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Booking for homework club after February half term will go live on 9th February 2026 on Arbor

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The Friends of Chailey School Easter Raffle will be back this March. We are incredibly grateful to all the local businesses and families who donate prizes. If you are in a position to donate something this year, please contact friends@chaileyschool.org. We welcome prizes of all shapes and sizes, from gifts and experiences to vouchers and cash prizes. The Easter Raffle is always a huge success and all funds go directly to the school to purchase much needed resources. Thank you as always for your support

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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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Please check the lost property padlet if your child has lost anything at school

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Second Hand Uniform Sale - Chailey School

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Second Hand Uniform Sale - Chailey School

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Friends of Chailey School are holding a second hand uniform sale on Saturday 7th February. Doors Open at 11am

There will also be a table of FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS at the sale.

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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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Year 9 Parents Evening - Thursday 12th February 2026 3.30pm

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Year 9 Parents Evening - Thursday 12th February 2026 3.30pm

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SQUAD GIRLS RETURNS FOR 2026! Squad Girls Football is designed to help develop skills and build confidence Suitable for girls aged Under 11 to Under 15s. A relaxed, non-competitive way to play football with friends old and new. Come along for some extra game time and have fun!

🗓️ Saturdays from 26 January

⏰ 09:20 - 10:30am

To sign up visit: tinyurl.com/3trw5h8z

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Please use the link to sign up for a tour of Chailey School with the Head Teacher.

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New NHS site for teens has launched in East Sussex

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New NHS site for teens has launched in East Sussex

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Young people in East Sussex can find information, advice and support on a wide range of health and wellbeing topics at Health for Teens.

Health for Teens offers up-to-date and reliable information on topics that matter to young people. The new online resource, aimed specifically at secondary school-aged young people, covers everything from puberty, relationships, growing up and lifestyle issues like alcohol and vaping.

Health for Teens has contact details for local support services, making it easy for young people to find someone to talk to. Teens can contact the School Health Team directly for advice or refer themselves for support.

The East Sussex School Health Service works with children, young people and families and supports schools through the East Sussex Healthy Schools Programme. Teachers can also use Health for Teens when planning RSHE (Relationships, Sex and Health Education) lessons.

“This is a really useful site for our young people to engage with. Not only does it have factual, non-judgemental guidance on a range of personal issues it also signposts local sources of support. I have promoted this resource to our parents, our students and pastoral teams."

Secondary Assistant Headteacher, Eastbourne

“I think it is really easy to use and really informative for teenagers, answering questions that they may have but are too shy to speak about with an adult. It covers all the bases from illnesses to mental health to sexual relationships.”

Secondary Student Welfare Team Member, Bexhill

“The NHS Health for Teens website is an invaluable resource for our students. It’s accessible, engaging and offers clear, trustworthy guidance on everything from emotional wellbeing to healthy lifestyles. Our young people feel reassured knowing they can access reliable information independently, and it has supported our safeguarding work by promoting safer choices and better understanding. Highly recommended as a go-to tool for secondary schools.”

Secondary Safeguarding Lead, Hailsham

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Local Plan Drop In Events in our Community

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Local Plan Drop In Events in our Community

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Residents encouraged to attend Local Plan drop in events - 'every opinion matters' - Lewes and Eastbourne Councils

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We are writing to remind everyone of the importance of parking legally and considerately in the streets surrounding our school.

Recently, we have been working closely with traffic enforcement, and there has been an increase in drivers receiving fines for illegal parking. This includes parking in restricted zones, across driveways, on footpaths, or in ways that obstruct traffic or access for our neighbours and emergency services.

We ask all families to please plan extra time for drop-off and pick-up, and show courtesy to our local residents. These measures help keep our community safe, respectful, and accessible for everyone.

Thank you for your cooperation and ongoing support in helping us maintain positive relationships with our neighbours.

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Year 10 Explore Heating Engineering with Steve Willis Training

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Year 10 Explore Heating Engineering with Steve Willis Training

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Today some of our Year 10 students (and a few lucky Year 9's) had the exciting opportunity to take part in a hands‑on Heating Engineering Workshop delivered by Steve Willis Training. Across three workshops throughout the day, a total of 30 students — including five enthusiastic girls — explored what a career in the gas, plumbing and heating industry could look like.

