Our Vision and Values
Ambitious for excellence
Ambitious for excellence
Ambitious for excellence
Ambitious for excellence
Welcome to
UPLANDS
ACADEMY
At Uplands Academy, we are proud of the excellent relationships between our staff and our students. Our staff have high expectations, are ambitious for our students, and know them well. We are proud of our relentless commitment to having a rigorous focus on the child as an individual.
Support at every level
@Uplands Academy
Uplands Academy / Published 11 Jul 2025
🌟On Tuesday 8 July, students in Years 7 to 10 came together for our first traditional Sports Day as an academy – and what a day it was! With excitement, energy, and team spirit in abundance, students competed to earn points for their community in hopes of taking home one of the newly introduced trophies.
The day was split into two parts. The morning featured our inclusive ‘Sports for All’ sessions, giving every student the chance to get involved in a wide range of activities, including football, volleyball, kinball, kwik cricket, dance, rounders and dodgeball. It was a fantastic display of participation, enthusiasm, and fun.
In the afternoon, the atmosphere shifted into full competition mode. Students lined the track, proudly wearing their community colours in body paint, waving homemade banners, and cheering loudly in support of their teams. Track events included the 100m, 200m, 300m, 800m, and the always thrilling relay races.
It truly was a whole-school event, with students helping to serve refreshments, staff supporting throughout, and the school community coming together to make the day a memorable one.
Results from the afternoon were added to scores from pre-events this term to determine the overall winners. A huge congratulations to the Yellow Community, who were crowned overall champions!
Final Results:
Overall Winner: Yellow Community
2nd Place: Red Community
3rd Place: Blue Community
Year Group Champions:
Year 7: Yellow
Year 8: Yellow
Year 9: Blue
Year 10: Yellow
A big thank you to the PE department and all staff involved in planning and running the event, your hard work made it a really special day for everyone.
For more photos, please visit our website: https://tinyurl.com/msjnjazm
#MakeYourMark #yellowcommunity #sportday
Uplands Academy / Published 11 Jul 2025
🎊A huge thank you and well done to everyone who took part in our Honours Evening on Wednesday 9 July.
This prestigious event is a key part of our traditional end-of-year celebrations and offers a wonderful opportunity for the Uplands Academy community to come together and recognise the outstanding progress, achievements, and approach of our students across all areas of school life.
We would like to congratulate all 160 nominees and finalists who attended the evening, and extend our heartfelt thank you to the parents and carers for their continued support.
Before the awards ceremony, guests were treated to beautiful performances by our talented pianists Ella and Olivia (Year 10), and flautists India and Harry (Year 9) and Ophelia (Year 10) entertained the audience during the interval.
A special mention goes to the following students for receiving our highest honours:
MARK Values Award (KS3): Florence, Year 9
MARK Values Award (KS4): Chloe, Year 10
Kids’ Lit Quiz Award: Nell, Year 8
We were honoured to welcome Chris Terry, co-founder of Kent's leading digital marketing agency, Tale Digital, as our guest speaker. Chris gave an inspiring talk about his career journey and emphasised the value of kindness and adaptability as key ingredients for success.
This year, Mrs. Richardson, Deputy Headteacher, introduced a very special new award in memory of a much-loved member of our school community - Woody. The award will recognise a Year 10 student who consistently demonstrates the core values at the heart of Uplands Academy; Manners, Acceptance, Respect and Kindness. Woody embodied these values every day. He was kind, inclusive, respectful, and a friend to all. This award will be presented annually in his memory to a student who, like Woody, leads with kindness, treats others with respect, and makes a positive difference simply by being themselves.
Finally, a big thank you to Mrs. Underdown, Head of History, for her organisation of the event and making the evening such a memorable success.
To read the full report, please visit the 'news' section on our website: https://tinyurl.com/yc3wa5v5
#MakeYourMARK MARK Education Trust
Uplands Academy / Published 10 Jul 2025
✨Performing Arts Showcase - What a Night! 🎭🎼
A huge well done to everyone who took part in our Performing Arts Showcase on Monday 7 July! It was an unforgettable evening, filled with creativity and talent, a true celebration of the arts!
