
Dear Parents and Carers
Academic Achievers
I make no excuse at all for the College’s aspiration that every single student achieves the highest possible grades in their examinations. These outcomes are crucial for a young person’s self-esteem, understanding of the world, and future choices. We believe the route to exam success is founded on:
Students preparing for exams are receiving excellent support from their teachers and pastoral teams through positive encouragement, clear and precise question-level analysis and feedback from trial exams, and subject-specific revision instruction. If your child is taking exams this year and requires additional support, please do not hesitate to contact their subject teacher or pastoral team.
Enterprising and Confident
It has been a truly vibrant and inspirational week at the College, marked by several significant successes:
“The students were phenomenal the entire day of rehearsal and really helped each other behind the scenes too. The visiting NT director, Stewart Melton, was so impressed by the performance and by the conversation he’d had with them afterwards…he was shocked by how young some of them were! It was just a wonderful day and evening to watch them shine.”
Best wishes
Sara Marshallsay
Principal
Please be reminded that the College’s filtering and monitoring systems apply when the Chromebook is connected to the College network. For home use, we strongly recommend parents explore parental control options available through their internet service provider, home router, or the device’s operating system to help manage and filter content.
For full details on safe and responsible use, please see the Chromebook FAQ page. If you require additional support with this, please contact ITsupport@uckfield.college.
On Deep Learning Days, students step away from their regular timetable to explore specific themes, skills, and topics in greater depth. Below is a summary of the sessions planned for each year group.
Students will explore the vital values of equity and equality. The day focuses on understanding inclusion and how to foster supportive friendships and school communities. Parts of the day will involve tailored sessions for male and female students to discuss gender stereotypes, positive masculinity, and menstrual health in a comfortable environment.
Year 8 will sharpen their STEAM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths) by stepping into the world of forensic science. Students will learn how these disciplines are applied in criminal investigations and the training of detectives.
As part of our Whole Person Curriculum, Year 9 will focus on relationships and sexual health. The day is designed to provide a clear understanding of safe, respectful, and healthy relationships.
‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes…’ The English Department has curated a day of immersive, interactive workshops to introduce students to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This deep dive will bring the text to life and provide a strong foundation for their GCSE studies.
Year 11 will participate in ‘Walking-Talking Mocks.’ These guided sessions demystify the exam process by having teachers model the thought process behind tackling complex high-mark questions in real-time, boosting both technique and confidence.
Students will take part in interactive tasks simulating professional Assessment Centres. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop employability skills, topped off by a networking session with Sixth Form alumni who will share insights into their diverse career journeys.
With A-Level exams approaching, Year 13 students are granted a day of home revision. Please note that a small number of students may be required to attend College to complete essential coursework; these individuals will be contacted directly by their subject teachers.
Link here to register for the event
Artificial Intelligence is already reshaping the workplace – from healthcare and finance to marketing, media and education. As parents and carers, it can feel difficult to know what this means for our children’s future career choices.
This webinar will explore:
How AI is changing jobs and creating new opportunities
• Which skills will matter most in an AI-enabled future
• How education is responding to rapid technological change
• How parents can best support young people to feel confident and prepared
Hosted by Dan Wallman, Founder of TechNative Digital, the session will begin with a short overview of how AI is already impacting the job market and how it is expected to reshape both the skills landscape and career pathways in the years ahead.
The event will then feature a panel discussion with three experienced professionals working across AI, business and education:
There will also be the opportunity to submit questions for a Q&A during the session.
This event forms part of the Digital Futures Accelerator, delivered by East Sussex Careers Hub and TechNative Digital, and funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company. The programme connects education and industry to help young people better understand real-world digital and technology careers.
We hope you can join us for what promises to be an insightful and practical conversation about preparing young people for an AI-enabled future.
The parenting team are a small team supporting parents and carers of children aged 0–19 across the whole of East Sussex.
Please find attached their new Parenting Support Guide for April to June 2026.
Everything they offer is completely free, and the only eligibility requirement is that the parent or carer looks after a child aged 0–19 in East Sussex.
Their support includes:
• Online 6–8 week parenting groups on specific topics
• Online 2-hour webinars
• Drop-ins at Family Hubs across East Sussex—no booking needed
• Face-to-face workshops on key topics
• Telephone advice and support
• Facebook Chat availability
• Instant-access videos on YouTube
Please see the attached booklet on support for parents and carers.
Full details below of drop in sessions at Uckfield Family Hub.
This incredible animal skull study is a perfect example of what our year 10 art students are capable of.
We are proud of the skill, dedication, and artistic vision Charlie shows in his Art. The skull is positioned as the focal point, immediately drawing the eye to the centre of the image. This is a fantastic example of a tonal study, where he has focused on gradients between light and dark to create form.
