Parent/Carer Notices for all Year Groups
5th December 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Carers
Parent/Carer Notices Update
Due to a change in our service provider (SchoolZine is ceasing its UK operation), we have had to change the way these Notices are sent to you. To avoid parents with children in more than one year group scrolling through repeated messages in separate notices, are now sending out one single notice. This will start with information that applies to everyone, followed by clear bookmarks to year-group specific sections.
Governing Body Update: Welcome to our New Parent Governors
I am delighted to announce the results of the recent Parent Governor election, and extend a very warm welcome to Gary Beacham and Lucy Fisher, who have now joined the Governing Body and will play a vital role in shaping the strategic direction and success of Uckfield College. We are grateful to all the dedicated parents who expressed an interest in volunteering for this crucial role. Your willingness to support the College community is deeply appreciated.
Mental health and emotional wellbeing
Please do complete our one-minute survey (QR code below). Your feedback will help us work with the East Sussex Mental Health Team to determine the most valuable mental health and emotional wellbeing support sessions we can run to support parents/carers.
Our incredible students!
Years 7-10 are proudly earning their Achievement Point shields, and this week we celebrated a fantastic milestone: 110 Year 9 students have already achieved 2 or 3 shields, which earned them a well-deserved Golden Time! A huge congratulations also to the Year 9 student crowned for the day, Ethan H. Year 7 also had a wonderful celebration yesterday, with 43 students who had achieved 2 shields, and Hayley L crowned for the day with 3!
We can’t wait to see Years 8, and 10 join the celebration with their own Golden Time sessions over the next fortnight.
Best wishes
Sara Marshallsay
Principal
General Notices Section
Winter Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) available for children receiving FSM
The winter holiday is approaching and Holiday food and fun! will be back!
Eligible families can find out what’s available and book a place on the HAF booking website.
This DfE funded programme offers a range of exciting activities for young people who receive benefits-related free school meals. Parents can check if they qualify by reading the East Sussex County Council website Free school meals page.
All sessions include a healthy meal and are free to eligible young people. There is a great range of clubs spread across multiple venues in East Sussex. Activities include sport, art, theatre, forest school, animation, music, dance and circus skills.
Price & Buckland - Stock Take will take place from Thursday 4th to Friday 12th December.
Price & Buckland, our uniform supplier will be holding their annual stock take from Thursday 4th to Friday 12th December. This means a temporary 8-day closure of their warehouse.
During this period, they will continue to accept orders, but they will not be processed or dispatched until after the stock take is complete. If you’d like to place any orders in advance, feel free to do so and they will do their very best to dispatch them before the closure.
Introducing Lily Stevanovic - Parent & Carer Practitioner from Me & My Mind
Lily from ‘Me and My Mind’ team (part of East Sussex Mental Health Support Teams), would like to set up free sessions for parents & carers to support their child’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Lily offers workshops, themed coffee mornings, 1:1 drop-in sessions, online and recorded webinars and at times short courses on specific subjects. Firstly, she would like to know what would be most valuable for you and your child right now.
Workshops/coffee mornings could include things such as, “Taming the Worries”, “Tricky Mornings”, “Thriving Through Change” or getting advice and support on Children’s Wellbeing – workshop that covers 5 ways to wellbeing, sleep, food, digital media and much more. In Secondary schools, she also supports parents/carers around exam stress with the Stress Less – Exam Workshop.
Please click: https://forms.office.com/e/RYKeXQLUmC or scan QR code below to complete 1-minute survey to find out what is on offer and to express your current support needs. You will find the same QR code on many school platforms. For further information or to find out more speak to Johnny Pearson, at the school.
Flu Vaccinations
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) latest surveillance data published has identified the flu season has started a month earlier than usual, with cases three times higher than this time last year and largely driven by an increase among school-aged children.
Vaccines typically provide protection against severe clinical disease. Influenza vaccination remains the best protection against influenza and is expected to continue to offer protection, including against the two other influenza types/subtypes that are likely to circulate this season.