Special thanks to our brilliant musicians, singers, and actors. Highlights of the evening included a powerful scene from 'The Changing Room', a rendition of 'Hard Times' by the choir, and captivating performances on guitar, drums, saxophone a flute.
We also enjoyed some very funny LAMDA scenes, excellent performances by our Year 10 Performing Arts students, and an unforgettable rendition of a classic comic scene from 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'. This was followed by a lively performance of 'Backstreet's Back' by our talented Year 8 girls.
A big thank you to Miss. Leader, Head of Music, and Ms. Whelan, Head of Drama, for their outstanding leadership and organisation of the evening.
And of course, thank you to our wonderful parents, carers, guests, and the dedicated staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the night a success.
You can also read all our latest school news here: https://tinyurl.com/nhh76937
#performingarts #MakeYourMARK #musicians #actors
Uplands Academy / Published 9 Jul 2025
🎨The Art department would like to thank all student Art Assistants for undertaking their roles so wonderfully this year. Your help in Art lessons has been invaluable and we are very grateful for your support.
On Thursday 3 July, the Art Assistants enjoyed an end-of-year celebration with some sweet treats, and they had the opportunity to feedback about their roles and ideas for the future.
In September, the Art department will be looking out for students who go above and beyond in their Art lessons to select a new cohort of Art Assistants - will it be you?!
#MakeYourMark
Uplands Academy / Published 9 Jul 2025
🌟Today, we were delighted to welcome a guest speaker from ConnectFutures to our school to talk to students in Year 8, 9 and 10 about the important topic of diversity and identity.
Students were encouraged to think about their own ideas around identity and how their words and actions impact others. The session explored how to stay safe online, and how to recognise and set boundaries in both online and face-to-face relationships, as well as developing a critical thinking mindset.
A huge thank you to Mrs. Harrison, Head of Personal Development for organising this valuable opportunity, and to Connect Futures for leading such an important and thought-provoking workshop.
#diversity #onlinesafety #studentdevelopment
Uplands Academy / Published 9 Jul 2025
🚆With the summer holidays fast approaching, we would like to highlight the importance of rail safety. Each summer brings a significant increase in trespassing and dangerous behaviour on or near the tracks, often with devastating consequences.
To help prevent this, Network Rail is fully sponsoring access to a series of age-appropriate rail safety videos that are completely free. These videos highlight the hidden dangers of the railway and give young people the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe.
Rail safety was also covered in our Personal Development Time a couple of weeks ago.
Please visit the following link for a number of educational resources, including a video for secondary school aged students: https://tinyurl.com/yzceatpa
#staysafe #railwaysafetyawareness
Uplands Academy / Published 8 Jul 2025
🎨 Art Exhibition Showcase 🖌️
Our talented students have been busy creating some incredible pieces of art over the last year, and now it’s time to celebrate their work!
The Art Department has curated a stunning exhibition featuring artwork from Key Stage 3 and Year 10, highlighting the creativity within our school.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Monday before the Performing Arts Showcase. If you missed it, don’t worry, there’s one more chance to view the exhibition tomorrow (Wednesday, 9th July) between 4pm–6pm, just before Honours Evening!
👉 For more info, contact Miss. Reilly at greilly@uplands-academy.org
Come and be inspired! 💫
#UplandsArt #StudentTalent #ArtExhibition
Uplands Academy / Published 8 Jul 2025
🎉Eva (Year 7) has won the Westfield FC kit design competition for the 2025/26 season! Her fantastic design was chosen by the club, with help from fans on social media as the official kit for the next two seasons.
The entire Westfield FC 1st team will wear Eva's design, and a framed shirt will be proudly displayed in the players' tunnel at the Knight & Davey Community Stadium.
To celebrate her achievement, Eva received a personalised shirt and was invited to join the squad for the official pre-season media day photo. 📷⚽️
What an amazing achievement - well done Eva! 👏
#MakeYourMARK #year7
Uplands Academy / Published 4 Jul 2025
✨Thank you to our 2025-26 Year 7 cohort for two very positive transition days!
