Academy schools top value-added league table for Brighton and Hove

The two academy schools in Brighton and Hove have come top in a league table of “value added”.

Pupils improved more at the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) than any other school, according to the Department for Education.

And the second best school for adding value was the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA).

Both academies are run by the Aldridge Foundation, a charity set up by Sir Rod Aldridge.

He went to school in Portslade before becoming an accountant and making his fortune after setting up the outsourcing company Capita.

Sir Rod said: “PACA’s leap in GCSE results last summer has already been widely recognised across the city but I would particularly like to congratulate everyone connected with BACA.

“Combined with the great new building and facilities we have at Falmer, these results show we are delivering a school that is making a real difference to the lives and prospects of young people in the east of the city.”

The value added table measures the progress made by pupils between arriving at secondary and completing their GCSEs.

A benchmark score of 1,000 shows that students are making progress at the national average rate in their secondary education.

At schools scoring above 1,000 students are consistently making above average progress.

Figures are available for nine of the ten secondary schools in Brighton and Hove because the tenth school, the King’s School, is new. No pupils there have sat GCSEs yet.

The results in 2013 in Brighton and Hove were

Sir Rod said: “These results reflect the fantastic approach of our teachers and staff and the advantage our entrepreneurial education gives our students.

“Developing creativity, determination, problem-solving, risk-taking, teamwork and passion makes real difference to success in the classroom and when our students go on to university and the world of work.”