Our Vision and Values
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.
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@Uplands Academy
Uplands Academy / Published 20 May 2026
🐎 The Uplands Equestrian Team has enjoyed another fantastic and successful term, with riders demonstrating exceptional commitment and achieving excellent results both in training and competition. The team was also delighted to welcome Maisey (Year 10) back, alongside her horses Paddy and Legacy.
During the Easter holidays, riders took part in a brilliant training session with coach Maria Green in Ticehurst, making the most of the opportunity to refine their skills ahead of upcoming events, despite the warm weather!
Several team members then competed at the NSEA Showjumping and Grassroots Qualifiers at Duckhurst on 8 April, delivering some outstanding performances. Tallulah secured an impressive 6th place in the 75cm class and achieved a fantastic double clear in the 80cm class on her horse, Grace. Eliora also enjoyed a highly successful day, placing 6th in the 70cm class and 4th in the 75cm class on Crown, before going on to secure 6th in the 80cm and an excellent 3rd place in the 90cm on Spirit.
On 11 April, Eva competed at Felbridge in the NSEA Eventers Challenge in Arena Eventing, finishing in a commendable 8th place on Brushmarks.
More recently, on 9 May, Eliora, Maisey and Tallulah represented Uplands at the NSEA Showjumping competition at Hadlow College. All riders performed brilliantly, with Tallulah and Grace once again achieving two 6th place finishes in their classes.
We are incredibly proud of all our riders for their continued dedication and hard work, and they are looking forward to training again with Maria Green after the May half term.
A huge thank you to our sponsor, CooperBurnett, a Tunbridge Wells-based law firm, for their continued support. Their generosity ensures our riders and horses always look smart and professional at every event.
If you have access to a horse or pony and are interested in joining the Uplands Equestrian Team, please contact Mr Doe at sdoe@uplands-academy.org for more information.
#TeamUplands #EquestrianTeam #MakeYourMARK
Uplands Academy / Published 19 May 2026
🌄 Well done to our nineteen Year 10 students who successfully completed their #DofE Award Silver Practice Expedition last week! Over three days, they showed fantastic resilience and teamwork while hiking across the South Downs, camping, and navigating independently.
From mastering essential expedition skills to tackling varied terrain, every student rose to the challenge, and even found time to celebrate a birthday with cake and plenty of singing along the way! 🎉
Congratulations to all involved, and thank you to our staff and expedition provider, Outspark for their incredible support. 👏
For the full report and more photos, please visit the news section on our website: https://tinyurl.com/2d7y7zyu
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award #MakeYourMARK MARK Education Trust
Uplands Academy / Published 14 May 2026
🥾Good luck to all our students currently taking part in their silver #DofE practice expedition!
The weather has been kind to them so far – let’s hope it stays that way over the next couple of days!
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award #MakeYourMARK MARK Education Trust
Uplands Academy / Published 14 May 2026
Last month, ahead of our Year 5 Open Mornings, our Headteacher, Mr Connor, and Assistant Head of Year 7, Mrs Mortimer, visited Lamberhurst St Mary’s C.E. Primary School to speak to pupils during assembly.
They were joined by two of our own students and former Lamberhurst pupils, who spoke eloquently and confidently about their journey to Uplands Academy. A huge thank you to Elvie and Beau (Year 7) for sharing their experiences so passionately and for helping to reassure and inspire younger students as they look ahead to starting secondary school.💙📚
Uplands Academy / Published 14 May 2026
The Student Survey is now open – don’t miss your chance to have your say on learning, wellbeing and support at Uplands.
✅ Anonymous
⏱ Takes around 10 minutes
📅 Closes Friday 22 May (3pm)
Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well and where we can improve. Make sure your voice is heard!
Please check your school email to take part.
Uplands Academy / Published 13 May 2026
🎨 Calling All GCSE Art Students! 🎨
We’re excited to share details about The Farley Arts Trust Awards!
Inspired by the artistic legacy of Roland Penrose and Lee Miller at Farleys House & Gallery, this competition and exhibition programme gives secondary school and college students the chance to showcase their work in a professional gallery setting.
This year’s exhibition will take place in the Lee Miller Gallery and will celebrate the incredible creativity of young people across East Sussex.
🖌️ Categories include:
• Painting
• Sculpture / 3D
• Mixed Media / 2D
• Works on Paper
• Photography
• Textiles
• Sketchbooks
✨ There will also be:
• Two Special Surrealism Awards — with winning works exhibited at Farleys House alongside pieces by Roland Penrose, Lee Miller, Pablo Picasso and other renowned artists during the 2027 public opening season.
