The TAFE campus in Crows Nest will be replaced by a new high school for year 11 and 12 students, with TAFE programs to be moved to St Leonards, Ryde and Northern Beaches campuses.

The NSW Department of Education has acquired TAFE North Sydney Institute's Crows Nest Campus for nearly $25 million, with all of the proceeds from the sale to be re-invested into three other TAFE NSW campuses that are expected to accommodate staff and students from Crows Nest.

The Department of Education bought the TAFE site to meet the high demand for public education in northern Sydney. Credit:Louie Douvis

"Most programs and services currently delivered from Crows Nest will be relocated over the next 18 months to two years to St Leonards campus," a spokesman for Minister for Skills John Barilaro said. "Some teaching delivery will be relocated to other campuses including Ryde and Northern Beaches."

Work on the new high school, including the establishment of an opening date and the site's capacity, will begin in about 18 months after TAFE vacates the campus, a spokeswoman for Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli said.