern which encapsulated the new 4 school system. We responded with the idea of 4 dolphins all jumping together, around a fixed axis. The new dolphin logomark was then adapted for every type of application from the website to the school uniform.
School badges worn by Varndean Student
In addition, each constituent smaller school required its own visual identity. After consultation with staff and parents, we named the four schools after Maya Angelou, Bertrand Russell, Alan Turing and former Varndean Headteacher, Ethel Ellis. The smaller schools each received its own badge, colour palette, pattern and flag.
The Varndean School branding project was documented in this short film.
Adapting the Brand for a Fifth Smaller School in 2020
The Varndean Logo after the 2020 rebrand
In 2020, the school commissioned an update to the original logo to reflect the addition of a fifth school, Lennox, named after Annie Lennox. The design was adapted to incorporate a fifth silver dolphin while preserving the balance and movement of the original composition.
Subsequent Commissions
Wall Art for Varndean Reception – Followed the Varndean School Rebrand in 2012
Following the success of the Varndean School rebrand in 2012, we were commissioned to produce several school videos and wall art for the reception foyer.
Eight years later, the school expanded in size and changed from a ‘four smaller school system’ to a five school system. Our studio altered the branding to reflect the change.
Following the appointment of Shelley Baker as the new headteacher in 2021, we were hired to redesign the interior of Varndean’s new reception area and entrance corridor. In addition, we designed a set of award badges and artdirected new photography and illustrations for their walls and website.
The Client’s Response
‘We’re absolutely delighted with the rebranding. What it shows is four equal schools, four equal entities moving in the same direction. They’re separate and yet they’re joined. It says all we wanted to say about the School.’
William Deighan
Headteacher (2009–2021), Varndean School
