Parent/Carer Notices for all Year Groups
27th February 2026
Supporting Punctuality - Reminder - Simon Webster
To further support our continued drive towards improving punctuality, we have been working with the local Tesco Express on Browns Lane.
Following recent discussions regarding student arrival times, Tesco have agreed to support our initiative and will no longer serve students that are in school uniform after 8.45am during term time. The restriction does not apply if a student is accompanied by an adult, nor does it apply after the College day ends. This measure is aimed at ensuring that students are not delayed and arrive at the school in time for the start of the school day.
Many thanks for your ongoing support in ensuring that your children arrive promptly and ready to learn.
National Theatre Connections performance - reminder - 9th March
Uckfield College Careers Fair - Wednesday 11th March
New for this Term: The ‘Read to Rise’ Book List
Our College librarian has curated an exciting new reading collection called ‘Read to Rise’, specifically designed to grow a culture of aspiration among our students.
The ‘Read to Rise’ campaign is focused on encouraging students to look forward and outward. By engaging with these hand-picked titles, students are challenged to think bigger, explore new perspectives, and set ambitious goals for their future.
- Broadening Horizons: Each book has been chosen to spark curiosity about the world, high-level academic concepts, and diverse career paths.
- Encouraging Ambition: The collection features stories of enterprise and achievement to inspire students to reach for outstanding outcomes in all areas of their lives.
- Building Confidence: Reading widely beyond the curriculum helps students develop the knowledge and self-belief to feel confident in their future aspirations.
We encourage you to talk to your child about the list and perhaps choose a title to explore together. You can find the full ‘Read to Rise’ selection on the college website and in the library.
Let’s work together to inspire the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and achievers!
Essential Online Safety
Easy Fundraising for Uckfield College
FACE Sessions to support parents/carers
Community Breakfast Drop-in for Kinship and Family Carers
Community Breakfasts for Kinship Carers. Kinship carers include anyone who is looking after their grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or other family members or friends who look after children, in place of the parents.
If this is you and you fancy meeting other people, you’re very welcome to drop in on the first Tuesday of the month to the Victoria Pavilion Support Centre, Victoria Pleasure Ground, Uckfield, TN22 5DJ. The breakfasts are on a drop-in basis, so people can come in anytime between 10am-12pm to enjoy tea, coffee and breakfast, and meet other kinship carers, for mutually supportive chats and connections.
We have some funding for the breakfasts, but we want it to continue past the funding, so we ask people to contribute £1 or £2 if they can.
Uckfield Model Railway Club - Open Day
Art of the Week
While we didn’t have the man himself walking through our doors, this incredible student work had us doing a double-take.
For Year 8’s Artist Research homework, Isabelle has created this stunning study of a David Hockney masterpiece.
Studying the greats is about more than just copying; it’s about deconstructing how masters use light and line to see the world differently. If David saw this, we think he’d be impressed!
Did You Know?
Year 7 Notices
Key Dates
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Thursday 5th March – Year 7 Parents’ Evening for all Year 7 parents/carers (in College,in person) 4.30pm – 7.30pm
Monday 9th March – Connections Macbeth Performance 6pm
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Welcome Back to Year 7 - Miss Wiltshire
Reflecting on Term 3, there has been so much to celebrate, particularly with our focus on Aspiration. Every single student in Year 7 earned achievement points for Aspiration this term. It is a testament to how hard they are working to be the “best versions of themselves.”
A huge “well done” goes to 7K, who were crowned our Reading Champions! We also had a brilliant time on Deep Learning Day and it was a real highlight to see so many creative egg-protection designs as the eggs were dropped from the Refectory balcony. I’m happy to report that we had many survivors!
This term, our Habits of Champions focus will shift to Resilience. We’ll be talking about the ‘power of yet’ and the idea that even if you can’t do something today, you just can’t do it yet. We want to help our students build a strong sense of self-belief and ensure they have the character to keep going, even when things feel a bit challenging.
I also wanted to remind you that our Year 7 Parents’ Evening is on Thursday 5th March. We would like parent/carers for every student please to attend, to discuss how your child is doing. Please use the School Cloud portal to book your appointments.
Level 2 Bikeability, w/c 23rd March
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.
Parents' Evening Booking System - Martin Bradley
The Year 7 Parents’ Evening is on Thursday 5th 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 3rd March or Wednesday 4th March between 4.30pm and 7.30pm
Parents will be able to book appointments from Tuesday 24th February at 7.30am to Tuesday 3rd March at 10pm . This information sheet gives details of how to book an appointment..
