School children name suites at Copthorne’s newest care home

Primary school pupils were chosen to name the suites at a new care home in Copthorne.

Keen for names with cultural or historical significance to the area, Care UK’s Francis Court teamed up with Copthorne CE Junior School as part of its suite-naming competition.

The school gathered ideas from the pupils and the most popular were shared. The winning entries submitted are Wakehurst, Worth Way and Nymans and Burstow – named after beloved green spaces and villages in the local area.

Helen Denison, Head Teacher at Copthorne CE Junior School, said: “It was lovely to see our pupils have so much fun looking into the history of our local area to create the suite names.

“We’re excited to see Francis Court when it’s complete and to build long-lasting friendships with residents.”

The Borers Arms Road home will be divided into these four suites, each comprising a number of bedrooms and a lounge for residents. This will encourage the creation of close-knit communities within the home and provide space for group activities.

The purpose-built care home – which is expected to welcome the first residents in winter 2026 – will offer full-time residential, dementia and nursing care, as well as short-term respite care, for up to 78 older people and create 95 new jobs.

Janine Eckelt, Development Project Manager at Care UK, said: “Selecting the suite names for a new home is one of the key steps in preparing for opening, and we wanted to ensure the local community was involved in that decision.

"The standard of entries was incredibly high, making it difficult to choose our favourites. Ultimately, we decided that names inspired by the local area and that hold meaning for the people of Copthorne were the perfect choice and reflect the community spirit we hope to create at Francis Court.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone at Copthorne CE Junior School for coming up with the winning suite names!”

Designed to enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence, Francis Court will incorporate plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies. The home will boast its own cinema room, hair and beauty salon and pub.