Uplands Academy
Wadhurst, TN5 6AZ · East Sussex · secondary school
Check the area around this school
14th of 24 secondary schools in East Sussex we can score, 26 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 5.2/10 against 910 of them, against 5.2/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 52.1 · 67 | 30% | 2.01 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.23 · 32 | 25% | 0.81 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 46.4 · 52 | 10% | 0.52 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Uplands Academy overview
How it's doing
Uplands Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, following an inspection in March 2025. In 2024/25, 37.0% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. The Attainment 8 score was 42.5, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 stood at -0.23 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to the schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 1.8 out of 10 among them, against 3.2 out of 10 nationally.
Getting in
The published school roll is 699 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,000. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their Progress 8 score and the national median? What specific interventions are in place for students who are not meeting expected progress in English and maths?
What Ofsted said about Uplands Academy
Overview
Uplands Academy has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The school fosters a “keen sense of community” where pupils “enjoy school and feel safe,” supported by strong relationships and high expectations for behaviour. While the curriculum is “carefully designed and sequenced,” the report notes that implementation varies, affecting outcomes for some pupil groups.
Strengths
- The school promotes a positive ethos where “manners, acceptance, respect and kindness are central,” resulting in largely positive behaviour.
- There is a “school-wide focus on routinely checking pupils’ understanding,” with teachers demonstrating “expert subject knowledge.”
- The school has acted “decisively to promote reading,” with recent improvements in reading skills helping pupils access the curriculum.
- Attendance strategies are “highly effective,” leading to increased attendance and decreased persistent absence.
- Pupils benefit from a “broad extra-curricular and enrichment programme” and high-quality careers education.
Areas to improve
- The school should ensure staff use available information consistently so that “pupils develop knowledge securely and systematically,” addressing variation in curriculum implementation.
- Leaders must continue efforts to improve parental engagement, as “some parents are dissatisfied with their interactions with the school,” which hampers confidence.
Safeguarding
The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 44.4 |
| 2024/25 | 42.5 |
| 2025/26 | 46.4 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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