Brighton College Prep Handcross, Haywards Heath
Brighton College Prep Handcross is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 14 in Haywards Heath. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in December 2025.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Brighton College Prep Handcross in detail
Brighton College Prep Handcross in its own words
In its own words: "The House system within the School is a core part of the daily lives of our pupils. There are four houses: Britons, Normans, Saxons and Vikings, all introduced when the School was founded in 1887. The House system fosters healthy competition and community spirit and assigns buddies to new pupils to ensure everyone is cared for."
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 28 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in West Sussex
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Brighton College Prep Handcross are Cottesmore School (2 miles); Atelier21 Future School (2.4 miles, Good); Worth School (4 miles); and Ardingly College (4.7 miles).
Cottesmore SchoolAtelier21 Future SchoolWorth SchoolArdingly College
Who goes there
In 2026, 67 pupils (15.1%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Balcombe Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (opposite), 270 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 10 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, drug offences and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
2 December 2025
Non-Routine Inspection
23 November 2023
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
8 November 2022
Regulatory Compliance
20 June 2018
Integrated
24 June 2014
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby independent school
Latest from Brighton College Prep Handcross
Brand New Science Lab
7 Sep 2026
Commended for Independent Prep School of the Year 2026
7 Sep 2026
IAPS Regional Winners
9 Feb 2026
From Brighton College Prep Handcross's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Brighton College Prep Handcross
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
443 pupils
500 places
57 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Haywards Heath
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Haywards Heath
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
67
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
15.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
443
Total Pupils
205
Boys
238
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Brighton College Prep Handcross
When was Brighton College Prep Handcross last inspected?
Brighton College Prep Handcross is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in December 2025.
How many pupils go to Brighton College Prep Handcross?
Brighton College Prep Handcross has around 443 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Brighton College Prep Handcross?
Brighton College Prep Handcross is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Brighton College Prep Handcross?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Brighton College Prep Handcross?
Brighton College Prep Handcross is at London Road, Handcross, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6HF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)