The transition days enable our new cohort to meet their tutor and members of teaching and support staff, experience some lessons, become more familiar with our school and start to make new friends. Part of the transition included a tie ceremony where each student was presented with their new Year 7 tie by our Headteacher, Mr. Connor. We hope that you have enjoyed your time with us this week and look forward to seeing you again when you join us in Year 7 in September.
Mr. James, Head of Year 7, has commented:
“It was great to meet nearly all of our new Year 7 students over the two transition days and see them in and around our school. Having got a chance to go round and meet all 6 tutor groups, it was especially pleasing to see lots of the students interacting and forming new positive relationships with students from different primary schools. I look forward to getting to know you all more from September onwards. In the meantime, have a great summer holiday!”
A big thank you to our wonderful ambassadors who have supported the transition days so brilliantly.
If you have any questions or concerns, no matter how small, please do not hesitate to contact us at year7admissions@uplands-academy.org.
👉https://www.uplands-academy.org/join-us/year-6-into-year-7-transition
#Welcome #Year6 #TeamUplands #MakeYourMARK
MARK Education Trust
Uplands Academy / Published 4 Jul 2025
A huge well done to all Year 6 students who joined us yesterday for the first of two exciting transition days at Uplands Academy! We have another day of activities planned for you to enjoy today and would like to say a big thank you to our wonderful ambassadors who are supporting these sessions.
Visit our Year 6 into Year 7 transition portal to find more information and resources designed to support our new students and their families as they prepare to make the move from primary to secondary school.
👉 https://www.uplands-academy.org/join-us/year-6-into-year-7-transition
#Welcome #Year6intoYear7 #MakeYourMARK
Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash
Uplands Academy / Published 3 Jul 2025
🎉On 27 June, excitement filled the air as Year 11 students arrived at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club for their long awaited Prom Night. It proved to be the perfect send-off for a remarkable year group.
Dressed to impress in elegant gowns and sharp suits, the evening began with a warm welcome, followed by a delicious meal and dancing.
The evening offered a chance for students to relax, celebrate, and enjoy time with friends after the busy exam period. Staff were also in attendance, joining in the celebration and supporting students on what was a well-deserved occasion.
As the night came to an end, the Year 11 Prom marked not just the end of exams and school days, but the beginning of exciting new chapters ahead.
A big thank you to Miss Finnegan, Miss Reilly and our talented Year 10 Photography students Gerry and Luke for taking the photographs on the night.
For more photos please visit our website: https://tinyurl.com/3ymbn7dn
#PromNight2025
Uplands Academy / Published 3 Jul 2025
🎉On 20 June, our Year 13 students marked the end of their journey at Uplands with a special lunch at Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club.
The celebration featured heartfelt speeches from Mr. Cunningham, our Head of Sixth Form, and Mr. Connor, our Headteacher, reflecting on the students' achievements and growth during their time at Uplands.
Personal messages from teachers who taught the students were also shared, offering well-wishes and words of encouragement for the exciting journey ahead.
Mr. Connor shared: 'You are the final chapter in the Uplands Sixth Form and have worked hard to get to this point. You've shown true acceptance and resilience, and we know you'll go on to do amazing things. Remember the MARK values, they cost nothing, but along side your qualifications they'll take you far in life'.
They then returned to school to join the Year 11 leavers for a celebration with staff and fellow students.
We love keeping in touch with former students, so please stay connected. We can't wait to see where life takes you next.
Wishing you all the best for the future!
#classof2025 #MakeYourMARK
Uplands Academy / Published 3 Jul 2025
⚽️ We are incredibly proud to share that Ryan (Year 10) has been selected to join the England National Emerging Talent Pathway for partially sighted football at the prestigious Lilleshall National Sports Centre! This is an amazing achievement, with the goal of Ryan progressing to represent England’s Partially Sighted Team when he turns 18. 🌟
On top of that, Ryan had a fantastic weekend playing for Brighton Foundation in the Brendon 66 Tournament in Southampton. His team made it all the way to the final, where they beat Chelsea 1-0, with Ryan scoring the winning goal! 🏆
A huge thank you to Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation for the incredible support they’ve given Ryan. He trains with them for over 5½ hours each week, developing his skills, confidence, and passion for the game, and the results speak for themselves!
