Woodlands Meed College rebuild

Project updates on rebuilding the college.

Latest and background

Updated: 15 July 2025

Latest news:

New facilities at Woodlands Meed College, including an all-weather sports pitch, are on track to be ready for the start of the next school year in September.

Additional car parking will also be available at the school once the remaining works are finished.

Staff and pupils at Woodlands Meed College moved into the new main building in September 2024 after it was handed over to the school by the county council.

They have benefitted from new facilities at the multi-million pound development, including a hydrotherapy pool, 12 new classrooms, a two-court sports hall for 100 children with special educational needs and disabilities, an outdoor multi-use games area and an amphitheatre where children can sit together and hold sporting and social events.

Councillor Jacquie Russell, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning, said: “I’m delighted to see how much pupils have benefited since they moved into the new school building. We’ve had some excellent feedback from children and young people, as well as from staff, parents and carers.

“It won’t be long until the remaining work is completed, and the all-weather pitch can be enjoyed. I look forward to seeing it put to good use alongside the rest of the school facilities, which will help current and future generations to fulfil their potential.”

Background

West Sussex County Council has allocated £21.6million to a major project to rebuild Woodlands Meed College.

The new facilities will significantly improve facilities for pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the Burgess Hill college.

Independent surveys carried out last year showed that the current buildings are safe, but the facilities need to be upgraded and more space is required for the college’s 100 pupils.

Planning permission has been granted to create the new building on the college playing field. The County Council has worked with an architect with extensive experience of designing SEND schools to design a new building which will:

  • include 12 new classrooms and specialist areas for design and technology, music, science and food technology
  • meet all the required school building regulations (known as BB104)
  • provide students with significantly more internal space
  • include high quality sporting facilities including all weather pitches, and a 2-court sports hall and accessible changing facilities
  • include a new dining hall and kitchen, a common room and a range of therapy spaces along with personal care facilities, staff offices and welfare areas
  • have a new hydrotherapy pool
  • have a host of new outside learning and play areas including classrooms, an outside gym, planting areas, and courtyard and amphitheatre space
  • be more suitable for pupils who have mobility issues
  • have optimum comfort levels for students and staff, the design carefully considered around ventilation, cooling and heating systems
  • have solar panels on the roof making the facilities energy efficient and reduce energy costs for the college.

You can see the exciting plans in our presentation and short video below:

News items

Videos

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Background

Claire Barton, architect and partner of Haverstock provides some background information about the project.

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