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Monday 13th April – First day of term for all students
We are running Level 2 Bikeability training for students in Year 7 during the week beginning 23rd March.
Please see the attached Parent information sheet for more details about the course. The course will cost £20 per student. The session will run for 4hrs over one day during the Bikeability week. Students can either bring their own bike and helmet to school that day, or are welcome to borrow one of our school bikes and helmets (if bringing their own bike, it must be in a road worthy condition). If a school bike is required, please email s.levett@uckfield.college so that the bike and helmet can be made available for the correct day.
Students must be competent on a bike in order to complete Level 2 training. Please follow this link to complete your booking and consent for your child to undertake the training. Payment will then be made accessible via Parent Pay and will need to be paid before the course starts.
Please note that there are only a limited number of places available, so they will be given on a first-come-first-served basis. The deadline for consent form submission is Monday 16th March. Students will then be contacted with which day their course will take place on.
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Monday 13th April – First day of term for all students
Thursday 19th March – Year 9 Parents Evening (face to face)
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Monday 13th April – First day of term for all students
Tuesday 28th April – The Big Futures Show
The Year 9 Parents’ Evening is on Thursday 19th March starting at 4.30pm and finishing at 7.30pm. This will be held as live, face to face meetings in College, which can be booked using the School Cloud system.
Some staff who do not work on Wednesdays will hold their appointments remotely on Tuesday 17th March or Wednesday 18th March between 4.30pm and 7.30pm
Parents will be able to book appointments from Saturday 7th March at 10am to Tuesday 17th March at 10pm . This information sheet gives details of how to book an appointment.
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Monday 13th April – First day of term for all students
Thank you to the parents who showed an interest in our Habits of Champions evening. Please find linked the materials aimed at supporting your child through their Year 10 Trial Exams.
If you have any questions about the materials or the Trial Exams, please contact Mr Buntain on G.Buntain@Uckfield.College.
Students who overachieved: what did they do?
Revising for the Maths Trial Exams
We are approaching an important milestone for our Year 10 students as they prepare for their first set of trial exams starting Monday 13th April. This will be the first time many students experience formal exam conditions, and it is vital they treat this experience seriously to ensure they are fully prepared for their GCSEs next year.
Exam Schedule and Attendance The first week of exams (Monday 13th April to Friday 17th April) will be held under formal exam conditions:
Morning Session 1: Students must line up by 9:00 am. They must be in College by 8.50am.
Morning Session 2: Students must line up by 11:20 am.
Line-up Location: Students should line up in alphabetical order outside the exam hall or their designated access arrangements room 15 minutes before the exam begins.
Normal Lessons: When not in an exam, students will follow their normal College timetable and must attend their regular classes.
Required Equipment: To ensure a smooth start to every session, please ensure your child arrives at school with a clear pencil case containing all necessary equipment:
Pens (Black or Blue ink—please bring spares)
Pencils and Eraser
Ruler
Calculator
Protractor and Compass
Thank you for your continued support in helping our students prepare for these important assessments.
Good Luck year 10!
Year 10 boys showed great integrity and aspiration in an interactive workshop delivered by Voicebox this week.
The session explored societal pressures, challenged stereotypes, and defined masculinity in positive, resilient and healthy ways. Through guided discussions and activities, the boys gained tools to understand and express emotions healthily, build stronger self-esteem, and grow supportive relationships. This workshop will be supported by work in class in Life Learning later on in the term.
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Monday 13th April – First day of term for all students
Independent Study Sessions
As we approach the final stretch before GCSE exams, we are pleased to offer our Year 11 students a dedicated, quiet space to focus on their revision. We recognise that revising at home can be challenging due to distractions, and not every student has access to a quiet workspace.
Our Independent Study Sessions will be held in the SFSA (Sixth Form Study Area) during the second week of the Easter holidays (Tuesday- Friday) and be overseen by members of the Leadership Team. These sessions provide a familiar, academic environment to help students maximise their productivity in preparation for their summer exams.
Sessions will run daily from Tuesday 7th April to Friday 10th April:
Students are welcome to attend as many sessions as they like and may book both slots each day to complete a full morning of study.
To ensure a high-quality study environment for everyone, the following will apply:
We strongly encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity to build momentum ahead of the summer term.
Targeted Sessions
Alongside the Independent Study Sessions, subject specific sessions will be running, delivered by subjects teachers. These sessions will be by invitation and will be tailored to the specific areas of development that those invited need to focus on. The sessions will run at the same time as Independent Study sessions. If your child is invited to a targeted, subject specific session, this should take priority over attending Independent Study. Teachers will invite students to these sessions and inform them of any equipment that they will need, in advance.