The highlight of each session was a practical task using a piping circuit board, where students were challenged to assemble and connect components just like real heating engineers. This engaging activity helped them understand how heating systems work, develop teamwork and problem‑solving skills, and gain confidence working with technical equipment.

Our students showed fantastic focus and determination, and the visiting trainers were impressed with their attitude and willingness to try something new. Workshops like this play an important role in helping young people discover potential pathways in high‑demand technical careers — and today certainly sparked interest!

A huge thank you to Steve Willis Training for delivering such an inspiring and informative experience for our students.

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Eco-work with Sussex Wildlife Trust On Chailey Common

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Eco-work with Sussex Wildlife Trust On Chailey Common

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To follow up our learning about the role of beavers at Knepp estate, a group of our eco-projecteers have been working with Sussex Wildlife Trust (a long-standing partner of the school) on Chailey Common. This work has been on building 'leaky dams', thus slowing down flood water from rushing downstream and causing flooding at towns, such as Lewes, closer to the coast. A wet and muddy, but fun, day was had by all!

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Wednesday 18th March 2026 5.30pm

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Hopefully you managed to see this year’s school show, because our ‘Back to the 80s’ production was a joyous, high‑energy celebration filled with crimped hair, aluminous outfits, and all the fun of a much‑loved decade.

This was our biggest cast ever, with over 90 Chailey students involved from every year group. Their enthusiasm and teamwork created a vibrant mix of abilities and personalities — something we are incredibly proud of at Chailey.

The confidence of our performers shone throughout, from the comedy moments to the powerful solos, all supported by our exceptional school band and singers, made up entirely of Chailey’s own musicians.

A special highlight was our primary school matinee, where students relished the chance to “pass it on” and inspire younger pupils.

We are proud of every student who contributed — on stage or behind the scenes — and this reflects the thriving Performing Arts culture at Chailey School.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Mr Rutter and Mr Baxter for their passion and hard work in bringing the show to life. And finally, thank you to all our parents and families for your support, lifts, and encouragement. We’re delighted to share that all three nights sold out, reflecting the enthusiasm of our wonderful school community.

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On Wednesday 28 January, some of our Mathsminded students of yr9 and yr 10 participated in the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge on Thursday 25th April. The UK Maths Challenge is a UK wide competition that focusses on Problem Solving and aims to encourage children to enjoy Maths. A great way to challenge our Mathematical minds by looking at Maths from a different angle, than our GCSE, but also a great way for them to experience exam conditions and competition.

It was a difficult challenge and the day brought its own challenge with half of Sussex flooded and busses arriving late, but our Students showed great resilience and kept their cool. We are very proud of them.

Results will follow in the next News Letter.

Participants: yr10: Stanley, Becky, Chloe, Ethan, Will, Arthur, Jack. Yr9: Noah, Oswin, Leonie, Cory, Tigan, Zac, Alex, Elliot, Gabriel, Wilf and Chloe

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Dear Chailey Families,

As we draw to the end of another productive week, we can reflect on some of the highlights of the week which has just gone. On Tuesday we welcomed Sussex Police to support with their PSHE programme educating students around drugs. Part of this involved speaking to students as they entered the school and the use of a training sniffer dog. The next steps of this programme involve student assemblies and PSHE lessons. We hope that students found the process informative, and will gain their feedback later on this academic year.

On another note, Back to the 80s was a huge success with 11% of the school population being involved in the show. There is a more detailed write up below, but I want to thank Mr Baxter, Mr Rutter, and Ms Russell-Cornford for their dedication and the students and their families for making it happen. One parent wrote in to say: "We were blown away with the confidence that the students had on stage, the singing, the acting and the comedy, coupled with a fabulous school band and singers really did deliver a fabulous show. Great backdrops and stage props too. We are so happy both our boys go to Chailey School, you really are an outstanding school."

We have one more week to go before half term, and I ask that families support us the best they can with attendance. We know that when students are not in, this creates greater worry for them and it can often be harder for them to catch up.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend,
Mr Holt