Year 8 Notices
Key Dates
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Monday 9th March – Connections Macbeth Performance 6pm
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Welcome Back to Year 8 - Mr Sambrook
Thank you for your fantastic engagement with the Year 8 Options process. It was a pleasure to see so many of you last term as Year 8 students make these exciting decisions about their futures. Additionally, last term we challenged all students in Year 7-10 to aim for 10 Aspiration achievement points and I am pleased to announce that Year 8 were the winners with 190 students achieving this goal. Well done team.
Whilst this is a short term, it is a crucial one. With the mornings growing lighter and the days sunnier please continue to support us in ensuring your child is in school every day, as we know that Every Second Counts in their school journey.
Looking ahead, I am delighted to let you know that our Deep Learning Day on Tuesday, 24th March, will be ‘Detective Day’. This promises to be a highly enjoyable, immersive experience that will put our students’ problem-solving skills to the test.
Finally, our Habits of Champions focus for this term is Resilience. To bring this to life, we are launching an inter-form competition. The Mentor group that earns the most Resilience Achievement points at the end of the term will get to lead a ‘PDT take over’ in Term 5.
Staff will be awarding Resilience Achievement Points this term for:
- Asking for help.
- Suggesting solutions to problems.
- Using coping strategies when you are finding something challenging.
- Responding to and acting on feedback.
- Leaving no blank answers.
- Being a brilliant partner when working with students you don’t usually work with.
- Being really positive and having a ‘can do’ attitude.
Year 9 Notices
Key Dates
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Monday 9th March – Connections Macbeth Performance 6pm
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
Tuesday 28th April – The Big Futures Show
Welcome Back to Year 9 - Mr Mitchell
With Term 4 upon us, we have quite a busy schedule to work through with Year 9 and some key dates for your diary. Tue March 24th- Deep Learning Day
Year 9 Careers in Subject Lessons - w/c 9th March
Every subject for Year 9 will be spending some of their lessons in the week commencing 9th March considering careers learning in that subject. This can be researching the careers that the subject leads to, or other careers-related activities to the subject (e.g. a decision making exercise that highlights the role of different professionals).
We are sure that Year 9s will be inspired by the range of careers they find out about during this week and this will motivate them to put even more effort into their learning. Parents may wish to discuss this with them and use this to start a conversation about future career options.
'Time Out' Theatre Production - Friday 13th March
Year 9 will be attending a Theatre in Education production on Friday 13 March. The Solomon Theatre Company has been commissioned to deliver a performance of ‘Time Out’ to secondary schools in East Sussex.
This Theatre in Education performance explores drug and alcohol use through an engaging live theatre experience and workshop. Issues including vaping, mental health, peer pressure, and home and family life are explored through an interactive live performance. This complements the lessons provided as part of Life Learning.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact Will Roney (Curriculum Lead – Life Learning).
WWI Battlefields Trip - Enrichment Week July 2026
The History Department will be running a WWI Battlefields Trip in 2026 and this is open to all current Year 9 students. We will be visiting battle sites in both Belgium and Northern France and the trip offers students a unique chance to take part in the global commemoration of the Great War. It will be of particular interest to those taking GCSE History, as it coincides with the unit of study on the Western Front where we specifically examine the trenches, weapons and difficulties faced in the war. Year 10 Notices
Key Dates
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Monday 9th March – Connections Macbeth Performance 6pm
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Welcome Back to Year 10 - Mr Buntain
I hope you all had a restful half-term break. As we dive into this new term, our Habits of Champions focus is The Power of ‘Yet.’ We will be encouraging students to be building their self-belief and a growth mindset, moving away from “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this yet.” Hopefully, this subtle shift in thinking will help build the resilience and aspiration that define our students. We encourage you to mirror this language at home as we support our young people in becoming the best versions of themselves.
We have a busy March ahead, full of the “supercurricular” opportunities that set our experience apart:
Wednesday 4th March: Red Medusa Poetry Workshop (Year 10 Girls). This will be an inspiring session focused on voice equity and creative expression.
Wednesday 11th March (5:00pm – 6:30pm): Year 10 Habits of Champion Evening. We strongly encourage all Year 10 parents and carers to join us as we discuss how best to support students’ learning at this stage of their education.
Thursday 26th March: Ski Trip Departs. Wishing a safe and exciting journey to our students heading to Austria!
Year 10 Habits of Champions: Own Your Destination Information Evening - Wednesday 11th March
As an essential first step in working in partnership with us during your child’s GCSE course, we would like all parents to attend an evening of information sharing, focused on our Year 10 motto of ‘Own Your Destination’.