• The Sylvia Tidy Award — presented to a student whose work demonstrates awareness of current personal or community issues.
If you are interested in entering, please speak to Miss Reilly, Head of Art & Photography, who can provide more details and submit entries on your behalf.
📅 Final deadline for entries: Friday 12 June
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to have your artwork professionally exhibited and celebrated!
Uplands Academy / Published 13 May 2026
💚 Mental Health Awareness Week | 11–17 May 2026.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and we are proud to be recognising its importance across our school community.
Last week, all assemblies and PDT sessions focused on mental health and wellbeing, giving students valuable opportunities to learn more about understanding their emotions, looking after their mental health, and recognising when they or others may need support.
We’d also like to remind students and families that support is always available. Alongside the help offered in school, the following trusted resources provide further advice, guidance and support:
🔹 Mental Health Foundation – information and advice on mental wellbeing
🔹 YoungMinds – support for children and young people
🔹 Sussex Microsite – a directory of approved mental health apps.
Within school, students can access support from our Assistant Heads of Year, highly experienced Pastoral, Safeguarding and SEND teams, our Senior Mental Health Lead, and Mental Health First Aiders.
Looking after our mental health is just as important as looking after our physical health, and no one ever has to face challenges alone.
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
Uplands Academy / Published 12 May 2026
To support our growing and expanding school, we are seeking applications for the following staff vacancy currently listed on our website:
👉 Food Technician
🔗 To view our vacancies, visit https://www.uplands-academy.org/join-us/job-opportunities-1
Please visit https://mynewterm.com/trust/MARK-Education-Trust/2259 to join our talent pool and apply for vacancies across MARK Education Trust.
#MakeYourMARK #jobs #jobsearch #newjob #vacancy #recruitment #education #Wadhurst #EastSussex
Uplands Academy / Published 11 May 2026
Good luck to all of our Year 11 students as you begin your exams 📝
You have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, believe in yourselves and give it your best over the coming weeks ✨
Thank you to all of our teachers and support staff for their dedication, commitment and tireless work throughout the year to prepare and support our students for their exams.
A huge thank you to our Examinations Officer, Mrs Reynolds, for all her support both before and throughout the exam period.
🍏Thank you as well to Chartwells, our catering provider, who will be providing free fruit and water in the canteen before each exam.
#MakeYourMARK #YouCanDoThis #examseason
Uplands Academy / Published 8 May 2026
🎶 A reminder about the music lesson opportunities available through Create Music here at Uplands Academy.
We currently welcome a number of specialist music teachers into school each week to deliver instrumental lessons, including guitar and woodwind.
🥁Our drum teacher, Aiden Purdey, visits Uplands every Tuesday and is currently looking to take on new students. This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in learning the drums or developing their skills further.
For more information, including details of all available lessons and pricing, please visit the Create Music website, where applications for lessons can also be made: https://tinyurl.com/5ydtu87w.
Alternatively, students and parents are welcome to contact Miss Leader, Head of Music, who will be happy to answer any questions.
#learnaninstrument #trysomethingnew #musiclessons
Uplands Academy / Published 7 May 2026
🌺On Tuesday, Year 7 students spent a full day exploring Wakehurst Gardens and they made the most of every moment.
They learned about the importance of seeds in global conservation, examined soil samples to understand how ecosystems thrive, and discovered how vital woodland preservation is for the future of our environment.
🌱A highlight of the visit was engaging with the Seed Bank project, where students saw firsthand how scientists safeguard plant species from around the world.
Throughout the entire trip, their behaviour was exemplary, so much so that Mrs Huxford felt incredibly proud of them. They were curious, respectful, and genuinely wonderful ambassadors for the school.
#Year7 #schooltrip
Uplands Academy / Published 7 May 2026
A big thank you to our Year 9 Student Ambassadors for their outstanding support during our Year 5 Open Morning Tours last week, where we welcomed over 120 prospective families from our main feeder primary schools across five days.
We received some fantastic feedback about our Student Ambassadors, who were described as polite, confident, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Families commented on how welcoming the students were, how clearly they answered questions, and how reassuring they made the experience for both parents and children. Many visitors said the tour left their child feeling excited about joining Uplands and praised the ambassadors for representing the school so brilliantly.
