Bedales had, over one hundred years, developed in an organic manner as a series of freestanding pavilions in the landscape. The school identified the need for a long-term strategy for the whole campus, and, in conjunction with our teaching and administration buildings, we gained planning permission for a masterplan for the 120-acre Bedales estate.
The masterplan identified several areas for potential development:
- A classroom extension and workshop for the preparatory school, completed in 2008
- Conversion of the medical centre into a new sixth form study centre
- A new art, design & technology building
- An extension to biology accommodation to replace a prefab laboratory
- Works to Lupton Hall, a Grade I listed building
- Landscaped gardens for the prep and pre-prep school
- A new music school comprising spacious teaching and rehearsal facilities; a designated computer room with additional workstations located in the new library; percussion, electric and acoustic guitar music provision, two larger teaching spaces; a library, listening room and sufficient instrument storage.
The Bedales ethos is firmly attached to nature: the founder of the school believed in working ‘Head, Hand, Heart’, blending practical work with intellectual and spiritual development. This was reaffirmed by the 10-year initiative called ‘Greening Bedales’, which influences the daily and long-term use of the estate.
