Woodlands Meed College rebuild

Project updates on rebuilding the college.

Latest and background

Updated: 20 September 2024

Latest news:

WSCC understands that the contractor for Woodlands Meed, ISG, has gone into administration and the remaining phase 2 works at the college are currently suspended. We are extremely disappointed at this news and had no prior warning that this was about to happen. We will be working with the college and the administrators of ISG, when appointed, to ensure the work is completed with as little disruption to pupils and staff at the college. Once an administrator has been appointed, we will seek to complete the works as soon as possible, which may be with another contractor.

We are in the very early stages of dealing with this developing situation and will provide updates when we know more details. We want to assure the college, staff and parents that the site will remain safe and secure.

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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