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Dear Chailey Families,

Our students have enjoyed the good weather this week and we have enjoyed a range of extracurricular activities.

Year 9 were an absolute credit to the school and their families when they visited the big futures show to learn about careers, well done to them all! It has been wonderful to walk around the school after 3pm watching the variety of clubs which have been taking place.

In addition to this, our Year 11s have made an excellent start on their GCSEs with the very early exams taking place this week. We wish them all the very best of luck.

We hope all Chailey Families enjoy the 3-day weekend, and we look forward to updating you this time next week.

Best wishes,

Mr Holt

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Support Your Child with Career Decisions

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Support Your Child with Career Decisions

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To support parents and carers in helping young people make informed career choices, we’d like to share a useful resource:
Career Decisions in Secondary Education – A Guide for Parents and Carers (2026), produced by Careers East Sussex.

The guide provides clear, practical information about:

post‑14, post‑16 and post‑18 options

qualifications, apprenticeships and vocational routes

how to have positive career conversations at home

local labour market information and support services

You can download a free digital copy from:
👉 https://www.careerseastsussex.co.uk/information/parents

If you would prefer a printed copy, these are available on request — please contact Gail Wickens, gwickens@chaileyschool.org who will be happy to provide one.

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Careers, Post‑16 & Work Experience – Stay Up to Date

Our Careers, Post‑16 & Work Experience Padlet is the main place where we share up‑to‑date information for students in all year groups, not just Year 11. It includes guidance and opportunities to support career exploration and future planning from Year 7 onwards.

The Padlet brings together information about careers, college and sixth‑form options, apprenticeships, work experience opportunities, application guidance, open events, and useful Unifrog resources for both students and parents/carers.

Rather than sending regular newsletters, this Padlet is updated continuously, so we strongly encourage families to save the link and check it regularly to make sure they don’t miss important information, deadlines or opportunities.

👉 Access the Careers, Post‑16 & WEX Padlet here:
https://padlet.com/chaileyschoolcareers/chailey-school-careers-post-16-and-work-experience-padlet-dlwrt4c8u2afvyrh

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Chailey is a thriving, successful school set in rural Sussex, just north of Lewes, and within easy reach of Brighton and Haywards Heath. We are proud of our traditional values and innovative approaches to Teaching and Learning.

Staff are friendly, dedicated and supportive; our students are happy and proud to be part of the school. We have a very low level of staff turnover because we are kind and supportive to each other. Chailey is a school where teachers and students can thrive. Of course, working in a school is demanding and all of our staff are hard-working and go above and beyond to support our young people.

Visitors to Chailey School often comment on the calm teaching environment and fantastic relationships between students and teachers.

We had our last Ofsted visit in January 2022 which we were very pleased with.

The Ofsted report contained comments such as:

'This is a kind school. The school's values of kindness, resilience, independence and creativity permeate everything.'

'Welfare and wellbeing are high priorities in this small rural community school.'

'Pupils are knowledgeable about diversity including Black history and gender equality, sexual orientation and gender identity. Pupils respect different ethnicities and cultures. They value the different contributions that everyone makes.'

'The curriculum is designed well to meet the needs and aspirations of all pupils including the most able.'

'Leaders and governors are ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Parents and guardians speak enthusiastically about the school.'

We believe that this is a very strong foundation from which to aspire to excellence in everything we do.

Current Vacancies
Student Support Manager
We are looking to recruit an additional Student Support Manager to increase capacity in this area of the school. This is an important role in the school and you will be able to make a real difference to the welfare and wellbeing of our students. Our Student Support Managers work under the direction of a Head of Year, to offer support and care for one year group of our students. At Chailey School we value our staff. We know that we are can only look after the youngsters in our care if we look after ourselves and each other too. By joining our staff, you will be part of a supportive network of colleagues that value each other. We have four other Student Support Manager in school and all of them will support and help you.

Full details on this role can be found in the application pack.

We would be very happy to offer an informal chat and tour to any prospective applicants. Just contact us by emailing Serena Rodd, PA to the Head Teacher srodd@chaileyschool.org

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Chailey School is a mixed, non-selective, community secondary school located in the village of South Chailey, Chailey, just outside Lewes in East Sussex, UK. Chailey School offers a wide range of aca..