If you know in advance that your child will be unable to attend any of their targeted sessions, it is important that you let staff know as soon as possible. This will allow us to offer the space to another student who could benefit.
Many thanks for your ongoing support.
It was lovely to talk to so many of you at the Year 11 Parents’ Evening recently. I am so proud of how well Year 11 are preparing themselves for the final set of trial exams. I want to take this opportunity to look at celebration and graduation events.
The graduate hoodie (including individual names on the sleeve) will be priced at £23.30. Hoodies are available to purchase via Parentpay. We would like to be able to start giving out these hoodies in Term 5 so the deadline for payment is Friday 20th March in order to give the company ample time to print them. All students who have ordered a hoodie will be sent a Google Form in due course where they can select their size. The hoodies are navy and white and assuming prompt delivery some students will be granted permission to wear their hoodies in College instead of blazers during the week commencing Monday 20th April. Students will be given their hoodies over the course of Term 5 according to where they are on the Year 11 Key2Success Leadership board.
Students can also opt to buy a copy of the Year 11 Yearbook which will hold some wonderful memories of their 5 years at Uckfield College. The cost of this is approximately £18 and can be purchased directly through All YearBooks (not through parent pay) using the link that I will share in Term 5 when the yearbook is ready to print. Both the hoodie and yearbook are optional items but are lovely keepsakes and normally very much desired by students.
Finally, The Year 11 Prom takes place on Thursday 25th June 2026 at the AMEX stadium and I anticipate that the whole year group will attend. Please note that the event is by invitation only, and students with poor behaviour may not be invited. This will include outstanding detentions and any antisocial behaviour in social times. In such circumstances we reserve the right to cancel a student’s invitation to the prom up to the date of the event. The cost of the Prom this year is now confirmed at £62. This will be available on ParentPay from Monday 16th March and the deadline for this payment is Monday 1st June 2026. In cases of financial difficulty please contact the finance office to see what support we may be able to offer (finance.info@uckfield.college). This is a one off payment of £62, however if it is not possible for you to pay this in one go then payment options can be discussed by contacting the finance team as above.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Year Team.
The Post 16 transport policy statement is intended to inform young people in years 11, 12 and 13 and their parents about what transport arrangements and financial support are available to them. We welcome any comments on the draft Transport Policy Statement. All the information can be found on the consultation hub where comments can be left until 30 March 2026.
Please bring this consultation to the attention of all current Year 11 students and sixth form learners (where applicable). Please direct any queries to Post16.Transport@eastsussex.gov.uk.
Andrew from Action Your Potential is leading a powerful and helpful workshop on Thursday 26 March at 7:30pm. It is called “Keep Calm and Carry On,” and it’s all about how we help our children build resilience and bounce back from setbacks. Video Promo for Webinar
Click the Zoom link below to sign up.
The Students’ Guide to University 2026 is now available to support students considering university and is ideal for Years 11–13.
This popular 112-page publication features professional advice from over 80 university experts and is designed to help students make informed decisions about higher education. Inside, they can explore open day travel scholarships, learn how to access funding and free money, understand changes to the UCAS personal statement and gain valuable application tips from current university students.
The guide can be downloaded for free from this link: https://www.unitasterdays.com/university-support-for-students/students-guide-to-university-brochure/
The Unifrog University Subject Discovery fair is a great opportunity to find out all about studying at university and get all your questions answered by the experts. Join universities from across the UK to speak to their representatives via Q&A, and attend live sessions to get an insight into the exciting subjects you could be studying! Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Thursday 26th March – Ten Pin Bowling at Brighton Marina, 4.30 – 9pm
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Monday 13th April – First day of term for all students
Thursday 16th April – Year 12 UCAS Higher Education and Apprenticeship Convention at Brighton Centre
Thursday 23rd April – Year 12 Preparation for Higher Education Evening, 6pm
Students have already been sent their exam timetables for their exams next week. They should arrive at their exam venue at least 15 minutes before the exam starts.
Students will be off timetable for the first 5 days of the trial exams on study leave, with the exception of those students studying vocational courses or attending GCSE Maths and English resit classes, who will be expected to attend those lessons as normal UNLESS they are in an exam, or on morning study leave for an exam they are sitting in the afternoon. Please note there are a small number of exams running on Monday 23rd March, but all students should attend normal timetabled lessons on the 23rd unless they are in one of these exams. If students have an exam in the afternoon of the 23rd March, they are permitted to take the morning as Study Leave if they wish. PDT will not run during this week.
The SFSA will be available for students throughout this time, but should only be used for silent work/revision. Students should still wear lanyards when they are on site during this week.