- Flu cases are continuing to rise following an early start to the season, with further increases in children and young adults
- Although the school half-term break may have helped slow transmission temporarily, it’s expected that the rise will accelerate further in the coming weeks, with many people still unvaccinated whilst flu hospitalisations increase
- The Sussex school-age immunisation service will be holding community catch-up sessions for children who have missed their flu vaccination in school
- Children in a clinical at-risk category can also access their flu vaccination at their GP surgery
- Practice good hand hygiene washing hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub and Cough etiquette Covering mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the bin afterward.
Movember Bake Sale
Movember '25
Uckfield College staff are fundraising for Movember again this month.
Last year we raised an incredible £2000.
If you can, please support our efforts at the Uckfield College ‘mo space’.
Changemakers will be organising fund raising events this term in support of the cause and if you would like to find out more about Movember please follow this link.
Christmas Hamper Raffle
Save the Date: The Uckfield College Carol Service - Tuesday December 16th, 2025
As the festive season approaches, we invite you to reserve the evening of Tuesday, December 16th, 2025 for our annual Carol Service.
Doors open: 5:45pm | Service starts: 6:00pm
We look forward to welcoming you to this festive event!
Art of the Week
Give a huge round of applause for Kamilla, one of our talented Year 10 artists, who has created this absolutely stunning mixed media piece! #Year10Art #MixedMedia #StudentWork #ArtStudent #CreativeTalent #HighSchoolArt #KamillaCreates #ArtEducation
Photo of the Week
This week's Photo of the Week is a great example of a photography student really going above and beyond to develop their skills! Henry in Year 10 took this beautiful photograph at home when he was experimenting with light painting. Great work Henry! #PhotoOfTheWeek #StudentPhotography #PhotographyCompetition #GCSEPhotography #LightPainting
Festival of Christmas Trees 2025
Exclusive Invitation for Uckfield College Families: A Magical Christmas Treat at the Royal Opera House
We are thrilled to announce a wonderful opportunity for Uckfield College families this festive season: an invitation to a special, subsidised performance of The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.
Why This Special Invitation?
This opportunity is a direct result of Uckfield College’s link to the Royal Ballet and Opera organisation. This performance of The Nutcracker is subsidised and is not open to the general public.
Event Details
The event is a Paul Hamlyn Christmas Treat performance of The Nutcracker.
- When: Saturday 20th December 2025
- Time: 10:00 AM start for family activities; Performance begins at 12:30 PM
- Where: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD
- Cost: Subsidised tickets ranging from £5 to £30 per person.
This is a fantastic way to celebrate the festive season. Please use this link to book your tickets.
Did You Know?
Year 7 Notices
Key Dates
TBC
Year 7 Christmas Lunch - Wednesday 17th December
Year 8 Notices
Key Dates
TBC
Year 8 Enrichment Week 2026
Be kind to yourself
The Daily Challenge from the Be Active Changemaker committee:
One Mile. Every Day. For YOU.
Walk, run or cycle for one mile per day for the rest of term 2.
Year 9 Notices
Key Dates
TBC
Year 9 Golden Time
Our amazing Year 9 are no strangers when it comes to breaking achievement point records. This year, we have thrown down the gauntlet to not only aspire to earn as many achievement points as possible but also to have at least 25 in each of our our 8 categories. We base these categories on our core values and call them ‘shields’.
We took time to celebrate those who already have achieved 2 or 3 shields. 120 students had fun wearing crowns in a golden-adorned sixth form centre. They had juice, biscuits and loved the photo booth and music. Please do speak to your child about attaining more shields in the near future.
Theatre in Education production: Thursday 4th December
Year 9 will be attending a Theatre in Education production in the theatre on Thursday 4th December. ‘Calling It Out’ is an age appropriate and well researched programme designed to raise awareness around the topics of sexual assault and harassment. ‘Calling It Out’ was created and delivered by Loudmouth Education and Training.
The company has been delivering Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) since 1994 and has reached over one million children, young people, professionals and parents across the UK. There is no cost involved in attending the performance. Further information on the production can be found in this parent guide. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact Will Roney (Curriculum Lead – Life Learning).
Year 10 Notices
Key Dates
TBC
Year 10 stuff here
Year 11 Notices
Key Dates
TBC
Year 11 stuff here
Sixth Form Notices
Key Dates
TBC
6th Form stuff here