Uplands Academy Review 2026: Rural Wealden secondary with a strong community feel

Uplands Academy is a mixed, non-selective secondary serving Wadhurst and the surrounding Rural Wealden, with a pupil intake that can extend across the county boundary into Kent. East Sussex planning papers note sustained demand from out of area applicants, especially from neighbouring Kent, with forecasts suggesting Year 7 is expected to be full or close to full in the coming years if that popularity continues.

Ofsted’s most recent inspection took place on 14 and 15 January 2025 and concluded that the academy had taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

Leadership is a clear current anchor. Chris Connor is the headteacher, appointed in September 2023.

A practical note for families considering post 16. Ofsted states that sixth form provision was phased out, with no sixth form from September 2025.

This is a school that positions manners, respect, acceptance and kindness as day to day expectations, not simply aspirational language. Pupils are described as enjoying school and feeling safe, supported by strong staff relationships and clear guidance. Classroom culture is generally focused, with low level disruption addressed when it appears, which matters in a comprehensive setting where children arrive with a wide range of starting points.

A useful indicator of student voice is the student council, which is described as feeding back in ways that shape decisions. That is a small detail, but it signals a school that expects pupils to take responsibility for more than their timetable. For some children, that kind of structured participation can be a confidence builder, especially in Years 7 and 8 when transition is still fresh.

The wider trust context is also material because it shapes training, subject leadership support, and the consistency of day to day routines. Uplands is part of MARK Education Trust, and Ofsted notes that trust support includes training opportunities and specialist guidance, including around attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.

At GCSE, the school’s results sit broadly in line with the middle range of schools in England, rather than at the very top or bottom of the distribution. Uplands Academy is ranked 2,196th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and ranks 1st in Wadhurst. This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

On the core headline measures, the average Attainment 8 score is 44.4, while Progress 8 is -0.23. Progress 8 below zero indicates that, on average, pupils made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally, which is an important context point for parents weighing the balance between strong pastoral culture and academic momentum.

The EBacc picture is also worth understanding because it affects curriculum breadth at Key Stage 4. The percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc is 13.3, and the average EBacc APS is 4.07. That combination usually points to a smaller proportion of pupils taking the full EBacc pathway, or at least fewer pupils securing stronger outcomes within it, so families who want a strongly academic language and humanities route should ask directly how option pathways are structured and how many pupils typically enter the full EBacc suite.

A-level performance data exists for recent cohorts, but it needs careful handling because the sixth form has now closed. For historical context, the A-level outcomes place the school below the England average on top grades. The proportion of A-level grades at A* to A is 11.7%, compared with an England average of 23.6%; A* to B is 36.2%, compared with an England average of 47.2%. In FindMySchool’s A-level ranking, this corresponds to 1,901st in England and 1st in Wadhurst for A-level outcomes. For families currently choosing Year 7 or Year 10, the more relevant question is what post-16 pathways the school supports now that the sixth form provision has ceased, and how well transition guidance is organised.

Curriculum stability and implementation consistency are the key themes in the most recent external evidence. The curriculum has been redesigned in recent years and is described as carefully sequenced, broad and ambitious, with leadership focus on ensuring staff deliver that intent consistently. The practical implication is that families may see a school that is clear about where it is going, while still embedding habits and routines that make delivery consistent across classrooms and subjects.

Literacy is treated as a whole school priority. Reading is identified as a strength area, with systems to identify pupils who need additional support and to put interventions in place so they can access subject learning more effectively. This matters in a mixed ability context because literacy gaps can quickly become curriculum access gaps in history, geography, science and technology.

Stretch opportunities exist for pupils who are ready for them. Ofsted highlights further mathematics and triple science as examples of routes that help pupils deepen understanding and build independence. In practical terms, this can suit students who are not necessarily high attaining across every subject, but who do have particular strength in mathematics or science and want a more demanding pathway at Key Stage 4.

Subject resourcing also appears strong in science. A staff recruitment pack describes science teaching as lab based, with specialist laboratories and technical support, plus structured KS3 and KS4 programmes. Those kinds of departmental conditions often translate into better practical work and clearer routines, which can be important for pupils who learn best through structured activities and frequent checking of understanding.

Where Students Go Next

Because the sixth form has closed, destinations should be read through two lenses. First, what recent cohorts did when the academy still had sixth form students. Second, what current Year 11 students are supported to do now.

For the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort, destinations data indicates that 8% progressed to university, 6% to further education, 8% started apprenticeships and 50% entered employment. This points to a strongly employment facing profile in that cohort, with a meaningful apprenticeship route as well as a smaller university pipeline.