The evening is a new format, which has been planned specifically for parents and carers of Year 10 students. It will consist of a short presentation in the Theatre, followed by a series of 15 minute sessions on a variety of important topics – see below for details. There will only be time for you to attend three of these sessions, but the content of all sessions will be shared after the evening.
Please find full details of the evening in the letter attached here.
Mathematics - GCSE Revision Books
- The Revision Guide provides revision notes on every topic in the syllabus.
- The Revision Workbook allows students to practise questions on each topic. The questions match each page in the Revision Guide.
- Ten Minute Tests provides short tests on each topic so students can diagnose areas of strength and weakness.
Gender Equality Month
In March, we will be celebrating Gender Equality Month at Uckfield College. Gender Equality Month in the UK, observed throughout March, is a dedicated time to celebrate women’s achievements, promote gender equality, and challenge bias. Running alongside International Women’s Day (March 8th), it highlights the need for equal rights and opportunities for all.
As part of this year 10 students will be taking part in the following workshops run by external visitors.
Poetry by Red Medusa workshop for girls Wednesday 4th March
A 2 hour interactive performance and workshop which will provide girls with practical, confidence boosting skills that improve their feelings of self-worth. Please find more information on this workshop here
Voicebox workshop for boys Thursday 12th March
An interactive workshop that will help them explore societal pressures, challenge stereotypes, and define masculinity in positive, resilient ways. Through guided discussions and activities, participants will gain tools to understand and express emotions healthily, build stronger self-esteem, and foster supportive relationships.
If you have any questions regarding these workshops please contact Will Roney (Voicebox) or Natalie Smith ( Red Medusa).
Year 11 Notices
Key Dates
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Monday 9th March – Connections Macbeth Performance 6pm
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Welcome Back to Year 11 - Mr Prichard
I hope this letter finds you well and you have all enjoyed some quality time with your children during the half term holiday in addition to the support you will have given to revision for week two of the Trial Exams.
Term 4 is particularly short and it is absolutely imperative that we all acknowledge that ‘every second will count’. It’s important that we all support each other as the realisation of the impending Summer Exam series gets ever closer. Interventions – study support and opportunities to meet with staff will continue to help in the revision process to ensure that every student fulfills their potential. It is equally important that the students are realistic with their revision plans: take regular breaks, enjoy time with friends and family , eat/sleep well and get outdoors for fresh air and some form of exercise, all of which reduce stress and enhance performance.
As a year team we are here to support, guide and alleviate as many of the concerns and pressures that many students experience as possible. Please do encourage your children to speak to classroom teachers, their form mentors and the Year 11 Team if they feel they need any additional support.
Our ‘Habits of Champions’ focus for Term 4 is:
‘Resilience/Respect what is possible’
“Honest self-reflection opens your mind to reprogramming, change, success and freedom.” Vikas Runwal
“The struggle you are in today is practising the strength you need for tomorrow.” Robert Tew
We ask for help
We are prepared
We know it’s never too late
We had a fantastic first ‘Friday Finisher’ PDT session today attended by the vast majority of Year 11 students and look forward to welcoming more and more students to that reward session each week.
Steps to GCSE Success
Year 11 Friday-Finishers
Notice from the Science Department - Y11 revision
We are excited to announce that from Monday 16th March all Year 11 Combined Science students will begin a six week bespoke revision program. Other schools which have followed a similar programme have reported a one grade increase in attainment as a result of this, and we found the process very productive last year.
Over the course of the programme, they will have a week of lessons on each of: Biology paper 1, Biology paper 2, Chemistry paper 1, Chemistry paper 2, Physics paper 1 and Physics paper 2. The content for each paper will be delivered by a specialist pair of teachers.
The lessons will focus on enabling students to prepare for a specific paper effectively, looking at key concepts, exam technique and required practicals. These will be active, task driven lessons with minimal aspects of teacher-delivered information, allowing teachers to support as necessary across the class.
Students will have the timetable in advance to enable them to revise the content prior to the lessons using the Study Support Guide and revision homework set on Century (Monday to Monday, normal expectations: minimum 70% average score or 60 mins completed time each week)
You can support your students by encouraging them to use the time to revise and complete the tasks set on Century in preparation for the following week.