Visitors consistently praised the warm, welcoming atmosphere at Uplands, highlighting our friendly, articulate students and enthusiastic, informative staff. Seeing the school on a normal working day reassured families, with calm classrooms, engaging lessons and impressive facilities. Many parents shared how their children left the event excited about joining Uplands, and confident in the wide range of opportunities available both in and beyond the classroom, including Post‑16 pathways.
A highlight of the Open Morning presentation was a speech from two of our students. Greta in Year 7 and Samuel in Year 10 were a credit to the school and shared their experiences of their time at Uplands very eloquently. We received some lovely feedback: “The most positive aspect of the day was hearing first‑hand how Year 7s have settled in and successfully completed their transition from a primary school setting. I thought Greta and Samuel gave great speeches, they are clearly enthusiastic about Uplands.”
Our annual Open Day takes place on Saturday 10 October 2026, and everyone is welcome to attend. This will be followed by a week of Year 6 Open Mornings, offering prospective families further opportunities to visit the school and meet members of staff.
For more information, please visit our website: https://www.uplands-academy.org/join-us/open-events
MARK Education Trust
Uplands Academy / Published 1 May 2026
🌿 Student Success 📸
At the end of last year, our Geography and Art departments promoted a local Youth Nature & Wildlife competition organised by Wealden District Council – and we’re delighted to share some fantastic news!
Huge congratulations to Eva in Year 8, who won the 12–17 age category with her stunning photograph of the Rye coastline 👏
Eva was recently presented with a Sussex Wildlife Trust annual membership and a framed copy of her winning photograph.
🔗 To find out more about the competition and see the full list of winners, visit:
https://letstalk.wealden.gov.uk/nature-photo-competition
#youngphotographer #MakeYourMark
Uplands Academy / Published 30 Apr 2026
🚀Our Year 10 students recently took part in a voluntary work experience week as part of our careers programme, with 116 students completing placements across a wide range of industries in East Sussex, Kent and London.
Students gained valuable first-hand insight into the world of work, developing key employability skills and receiving extremely positive feedback from employers on their attitude, conduct and enthusiasm.
We are very grateful to the many businesses and organisations who supported our students and helped make the experience such a success.
For the full report and employer testimonials, please visit the news section on our website: https://tinyurl.com/434p4jz3.
#MakeYourMARK #workexperience #year10
Uplands Academy / Published 29 Apr 2026
🏃♂️🏃♀️ Fantastic performances from our Year 10 athletes! 🏆
Yesterday, our Year 10 Athletics team travelled to Lewes to compete against other schools in a range of events, and they were absolutely brilliant – supporting one another throughout the day and proudly representing our school.
We had some outstanding individual successes, including:
🏅 Daniel M – 1st place in the 100m and 200m
🏅 Sienna C – 1st place in the 200m
🏅 Florence G – 1st place in the Long Jump
🏅 Gabe S – 1st place in the Long Jump
🏅 Bobby G – 1st place in the Discus
Beyond the medals, we were incredibly proud of all students who stepped outside their comfort zones to try new events.
Mr Doe, Head of PE commented, 'Throughout the competition, students demonstrated our MARK values, showing resilience and motivation in challenging moments, respect and kindness towards others, and true sportsmanship at every stage'.
👏 Well done to all involved – a fantastic team effort! 👏
#MakeYourMARK #TeamUplands #Athletics
Uplands Academy / Published 29 Apr 2026
🏰Throwback to the last day of Term 4
On Friday 27 March, Year 7 pupils enjoyed an inspiring trip to Hampton Court Palace as part of their study of the Tudor period, with a particular focus on the English Reformation under Henry VIII.
During the visit, students took part in an interactive workshop designed to deepen their understanding of Tudor religion, power and politics. They engaged enthusiastically with the activities, answered questions thoughtfully, and demonstrated excellent historical knowledge and curiosity throughout.
The day also included a guided tour of the palace, where pupils explored some of Hampton Court’s most iconic locations, including the magnificent Great Hall, the Long Gallery, and the historic Tudor Kitchens, helping to bring their classroom learning vividly to life.
There was also time for pupils to tackle the famous Hampton Court Maze, which was approached with great enthusiasm and teamwork, as well as the opportunity to watch a game of ‘real tennis’ being played on the palace courts — a fascinating glimpse into a traditional Tudor sport.
Mrs Underdown, Head of History commented, 'Students had a fantastic day and represented the school impeccably. Their behaviour, engagement and enthusiasm were a real credit, making the visit both enjoyable and educational for all involved'.
#Year7 #History