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TO REPORT YOUR CHILD ABSENT DUE TO ILLNESS OR A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT

·         Log into Arbor

·         Navigate to 'Quick Actions' and click - this is usually in the top left of the screen

·         Click 'Attendance'

·         Click 'Log Absence'

·         Enter the reason for absence

·         Click 'Log Absence'

FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES

office@chaileyschool.org

01273 890407

TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE SEND SURGERY

(Friday Mornings)

SENDCO@chaileyschool.org

01273 890407

TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE SLT SURGERY

(Friday after school)

srodd@chaileyschool.org

01273 890407

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Copies of communications sent to our families can be found on the website.

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Chailey School is a mixed, non-selective, community secondary school located in the village of South Chailey, Chailey, just outside Lewes in East Sussex, UK. Chailey School offers a wide range of aca…

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School Calendar (What’s On) - Chailey School

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Chailey School is a mixed, non-selective, community secondary school located in the village of South Chailey, Chailey, just outside Lewes in East Sussex, UK. Chailey School offers a wide range of aca…

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Add new guardians and contacts for your child on the Parent Portal and Parent App

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This article explains how primary guardians can add new guardians and contacts for their child using the Parent Portal or Parent App. It details the steps to view the child’s profile, add new conta…

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Home Work Club Booking for next term is now open

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Home Work Club Booking for next term is now open

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Signing my child up for a Club on the Parent Portal or Parent App

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Follow the instructions below to register a child for a club using the Parent Portal or Parent App.If you are unable to sign up, please contact your school. They will need to follow these instructi…

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Year 7 Friends of Chailey School Disco - Thursday 14th May 5.30pm - 7.30pm

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Year 7 Friends of Chailey School Disco - Thursday 14th May 5.30pm - 7.30pm

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Tickets £4 on Parentpay NOW!!

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13th May 2026 5pm - 6pm

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Year 10 Parents Evening - Thursday 21st May 3.30pm - 6.30pm

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Year 10 Parents Evening - Thursday 21st May 3.30pm - 6.30pm

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Details to follow

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Free Parent Webinars – Supporting Your Child by INVESTIN

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Free Parent Webinars – Supporting Your Child by INVESTIN

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We’re pleased to share information about a new series of free parent webinars, designed by INVESTIN to support families in helping young people with their next steps and wellbeing.

The three parent‑focused webinars will be running over the summer term, offering practical guidance and useful resources the first one will be:

How to Support Your Child During Exam Season
🗓 Wednesday 29 April

This session will cover:

Recognising signs of stress and burnout

Ways parents can support effective revision

Creating a calm and supportive home environment

Followed by:

How to find work experience

May 13th - 6pm

This session will cover:

What really counts as work experience, including less obvious opportunities that can still strengthen applications.

Understand why work experience matters and how it helps young people explore interests and future career paths.

Get practical advice on how to find placements, approach employers confidently and make the most of every opportunity.

Everything you need to know about applying for University

10th June - 6pm

This session will cover:

The full university application process, including key steps and deadlines for the UK and overseas destinations.

How to access support with choosing the right university, using practical tools to explore options, goals and next steps.

How to stand out to admissions teams and approach applications with confidence, including competitive pathways such as medical school and Oxbridge.

Book HERE

Parents can view the full schedule of upcoming webinars and find further details by visiting the provider’s website.

For all things Careers, Post-16, Work Experience and more, please check out our Careers Newsletter/Padlet HERE.

Gail Wickens

Careers & Work-Related Learning Coordinator

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East Sussex College in collaboration with Kew Gardens, Wakehurst and Southern Rail, are launching a regional, creative project for young designers and artists, but anybody can enter within the age categories.

Please find attached a PDF of the competition leaflet and poster for this exciting, FREE competition.

Young designers will have a chance to win:

£150 Amazon vouchers,

Family tickets to ‘Glow Wild’ at Wakehurst Gardens, Ardingly.

A family train travel ticket

An opportunity to work with world-class, professional makers to make their design, which could be seen by 80,000 people if they are one of the lucky winners.

All details along with a dedicated email address are on the leaflet for submission of ideas, designs or any potential question or queries.