Please see the attached document for full timetables and details on revision sessions
Careers Unlocked: How to Break into Top Careers
InvestIn are running a series of free interactive workshops, Careers Unlocked, giving students the opportunity to hear directly from experienced industry professionals about what it really takes to break into some of the world’s most competitive careers. These will be held on the following dates:- How to become a doctor – 10th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become a lawyer – 10th March, 6m Register Here
- How to become an engineer – 11th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become an entrepreneur – 11th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become a psychologist – 12th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become an investment banker – 12th March, 6pm Register Here
Sixth Form Notices
Key Dates
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Monday 9th March – Connections Macbeth Performance 6pm
Tuesday 24th March – Deep Learning Day
Thursday 26th March – Last day of term for all students
Friday 27th March – INSET Day
Thursday 26th March – Ten Pin Bowling at Brighton Marina, 4.30 – 9pm
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
Welcome back to Sixth Form - Mr McLachlan, Mrs Moxon and Mr Simmons
Prior to the half term break, Year 12 students had a very successful Work Experience Week and we have received extremely positive feedback from many employers. The students themselves gained a great deal from it and many have spoken to us very enthusiastically about their experiences. There will be further opportunities for students to develop their thoughts about their future plans later this term as we have an important Deep Learning Day on March 24th where students will learn about assessment centres used for recruitment and get to meet a range of 6th form alumni who will discuss their career journeys. This will be followed in Term 5 by a trip to the UCAS University and Apprenticeship Fair at the Brighton Centre on April 16th and the UCAS Higher Education Information Evening for Parents and Students on April 23rd.
Our Year 13 UCAS applicants will have an assembly about how to apply for Student Finance next week. Student Finance England for Higher Education is expected to open later in March; more information can be found at https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/. In addition, there are regular announcements on the Year 13 Google classroom about apprenticeship opportunities and other career opportunities. Any students who need help applying for positions are welcome to speak to Stephanie Aguilera, our Aspirations Leader.
Both Year 12 and Year 13 students have important trial exams in March (w/c 16th March). For Year 12 students these exams are an important part of their preparation for the Year 12 Progression Exams in June and for the Year 13 students this should be part of their revision and preparation for their examinations in the Summer (Year 13 students should already be revising for the Summer exams). Year 13 students will have a leavers’ celebration on Friday 8th May and will have study leave from then onwards.
Year 13 Leavers’ Hoodies 2026
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
Introducing Gemini to Sixth Form Students
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.
Enhancing Learning through AI
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:
- Metacognition: Helping students manage their own progress, identifying what is going well and which areas require more focus.
- Effective Study: Assisting students in planning and organising their workload both in and out of lessons.
- Interactive Feedback: Acting as a partner to support them with understanding questions, structuring answers and stretching their learning.
Guiding Effective Use
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:
- Prohibited Use: Students must never use AI to produce coursework, essays, or homework.
- Examination Integrity: Students will not have access to AI during formal exams.
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.
Safeguarding and Security
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
Sixth Form Social Event: Ten Pin Bowling at Brighton Marina Thursday 26th March 2026 - 4.30pm to 9pm
Our next 6th Form social trip this academic year is to the Hollywood Bowl at Brighton Marina on Thursday 26th March. The evening will consist of two games of tenpin bowling and the ability to enjoy the various dining outlets in the Marina.
The trip is available to all 6th Form students, however, there are limited spaces available due to the capacity of the Hollywood Bowl, so places are likely to go very quickly.
For full details please see the attached letter.
Reporting Absences and Resolving N Codes for Absences - reminder
For 6th form absences we ask that you enter the relevant information on Arbor on the morning of the day of the absence.
In the event that this was not possible and you need to inform us retrospectively of the reason for an absence, please email our pastoral leader, Jessie Palmer (j.palmer@uckfield.college) with the relevant information.
At the present time, it is not possible to provide this information retrospectively through Arbor.
Careers Unlocked: How to Break into Top Careers
InvestIn are running a series of free interactive workshops, Careers Unlocked, giving students the opportunity to hear directly from experienced industry professionals about what it really takes to break into some of the world’s most competitive careers. These will be held on the following dates:- How to become a doctor – 10th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become a lawyer – 10th March, 6m Register Here
- How to become an engineer – 11th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become an entrepreneur – 11th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become a psychologist – 12th March, 6pm Register Here
- How to become an investment banker – 12th March, 6pm Register Here
The Sixth Formers' Guide - Degree Apprenticeships
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
Year 12 UCAS Higher Education and Apprenticeship Exhibition - Thursday 16th April 2026
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
Year 12 Preparation for Higher Education Evening Thursday 23rd April, 6pm to 7.15pm in the Theatre
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.