Please find attached the letter with details of this year’s (The Class of 2026) Leavers’ Prom which will take place on Friday 22nd May at the East Sussex National Hotel, Uckfield.
Confirmation of attendance and payment for this event should be made through ParentPay by Monday 27th April.
We are delighted to be able to offer students a Leavers’ Hoodie at a cost of £25.50. They are available in five colours – Arctic White, Ash, Baby Pink, Navy Smoke & Burgundy Smoke. The hoodies will have the names of all students printed on the reverse, the year and the College Logo on the front, with a personalised space at the bottom of the reverse for either initials or surname.
Please find the link with the full letter and google form here
WEDNESDAY MARCH 18TH – 6.30PM
Click the link below to book your FREE ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/
We will be covering:
60 minutes of really practical advice to help you get started on LinkedIn….this session is all about getting you ready to reach out and develop your network, find opportunities and get involved in communities.
But first, let’s get your profile optimised for success!
Lots of young people don’t think about adding LinkedIn to their social platforms…..but you already have the skills to make the platform really work for you. So let’s get started!
On a recent Degree Apprenticeships webinar the advice of all the young degree apprentices was – Get On LinkedIn!
You’ll leave the session knowing how LinkedIn can be a brilliant tool for you, and how to get your profile sorted!
The Post 16 transport policy statement is intended to inform young people in years 11, 12 and 13 and their parents about what transport arrangements and financial support are available to them. We welcome any comments on the draft Transport Policy Statement. All the information can be found on the consultation hub where comments can be left until 30 March 2026.
Please bring this consultation to the attention of all current Year 11 students and sixth form learners (where applicable). Please direct any queries to Post16.Transport@eastsussex.gov.uk.
We are writing to share some exciting news regarding our approach to technology and learning at Uckfield College. Starting Thursday 12th March, we will be providing our Year 12 and Year 13 students with access to Gemini for use during lessons and independent study. Gemini is Google’s generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool.
We believe that, when used correctly, AI can be a powerful tool to enhance your child’s academic journey. We are encouraging students to use Gemini as a “thought partner” to support their learning in several key ways:
While we are embracing this technology, our message to students remains clear: AI will never replace hard work. It is an enhancement to their efforts, not a substitute for them. To maintain academic integrity, we have established strict guidelines:
To ensure students use this tool responsibly, we will be guiding them on how to use AI effectively. Students will be supported in assemblies and through ongoing mentoring to ensure they feel confident and ethical in their use of AI.
We take the safety of our students seriously. Please be assured that Gemini has passed all comprehensive safeguarding checks. The platform is being rolled out within a controlled school environment to ensure it is used safely and for educational purposes.
If you have a question about the use of AI in a particular subject, please contact your child’s teacher directly. For any other questions, please contact us via office@uckfield.college
The Unifrog University Subject Discovery fair is a great opportunity to find out all about studying at university and get all your questions answered by the experts. Join universities from across the UK to speak to their representatives via Q&A, and attend live sessions to get an insight into the exciting subjects you could be studying!
The Students’ Guide to University 2026 is now available to support students considering university and is ideal for Years 11–13.
This popular 112-page publication features professional advice from over 80 university experts and is designed to help students make informed decisions about higher education. Inside, they can explore open day travel scholarships, learn how to access funding and free money, understand changes to the UCAS personal statement and gain valuable application tips from current university students.
The guide can be downloaded for free from this link: https://www.unitasterdays.com/university-support-for-students/students-guide-to-university-brochure/
The Sixth Former’s Guide on degree apprenticeships is an essential guide for 6th formers and is published annually. It has lots of useful information on degree apprenticeships from a range of sectors and employer profiles.
Please find the link here
In addition to our Information Evening, we have arranged a visit to the UCAS Higher Education and Apprenticeship Convention at the Brighton Centre on Thursday 16th April.
The purpose of this annual conference is to give your child an introduction to Higher Education and other options after Year 13. The conference planners aim to have over 100 exhibitors, including university admission staff, careers advisors, apprenticeship providers, sponsorship organisations and Gap Year staff.
Please see the full letter here
As part of our programme aimed at informing your child about their Higher Education or gap year options, we have arranged a Higher Education Information Evening at College on Thursday 23rd April 2026, for both students and parents. The 6th Form Team and a representative from the University of Sussex will talk through the UCAS process and the reasons why students might wish to consider Higher Education. The talk will start promptly at 6.00pm. This is a most important, valuable and informative evening for both you and your child, and attendance is encouraged.
If you are intending to join us for the evening, we would be grateful if you could complete the attached Google Form in order to give us an indication of numbers.