Bohunt School

ECE Architecture

Transforming Worthing’s educational landscape, Bohunt School established a new benchmark for secondary school design while creating a complete education campus for the wider community.

As the first new secondary school in Worthing for decades, this project extended far beyond its walls. By creating an exceptional learning environment, Bohunt School elevated educational standards across the town, inspiring other schools to reimagine what’s possible.

We applied our architectural expertise to the Department of Education’s superblock template, which was evolved to exceed baseline requirements.

The design centred around a dynamic central dining atrium and main hall, with innovative placement of science labs above the hall to maximise teaching space. We incorporated colour-coded floors for intuitive wayfinding, strategically positioned teacher offices for natural supervision, and created IT-rich classrooms designed for project-based learning.

Community integration stood at the heart of this project. The two-storey sports hall, built to Sport England standards, provided valuable facilities for both students and local residents, featuring changing rooms and a dance studio.

Sustainability was equally prioritised through façade louvres facilitating night-time cooling and roof-mounted PV panels. We involved students in the process, organising design competitions, site visits, and work experience placements – creating investment in the project from future users.

Navigating multiple stakeholders presented significant challenges. Working closely with West Sussex County Council, Bohunt Academy Trust, Northbrook College, and the wider community required careful coordination to address diverse requirements. The site itself demanded creative solutions, including separating utilities from the existing college infrastructure to create an isolated, functional campus. Through collaborative BIM execution with Willmott Dixon and other consultants from RIBA Stage 2, we developed a coordinated design strategy that satisfied all parties.

Bohunt School blends exceptional design with technical delivery that creates enduring value. As Headteacher Adam Whitehead noted, we created “not just a wonderful school but a vibrant, dynamic, safe environment“, enabling young people to become “aspirant innovators and leaders of the future.”