👏 Well done, Ryan, your dedication, talent, and hard work are inspiring to us all!
📸 Photos of Ryan at Lilleshall, with his England coaches, and at the tournament on Sunday.
#MakeYourMARK
Uplands Academy / Published 2 Jul 2025
🎤 On 26 June, Amelie & Henry (Year 10) competed in the popular Speakers Trust, Sussex Speak Out Challenge 2025 regional Final at the iconic Brighton Dome against nine other finalists from seven different local schools.
✨We are delighted to announce that Amelie placed third and Henry produced an amazing performance.
Henry was up to speak second in the running order, and first out of our Uplands students. He stepped onto the stage to give a heartfelt and humorous speech around the topic of friendship and kindness. He was able to connect with the audience and deliver his key messages with charm and charisma and his speech received an enthusiastic and well deserved round of applause.
Amelie spoke with passion and conviction. Her speech delivered the message of race discrimination with power and impact. A confident and well delivered speech, Amelie looked at ease on the stage and owned every moment of her presentation.
Congratulations to our two courageous and talented Year 10 students. Mrs Harrison, Head of Personal Development reflected on the achievement by saying ‘Henry and Amelie have both come away with valuable life and employability skills and we hope they enjoyed the experience as much as we did’.
#SpeakOutSussex #PublicSpeaking #TeamUplands #MakeYourMark
Uplands Academy / Published 2 Jul 2025
🌟On Friday 27 June, a group of our fantastic student Sports Leaders supported Wadhurst Primary School’s Sports Day, and they clearly made a lasting impression!
With over 150 families in attendance, it was a busy and exciting day. Our Sports Leaders were praised for their enthusiasm, maturity, and willingness to get stuck in wherever needed, helping the day run smoothly and calmly.
Teachers from the primary school commented on how much they valued the support, calling it one of the most well-organised Sports Days yet. Parents loved seeing older students acting as positive role models, and the Executive Head described their contribution as professional and impactful.
👏 A huge thank you to all the Leaders involved. Your energy, encouragement, and leadership made a real difference. We’re incredibly proud of you and can’t wait to see you in action over the next couple of weeks at other local primary school sports days.
#SportsLeaders #LeadershipInAction #CommunitySpirit #RoleModels #Teamwork #ProudMoment
Uplands Academy / Published 1 Jul 2025
🏴On Sunday 22 June, our Year 8 students set off for an unforgettable five day challenge at Welsh Camp, situated in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
A huge thank you to Davies Adventure Holidays for running the camp so brilliantly. With years of experience, they provide enriching trips that offer students the chance to learn and grow in a fresh, outdoor setting. The focus of the camp is on building self-esteem, confidence, positive attitudes, and encouraging peer support, all through an exciting and challenging programme of activities.
Each activity is carefully designed to push students out of their comfort zones in a safe, supportive environment, led by highly trained and qualified staff. The students had a fantastic time, taking part in a wide range of experiences, from working in teams to build and race rafts across the lake, to developing their canoeing, caving and climbing skills. There was even time to show off their talents with a session of karaoke!
Miss. Buckley, said, 'I'm very proud of all of the students who were a pleasure to take away. They were a credit to Uplands. The leaders also commented on how polite and respectful they were too.'
This was truly a memorable week, full of personal growth, teamwork, and lots of fun!
For more photos, please visit the 'news' section on our website: https://tinyurl.com/4w6kv4jc
#welshcamp #Year8
Uplands Academy / Published 1 Jul 2025
🏆Sports Day Update 🏆
With all the pre-events now complete across Years 7-10, our students have shown incredible determination and team spirit, especially in the heat! 🔥From long Jump and Javelin to Shot Put and the 1500m, you've all done a fantastic job representing your houses.
Here's how the scoreboard is looking ahead of the main Sports Day on Tuesday 8 July and remember, there's still everything to play for!
Overall totals:
🥇YELLOW HOUSE - (279 points)
🥈 RED HOUSE (262 points)
🥉BLUE HOUSE (229 points)
Let's keep the momentum going...roll on Sports Day!
#sportsday #MakeYourMARK