On elite destinations, the available Oxbridge data shows a small volume, as you would expect for a school of this type. In the measurement period, there were 2 applications to Cambridge and 1 acceptance, which is a reminder that highly academic pathways are possible for a small number of students, provided they are well supported and realistically matched to subject fit.

In the current context, families should ask specifically how the school structures careers education and post-16 advice now that students will move on to colleges or training providers after Year 11. The best sign of a strong transition system is clear information about local providers, frequent guidance interviews, and support with applications and interviews, including for apprenticeships.

Uplands Academy is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Entry to Year 7 is managed through East Sussex’s co-ordinated admissions process rather than a direct fee paying route.

For September 2026 entry, East Sussex states that applications open on 12 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with National Offer Day on 02 March 2026. Appeals have a stated deadline of 27 March 2026.

Demand and geography matter here. East Sussex planning documents describe substantial out of area interest, especially from neighbouring Kent, with the local authority forecasting the school to be full or close to its published admission number in forthcoming years if that popularity continues. This tends to mean that families should treat admissions as competitive unless they sit clearly within priority categories, and they should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand likely travel distances and to sense check journey practicality before committing to the preference order.

Because no recent “last distance offered” figure is available here, families should not assume that proximity alone will secure a place. The safest approach is to review the published oversubscription criteria in the school’s admissions policy and cross check with the local authority’s allocation information from prior years.

The school’s stated ethos focuses on pupils feeling safe, known and guided. Strong relationships between staff and pupils are presented as a cornerstone, and there is an explicit sense that pupils’ personal development is structured through assemblies, tutor discussions and wider conversations about modern life, including online safety and relationships.

Safeguarding is the one area where parents normally want a clear, explicit statement. The most recent Ofsted inspection confirms that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Attendance is treated as a high priority, with a reported range of strategies aimed at improving attendance and reducing persistent absence. That focus is important in a rural area where travel, weather and transport reliability can create practical barriers, and where missing lessons can quickly lead to gaps in learning.

The school offers enrichment across sport, performing arts and structured study support, and this is not just an add on for a small group. A school travel plan produced for the predecessor school describes after school activities running to around 5.00pm, including sports clubs, performing arts and study support. The specific times in that document are historic and should be treated as a pattern indicator rather than a guarantee, but it usefully shows the school has long organised activities around transport and rural travel realities.

Two features stand out as distinctive. First, the on site Sports Centre, which is described in the same travel plan as being accessible to members from early morning into the evening and used for extended school and community lettings. Even allowing for changes over time, an integrated sports centre tends to be a genuine local asset and can support a wider range of sporting participation than a standard PE hall alone.

Second, environmental action has had an organised student strand. The travel plan references an Eco Group undertaking travel surveys and engagement work, including meeting an MP to discuss local concerns. That sort of structured student led project is valuable for pupils who learn best when they can connect school life to tangible community issues.

Leadership development also sits in this wider strand. The student council is presented as a vehicle for shaping decisions and building organisational skills, and it is a useful option for pupils who want responsibility without needing to be a captain of sport or a lead in drama.

This is a rural setting, so transport planning matters. Historic travel planning documents describe substantial use of coach or local bus services, reflecting a catchment that crosses village and county lines, with services described to and from Tunbridge Wells, Lamberhurst, Bells Yew Green and Hawkhurst.

The same document sets out a typical historic school day running from 8.55am to 3.25pm, with breakfast club from 8.00am and after school activities to around 5.00pm. Families should confirm current timings directly because these details can change, especially with shifts in transport provision and post 16 arrangements.

• Post 16 is no longer on site. Ofsted states that sixth form provision ended from September 2025. Families who want a continuous 11 to 18 pathway will need to plan early for college, training provider or apprenticeship routes after Year 11.

• Academic progress is a watch point. A Progress 8 score of -0.23 indicates below average progress from starting points. That does not define every pupil’s experience, but it is a signal that families should ask how the school identifies gaps early and how it supports pupils who need additional catch up.

• Competition may include cross border demand. East Sussex planning papers highlight continuing popularity with out of area applicants, especially from neighbouring Kent. That can affect how quickly places fill and how far some pupils travel.

• Consistency is a current improvement focus. External evidence highlights that curriculum delivery is not yet as consistent as intended across staff. Families should look for clarity on behaviour routines, homework expectations, and how teaching quality is checked and supported.

Uplands Academy offers a grounded, relationship led comprehensive education in a rural context, with clear strengths in community ethos, pupil safety and structured personal development. It suits families who want a local secondary with a calm culture, who are comfortable planning post 16 progression to colleges or apprenticeships, and who value a school that is improving curriculum consistency rather than pretending every classroom is identical. Securing the right fit depends on asking direct questions about academic progress support and the post 16 pathway now that sixth form provision has ended.