Ark Alexandra Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,315 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.6
Academy converter
Uplands Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 699of 1,000 places
- Free school meals
- 22.7%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 119
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 15 January 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Uplands Community College (URN 114591, until 1 March 2022).
What the data says
Of the 139 pupils who finished Year 11 at Uplands Academy in 2023, 6% moved to a sixth form college, 48% to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 36 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 8% went to university (East Sussex 21%, England 37%), and 18% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 38% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 42.5 against 46.1 across England and 43.1 in East Sussex, with 37% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in East Sussex and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Uplands Academy | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 139 | 5,083 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 88% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 32% | 14% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 6% | 24% | 13% |
| — further education college | 48% | 44% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 5% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Uplands Academy | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 36 | 4,247 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 72% | 74% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 8% | 21% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 18% | 9% | 19% |
| Further education | 6% | 8% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 50% | 37% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 19% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Uplands Academy | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 42.5 | 43.1 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 37% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 70% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 44% | 37% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.64 | 3.80 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 29% | 26% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.6 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 45.0 | 47.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 4% | 7% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 116 | 97% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 78% |
| Mathematics | 116 | 97% | 88% | 8% | 22% | 76% |
| English Literature | 115 | 97% | 86% | 13% | 21% | 73% |
| Combined Science | 86 | 72% | 65% | 0% | 9% | 42% |
| History | 63 | 53% | 41% | 13% | 26% | 59% |
| Geography | 47 | 39% | 41% | 6% | 25% | 55% |
| Photography | 45 | 38% | 6% | 33% | 19% | 96% |
| Design and Technology | 35 | 29% | 11% | 17% | 23% | 86% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 31 | 26% | 8% | 0% | 21% | 23% |
| Biology | 29 | 24% | 23% | 31% | 45% | 90% |
| Chemistry | 29 | 24% | 23% | 24% | 47% | 90% |
| Physics | 29 | 24% | 23% | 17% | 46% | 76% |
| French | 27 | 23% | 18% | 0% | 29% | 19% |
| Spanish | 24 | 20% | 19% | 4% | 27% | 29% |
| Fine Art | 22 | 18% | 9% | 18% | 28% | 86% |
| Physical Education | 13 | 11% | 11% | 8% | 24% | 62% |
| Religious Studies | 5 | 4% | 31% | — | 32% | — |
| Russian | 2 | 2% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Statistics | 1 | 1% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 31 | 100% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 19 | 76% | — |
| Sports Studies | 19 | 76% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Uplands Academy | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 26 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 25 | 1,578 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 27.85 | 32.68 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | C | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 15% | 10% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 17 | 68% | 23% |
| Geography | 12 | 48% | 10% |
| Biology | 9 | 36% | 20% |
| Mathematics | 7 | 28% | 31% |
| Media Studies | 6 | 24% | 4% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 12 | 48% | — |
Other secondary schools in East Sussex
Beacon Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,642 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.2
Bexhill High Academy
Academy converter · 1,441 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7
Chailey School
Community school · 862 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.3
Claverham Community College
Community school · 1,147 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.3
Gildredge House
Free schools · 1,169 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.7
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.