Parent/Carer Notices for all Year Groups
3rd July 2026
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers
Phones
A ban on smartphones in schools in England came into force on Monday 29th June, making individual schools and trusts legally responsible for being phone-free throughout the day. For three years now, we have had the clear, enforced expectation that no phones should be used at any point during the day by students in Years 7-11, and this is now a legal requirement. Thank you for your support with this.
Performing Arts Flourishing
We are all still glowing with the memories of our exceptional production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ last week (more photos below), and Mrs Upfield was delighted with the very high numbers of students who have already auditioned for our next project, Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector’. I’m pleased to let you know that we have some really exciting partnerships planned for the year ahead, including work with Sadler’s Wells through the Dance department, Royal Ballet and Opera House with A-level Design, and an additional playwright project in conjunction with the National Theatre, to accompany our Connexions work.
Corridor Culture
Following student feedback, we have been trialling a small one-way system in Block A this term to improve further points in the corridors where it can sometimes feel busy. This has worked well, and so we will move to that as a permanent arrangement from September.
Year 6 transition and new-intake Parents’ Evening
It was a pleasure to meet so many parents and receive such positive feedback about our fantastic Year 6 students and their experience on the two induction days. The days were a great success and we are very much looking forward to welcoming our new cohort in September.
We are all looking forward to ‘Uckfield Rocks the Weald’ this evening and Enrichment Week coming up – we all hope the students are looking forward to their break from the norm and the trips, work experience and activities that are in store for them!
Best wishes
Sara Marshallsay
Wealden Young Speakers’ Challenge 2026
We are exceptionally proud of the winners of the Wealden Young Speakers’ Challenge 2026, George W, William M and Barnaby K.
Our team of girls, Amelie J, Matilda O and Izzy S were also amazing.
Karen Bedwell, Mayor of Uckfield, said “I’m so proud of the students from Uckfield College for winning this year’s Wealden Young Speakers Challenge! The standard of every team was outstanding, and it was inspiring to hear such thoughtful, well-researched speeches exploring how technology has shaped democracy and politics.
Congratulations to the winning team on a fantastic achievement, and a huge well done to everyone who took part. You should all be incredibly proud of yourselves – your confidence, passion and talent show that the future is in very good hands.”
Rising Mathematicians Festival
The Year 7 Axiom Maths Circle recently enjoyed an inspiring visit to the University of Brighton for the Rising Mathematicians festival.
Diving straight into action, the students teamed up with peers from other schools to tackle a series of highly challenging problems.
Throughout these intense tasks, they demonstrated incredible resilience when facing tough obstacles, while remaining beautifully respectful and accepting of their new teammates’ diverse ideas.
The perfect finale to an already unforgettable day was an exciting, mind-bending lecture from Andrew Jeffrey, the famous “Mathemagician” from Maths Inspiration, which left everyone thoroughly energised by the magic of mathematics.
Enrichment Week - Years 7-10
If you have not yet paid for your child’s activity, please do so before Monday via ParentPay – thank you.
Sporting and Other Special Acheivements - Years 7 - 10
We would love to hear about any sporting or other special achievements your child has accomplished outside of College this year, whether big or small.
If your child has achieved something they are proud of, please let us know by completing this Google Form. We’d love the opportunity to recognise and celebrate their success during our final Celebration Assemblies of the year.
Uckfield College Sports Day 2026 - Mr Sidwell - Reminder
We are excited to inform you that our annual Total Participation Sports Day will be taking place this year across two days, and we want to ensure that all students are well-prepared and dressed appropriately for the event.
- Wednesday 15th July – Year 7 & Year 8
- Thursday 16th July – Year 9, Year 10 & Year 12
On their respective Sports Day, students should come into school wearing their full College PE kit. We would like to remind you of our school’s guidelines regarding appropriate PE kit for participation.
Sports Day Attire / School PE Kit:
- Uckfield College PE T-Shirt
- Students should wear plain black, non-branded shorts/skort, track pants, or sports leggings that allow for easy movement. Please ensure that bottoms are of an appropriate length (minimum 7-inch length). Students who attend Sports Day wearing shorts shorter than this will not be allowed to compete and will be asked to change into appropriate kit or into their full school uniform, even if this means going home to do so.
- Students should wear sports shoes or trainers suitable for running and participating in various sporting activities. (For Year 10 students participating in football on the 3G, this will include football boots).
- Students should not wear any jewellery, including necklaces, bracelets, or earrings, during Sports Day for safety reasons.
- If the weather is expected to be sunny, we recommend that students apply sunscreen before the event and bring a hat or cap to protect themselves from the sun. All students should have a bottle of water with them
- Y12 students should wear clothing appropriate for sports participation but are of course not expected to be in Uckfield College PE kit.
