Portslade Aldridge Community Academy

About Portslade Aldridge Community Academy

Portslade Aldridge Community Academy is a mixed, non-faith secondary school in Brighton and Hove for pupils aged 11 to 16, currently home to 928 students against a capacity of 1,075. That leaves some headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 325 applications for 207 places, with 170 of those coming as first preferences. The oversubscription ratio sits at 1.57, meaning nearly three children applied for every two spots. The school serves a notably diverse intake in terms of disadvantage: 32% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average for secondary schools (around 24%) and a strong indicator that Portslade draws from a broad socioeconomic mix. This isn't a selective or faith-based school, so its intake reflects the local community, and the high FSM figure suggests it plays an important role in providing opportunity for families across Brighton and Hove.

Academically, Portslade delivers solidly average outcomes. Its Progress 8 score is -0.01, almost exactly in line with the national average, and it ranks 6th out of 10 schools in the local authority on this measure. The local authority average Progress 8 is 0.05, so Portslade is within a whisker of that. Attainment 8 sits at 46.6, and 65.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 45.5% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is high at 63.1%, and 45.5% of pupils entered the EBacc achieved a grade 4 or above. Breaking down Progress 8, the school does particularly well in maths (+0.28) and EBacc subjects (+0.39), but English drags the overall figure down at -0.34. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2016, the school was rated Good overall, with Good for leadership and management and Good for sixth-form provision. An ungraded inspection in 2021 confirmed the school remains Good.

The school offers a strong range of facilities for a state secondary, including a swimming pool, Astro Turf, tennis courts, a sports hall, science labs, music rooms, art studios, and an ICT suite. There is a dedicated sixth-form centre, though the school's official age range stops at 16, so this likely refers to a post-16 provision on site. SEND support is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Extracurricular options include drama, chess, coding, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and a gardening club, plus sports such as badminton, cricket, hockey, swimming, and netball. This is a school that suits families looking for an inclusive, non-selective secondary with a genuinely mixed intake, decent facilities, and academic results that sit around the national average — a reliable local option rather than a high-stakes choice.

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