Plans have been put forward to develop a new ultra-low carbon secondary school in Burgess Hill.

West Sussex County Council is developing the new school on the Brookleigh housing development, formerly known as Northern Arc. It will provide a high-quality education for new and existing residents in the 3,500-home development and across the local area.

A reserved matters planning application has been submitted, which is available to view on Mid Sussex District Council's planning portal.

The secondary school is part of a new 'all-through' primary and secondary school being developed in Brookleigh, which will be run by The University of Brighton Academies Trust and will be called The Bedelands Academy. West Sussex County Council is developing the secondary school while the primary school is being created by Homes England, the master developer of Brookleigh.


The design of the new secondary school building aims to achieve Passivhaus certification, which sets the standard for low-carbon emissions, use of sustainable energy, and helping to reduce the impact of climate change. The building will be highly energy efficient and generate its own energy on-site using nearly 1000 solar photovoltaic panels, ensuring no use of fossil fuels in the running of the building. It aligns with West Sussex County Council’s commitment to significantly reduce carbon emissions in our Climate Change Strategy 2020 to 2030.

The scheme has been designed to protect, conserve and enhance the rich biodiversity found on the site.

The two teaching wings will be joined together by communal spaces that connect with the landscape. Facilities will include a multi-use indoor sports hall, outdoor sports pitches and recreational areas as well as green spaces for outdoor learning.

The school will be fully inclusive and include a Special Support Centre to support children with special educational needs and disabilities attending the new school.

West Sussex County Council recently approved capital funding of £57.060m to build the new secondary school, which includes a financial contribution of £18.159m from master-developer Homes England.