We kindly request your support in ensuring that your child arrives at school with the appropriate PE kit for their Sports Day. Suitable attire not only promotes safety but also allows students to fully participate and enjoy the activities to the best of their abilities.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding PE kit or arrangements for Sports Day, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to two fantastic days filled with team spirit, total participation, and fun.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Ambitious about Autism
What is Autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability or neurodevelopmental condition which affects more than 1 in 100 people in the UK. It affects the way a person communicates and how they experience the world around them. We provide specialist education to support autistic children and young people across London,
the Home Counties, and South East England.
Explore our website for lots more information.
Summer Hamper Raffle
Easy Fundraising for Uckfield College
Art of the Week
Art Literally Popping Off the Walls!
Elisha, Amy and Jasmine Year 9 have sculpted this absolutely incredible Basquiat-inspired wall hanging! Talk about thinking outside the box—our students are quite literally making art break through the walls today.
This brilliant piece reimagines a bowl of ramen as a dynamic, gravity-defying masterpiece. The energy and skill is soup-er!
Photo of the Week
Year 10 students made the most of the weather this week and got outside to explore fast shutter speed photography.
This helped continue their understanding of how you can use the settings on the camera to capture stunning results.
Well done to Lottie S for this excellent example!
Did You Know?
Year 7 Notices
Key Dates
Monday 6th July – Friday 10th July – Enrichment Week
Wednesday 8th July – Year 7 Celebration Evening, 6pm
Wednesday 22nd July – End of Term 6 (College closes to students 12.20pm)
Year 8 Notices
Key Dates
Monday 6th July – Friday 10th July – Enrichment Week
Wednesday 22nd July – End of Term 6 (College closes to students 12.20pm)
Year 9 Notices
Key Dates
Monday 6th July – Friday 10th July – Enrichment Week
Monday 13th July – Year 9 Celebration Evening, 6pm
Wednesday 22nd July – End of Term 6 (College closes to students 12.20pm
Year 9 Locker Clearance - Reminder
Key Stage 3 locker hire runs from the start of Year 7 to the end of Year 9 and so your 3 years of locker hire is now coming to an end.
All Year 9 lockers must be completely cleared of their contents by Friday 17th July and keys, the original and any spares, must be returned to the front office.
Lockers will be inspected on Monday 20th July and any remaining items will be removed and taken to the Year 9 office. Anything not collected by Wednesday 22nd July will be disposed of.
If your child requires a locker for use during Year 10 please email lockers@uckfield.college.
Year 10 Notices
Key Dates
Monday 6th July – Friday 10th July – Year 10 Work Experience Week
Thursday 16th July – Year 10 Celebration Evening, 6pm
Wednesday 22nd July – End of Term 6 (College closes to students 12.20pm)
Year 11 Notices
Key Dates
Wednesday 22nd July – End of Term 6 (College closes to students 12.20pm)
Sixth Form Notices
Key Dates
Monday 6th July – Friday 10th July – Enrichment Week
Thursday 9th July – Year 12 Celebration Evening, 6pm
Wednesday 22nd July – End of Term 6 (College closes to students 12.20pm)
End of Term Events - Ms Fassam - Reminder
I hope the exam period went really well for everyone. I am writing to let you know the arrangements for several key events happening in the rest of this term.
Year 12 Celebration Evening – Thursday 9th July
On Thursday 9th of July during Enrichment week, Year 12 will have an important morning of preparation for life after school involving financial capability and career planning. They will be allowed to leave college on this day at 13.20pm in order to facilitate them returning at 6pm for what we hope will be a lovely celebration of everything they have achieved this year, as well as a demonstration of the many talents that we have within the year group.
During the evening, a range of students will be receiving specific awards for their achievements this year; we will also be celebrating the successful candidates for our student leadership team and announcing the Head Student positions.
The parents of those students who have won one of the top awards will also be invited to attend. The rest of the seats will be available on a first come first served basis from Thursday 2nd July. We really hope that this will be a lovely way to end the year and we do expect that all Year 12 students attend this event unless there is an authorised reason that means this is not possible.
Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA) – Tuesday 7th July
On the 7th July, all Year 12 students will take part in the College’s annual Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA).
The students will be working in teams, role-playing the delegates of governments and they will represent their country in a series of debates about important global issues.
This is a hugely enjoyable event that teaches the students about current affairs and develops important skills such as teamwork and communication, as well as developing their confidence in public speaking.
Students must attend in smart dress as they are representing national governments. The invaluable experience that the students get from the day is often referred to in their UCAS applications and job applications.
Reminders
Just a few reminders for the remainder of the term.
- Enrichment week is from 6th -10th July and attendance at these days is compulsory for all students.
- Students will receive a Year 13 pack in the penultimate week of term – please read this carefully. It contains information about the start of term, required books for specific subjects and a link to the electronic agreement form that needs to be completed before the 1st day of term in September. Entry into Year 13 will not be possible without this.
- College finishes this year at 12.20pm on Wednesday 22nd July.
Please let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy summer and that I hope all Year 12 students receive the results they need in their Year 12 progression exams.