Brighton school celebrates improved Ofsted rating

In a report published today (January 12), the secondary school and sixth form was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted following an inspection in November.

Previous reports, in 2014 and 2012, saw the school handed a ‘requires improvement’ rating, but this time around inspectors found BACA to be a ‘good’ for teaching, student behaviour and welfare and the results students achieve.

Principal Dylan Davies said: “I would like to pass on my thanks and congratulations to our students, staff (present and past), parents and carers, our governors and sponsor, and the people who have believed in the academy and its direction for their support and help in achieving this grade together.

“We are very proud of this Ofsted grade. Getting to ‘good’ recognises the partnerships and teamwork that have helped so many young people to achieve over the years and our focus to make BACA the best possible school for local children.

“I am looking forward to the future and the exciting, new opportunities this recognition will bring for BACA and the local community. As a principal it is humbling to read that our work together to support our students’ personal development and welfare has been graded as outstanding.”

The academy saw improved academic results in August last year when the percentage of students achieving five or more GCSEs at A*-C grade rose 22 per cent.

The former Falmer High School became an academy in September 2010, when it was taken over by the Aldridge Foundation, which also runs the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA).

Chris Tweedale, chief executive of the Aldridge Education, said: “This is great recognition of the progress the academy has made. With good teaching and outstanding student care in superb facilities BACA is in a great position to be recognised as Outstanding in future.”

Hove MP Peter Kyle, who is chair of governors at BACA, said: “It’s hard to describe my unmitigated pride in what students, teachers and the leadership at BACA have achieved. It’s almost too big to imagine! Achieving an Ofsted ‘good’ with so many extraordinary commendations about student attitudes, quality teaching and the ‘can-do’ atmosphere that reaches every corner of the school.

“Aldridge Education, as sponsor, were also rightly praised for creating this beacon of community achievement. What makes me most happy, though, is the huge pride that students take in this achievement and the fact that they know that this is just the beginning of BACA’s journey. Each term brings yet more excellence and opportunity for students.”

The Ofsted inspectors praised the principal for overseeing ‘many improvements in the last two years’, and said: “Respectful relationships between pupils, and between teachers and pupils, underpin at least good progress in the majority of subjects.”

Inspectors did highlight a number of ways the school could improve further. This included sharing ‘very strong and effective teaching practice’ across the school and to ‘impress on pupils the importance of presenting their work legibly and setting it out clearly’.

To read the Ofsted report in full, click here.