Uplands Academy, Wadhurst

In its own words: "At Uplands Academy, it is our vision to provide the best possible education for all our students and to be an exceptional educational establishment, both locally and nationally. Our curriculum for our students is rightly ambitious - it is as broad as it is balanced."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are delighted to welcome you to Uplands Academy, an ambitious and forward-thinking school in the heart of Wadhurst village. Our vision is to provide the best possible education for all our students and to be an exceptional educational establishment for our community."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at Uplands Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.5 in East Sussex and 47 across England.

52% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in East Sussex and 47% in England.

That is up from 42.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.23: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 40.1, against 47.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 124 families put Uplands Academy as their first choice and 314 named it as one of their preferences, for 166 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Uplands Academy is one of 3 schools run by Mark Education Trust, an academy trust.

173 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Uplands Academy (as of September 2025): 74% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (79%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (58%).

Of the 135 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 44% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

Of the 45 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education and 36% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

3.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (5%).

The nearest railway station is Wadhurst Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Greyhound (adjacent), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Uplands Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).

In 2024/25, Uplands Academy issued 393 suspensions, 53.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.