Our Creative Futures Lead, Nigel Allyson-Ryan is the point of contact for this project at the following email: Kew-WakehurstComp@escg.ac.uk.

Please pass on to your Heads of Art and encourage your students to enter.

Visit the Kew/Wakehurst site for insight and inspiration: https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-on/glow-wild.

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Please remember that students should not be sent to school with nut products, including peanut butter and Nutella.

We have students in our school with severe nut allergies, and exposure can pose serious health risks. We kindly ask for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for all children.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

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Families have been sent a communication from East Sussex County Council over the Easter period regarding permit use on coach services.

This is a polite reminder that students should only travel on their allocated permitted school transport.

Please remind your child to ensure they have their valid bus pass with them before travelling. Students may be refused travel if they do not have a valid pass for the service they are using.

This helps us maintain safe and organised transport arrangements for all students.

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On Tuesday, Year 9 students took part in a careers‑focused morning designed to help them begin exploring future pathways, develop employability skills and gain a better understanding of the wide range of options available to them.

A total of 96 students attended the Big Futures event, where they had the opportunity to speak directly with employers, colleges, training providers and local organisations. The event provided valuable first‑hand insight into different career sectors and post‑16 routes, helping students to connect classroom learning with real‑world opportunities.

Students who did not attend the off‑site visit took part in a careers carousel in school, ensuring that all Year 9 students benefited from meaningful careers learning on the day.

The in‑school programme included:

A short group assembly led by John Adams, introducing the purpose of the day and the importance of early career planning as well as learning about the career journeys from so of our fabulous staff members

Guided activities using Unifrog, including a Careers Treasure Hunt to explore a wide range of job roles and pathways

A practical session using the Unifrog CV Builder, helping students to begin thinking about personal branding and how their skills and experiences can be presented to employers

Both the trip and the in‑school activities form part of Chailey School’s ongoing commitment to high‑quality careers education, information, advice and guidance, supporting students to make informed choices as they progress through their education.

Thank you to staff and students alike for making the most of this opportunity, it was lovely to hear so many compliments about our students from the exhibitors at the event. I was told repeatedly how our students 'stood out' as 'polite, confident and articulate' - well done Year 9 you did Chailey School proud.

Gail Wickens

Careers & Work-Related Learning Coordinator

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In Design Technology, Year 9 students have completed their acoustic speakers this week, producing some fabulous creative outcomes.

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his week it was time for the Junior UK Maths Challenge, a 60 minute, 25 multiple choice Challenge, organised by the UK Maths Trust. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought and fluency to make students think. The problems on the Junior Mathematical Challenge are accessible yet still challenge those with more experience.

Here you can see our students absorbed in their paper. In a couple of weeks we will let you know the outcomes.

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Help Us Fund Careers Trips – Vote for Chailey School at Tesco

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Help Us Fund Careers Trips – Vote for Chailey School at Tesco

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Chailey School has been selected to take part in the Tesco Stronger Starts community funding scheme. We are raising money to fund our careers trips and activities for KS3 and KS4 students during the 2026–2027 academic year.

These trips give students vital real‑world experiences, helping to raise aspirations and support informed choices about post‑16 and post‑18 pathways by meeting employers, visiting workplaces and exploring future options.

How to cast your vote

Shop in: Tesco Burgess Hill Superstore & Express, Haywards Heath Express Stores at Northlands Wood and Hazelgrove Road

Make a purchase of any value

Receive one red or blue token per transaction at the checkout - if you aren't given one, there is usually a box that you can help yourself to tokens from 🙏

On your way out, place your token in the Tesco Stronger Starts voting box and vote for Chailey School

Where you can vote

Burgess Hill Superstore, RH15 9QT

Haywards Heath Walnut Park Express, RH16 3TG

Burgess Hill Gatehouse Express, RH15 9XB

Haywards Heath Express, RH16 3PH

Voting closes on: 31st July 2026

The project with the most votes in our region can receive up to £1,500, so every single vote really does count. Please support us by voting when you shop — and encouraging family and friends to do the same.

Thank you for your support with this, we have raised money this way for the last two years and have been able to increase the amount of trips that we can run, so every little really does help!