Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, Brighton

In its own words: "Welcome to Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA). We are an entrepreneurial, inclusive and highly ambitious 11-18 academy located at the heart of Brighton's academic corridor. At BACA, our core belief is simple: there are no limits to what our students can achieve."

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted and proud to welcome you to Brighton Aldridge Community Academy. I am excited to have joined the Aldridge family. I have already been working hard with our pupils and staff to make sure our school continues to improve. We want to provide an excellent education for each and every one of our pupils."

In 2026, pupils at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.7 in Brighton and Hove and 47 across England.

24% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Brighton and Hove and 47% in England.

That is down from 36.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.4: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 21.9, against 42.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 20.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Social Studies and Combined Science.

For September 2026 entry, 113 families put Brighton Aldridge Community Academy as their first choice and 327 named it as one of their preferences, for 134 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Brighton Aldridge Community Academy are Varndean School (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.7); Patcham High School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7); Dorothy Stringer School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.5); and Longhill High School (2.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 36.3).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Brighton Aldridge Community Academy.

Brighton Aldridge Community Academy is one of 9 schools run by Aldridge Education, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39 in 2024/25.

69 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

Of the 117 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 22% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 56 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 11% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 43% into work.

46.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 266 pupils (32.9%) received SEN support and 73 (9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Brighton Aldridge Community Academy has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs and autism: 20 places, 20 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Falmer Rail Station, about 680 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brighton Academy (adjacent), 220 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Brighton Aldridge Community Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 112 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Brighton and Hove (366).

In 2024/25, Brighton Aldridge Community Academy issued 77 suspensions, 9.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Brighton Aldridge Community Academy are Moulsecoomb Primary School (0.8 miles), Coldean Primary School (0.9 miles), Bevendean Primary School and Nursery (1.1 miles) and Hertford Primary School (1.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.