Our Achievements

2013

May

• DACA Year Eight students Declan Grimshaw and Olivia Sunter,  who are both registered blind, are raising charity cash by swimming a mile and have given themselves six 30-minute sessions to achieve the feat. Cash raised through the sponsored swim will be donated to the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Over the past year they have learned to swim and completed their 10-metre certificates.
• The DACA Creates team won through to the semi finals of the Skills Factor 2013. Over 80 teams entered the competition this year and 12 of those have been shortlisted for the semi finals so this is an excellent achievement. 6 teams from these 12 to go forward to the final on 17th July at Westminster, London.

April

• BACA students Kieron Keegan, Ryan Marr, Nasr Al-Muflahi and Ashley Evans for reached the regional finals of Investor Challenge 2012/13. To reach the finals the "Cool Running" team, who competed against more than 40,000 other students across the UK in the ifs Student Investor Challenge, made £22,000 trading in virtual shares in just three months, outperforming the FTSE 100 share index in the process.The boys competed fiercely and with entrepreneurial flare! They didn't reach the national final, but did do themselves, and the academy, proud.

March

• The government gave the go ahead to Newhaven UTC, a bid jointly sponsored by the Foundation with Brighton University, Lewes Distrcit Council and Veolia Environnement Ltd.
• Aldridge Cricket Academy under 13 girls team reached the Sussex County finals at their first attempt, coming a very creditable 4th against strong competition from independent schools with a long cricket playing tradition.
• Brighton Aldridge Community Academy student Catherine Vaughn is celebrating having her stage school scholarship extended. Representatives from The Theatre Workshop first recognised Catherine's talent for singing and performing in last year's BACA Got Talent competition when they offered her a one year full scholarship for training in the Art of Musical Theatre.  Since joining TTW, Catherine has become a member of an international choir performing at various venues across the city, including the Christmas light switch on with Juice fm, and in future weeks will be performing on London's West End.  This tenacity and hard work has paid off as The Theatre Workshop has decided to extend this scholarship until July 2015, so she can take advantage of professional training worth an estimated £4000!
• Fellow BACA student Emma Sheen is a force to be reckoned with when she has a table tennis racket in her hand. At a recent event in Crawley's K2 centre, she took part in the Sussex Series 2 Star event and came 2nd, beating girls who are higher ranked than her nationally. At "Cadet" level she is currently ranked 2nd in Sussex and 14th in England.

February

• Portslade Aldridge Community Academy student Angel Mills, 12, completed the Brighton Half Marathon Youth Race at the weekend despite her cerebral palsy condition affecting her lower limbs. Angel donned her running shoes on Sunday, February 17 and braved the one mile route, having already completed the same race last year. In the local paper Val Mills, Angel's mum, described her as an "inspiration" and revealed how her daughter proved her wrong. She said: "She was fantastic and an inspiration to us all. She definitely put me to shame. I wouldn't have been able to do what she does. Before she ran the race last year I was thinking 'I don't think she can do it' but she proved me wrong. She really enjoyed it and has made me so proud." Angel prepared for this year's half marathon by training for five weeks with the council-funded Active for Life project in Portslade. For full story please follow this link.

January

• Portslade Aldridge Community Academy students celebrate their successes at the Academy's 2013 Awaards evening. Awards went to:Yr 7 Principal's Award - Allyshia Vallier – Science ,Geography, Music. Rhianna I'Anson – English Art Geography and contribution to the anti-bullying project. Yr 8 Principal's Award - Keira Collins – Science, ICT, History. Yr 9 Principal's Award - Eva Lloyd-Ghale. Yr 10 Principal's Award - Chloe Cook – English, Science , MFL, French. Yr 11 Principal's Award - Ocean Ellis – Maths English, Science Geography. Bethany Aylward – Maths Geography, Music. KS3 Entrepreneurship Award: Matthew Boyd. KS4 Entrepreneurship Award: Sophie Reed. KS5 Entrepreneurship Award: Jodie Trussler.
• Brighton Aldridge Community Academy student Stephen Ferroni wins the Under 15 boy's section of the Sussex Cross Country Championships, following his success becoming the youngest ever winner of the Sussex County Athletics Association Boxing Day run over the Christmas holidays.
• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy student Taome Caville was invited to a glitzy London ceremony attended by a host of famous faces from sport, including England manager Roy Hodgson, and former Manchester United star David Beckham. The invite came after being named Blackburn with Darwen Sports Council Volunteer of the Year, and then FA Young Volunteer of the Year.

2012

December

• Brighton Aldridge Community Academy governor James (Jim) May is among six new Deputy Lieutenants who have been appointed by the Lord Lieutenant for the County of East Sussex in recognition of their "significant role supporting the local community."

November

• Brighton Aldridge Community Academy Year 7 students Curtis Pilsworth, Liam Reeves, Mykalia Steptoe and Antonio Periera's company Silver Souvenirs triumphed against competition from across the Academy including the 6th form to win the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) "Business in a day" challenge at BACA.
• Portslade Aldridge Community Academy Year 8 students Oliver Parsons, Phoebe Lloyd, Kealy Cook and Danielle English's company called Smarties won the PACA GEW challenge.
• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy GEW Challenge wining team Deja Vu was formed by Joseph Morris, Hannah Janowski, Charlotte Noble and Sophie Smith, representing years 7 - 11 at the Academy.
• BACA Year 12 student and Aldridge Cricket Academy member Jordan Shaw has been invited to train with the Sussex u17 squad from January onwards, while PACA students Ellie Clark and Daisy Reuby have been selected for the Sussex Women's Cricket Association u12 representative squad.
• DACA Football Academy beat Alsop High School 2-0 in round 4 of the English Schools Football Association Cup, progressing into the last 64 nationally of the competition.
• The Foundation is named Academy Provider of the Year 2012 at the Education Investor awards.

October

• Taome Caville, who has recently started a PE technician apprenticeship at Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, was named young volunteer of the year at the Football Association (FA) Community Awards.
• Katie Westein of the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy was nominated as Carer of the Year at the Brighton Argus Achievement Awards 2012.
• Sir Rod Aldridge was nominated for the American Express sponsored Outstanding Contribution to Sussex Award.
• Following a visit to the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy Dept for Business, Skills & Innovation Director Adam Jackson says "I have visited many schools in the last 4 years. I have to say that IPACA is the most impressive project I have seen. I was blown away by the commitment of all the schools in the Academy to come together to seek to transform Portland".
• PACA year 8 student Abbie Booker competes at the International Gymnastics Championship, representing the UK team against South Africa.

September

• The Kensington Aldridge Academy receives planning permission. It is due to open in September 2014.
• The Aldridge Foundation's fourth sponsorsed Academy, the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy, opens.
• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA) receives special recognition at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' (BIS) Enterprising Britain Awards.
• The Aldridge Foundation is announced as a finalist in the EducationInvestor Awards Academy Provider of the Year category. The Awards are announced on November 15th.

August

• DACA Sixth form sees 99.4% pass rate with 44% A*/A, 52% A*-B & 84% A*-C .Typically students achieved grades ABB (or equivalent) & over 75% are moving on to university.

• Brighton Aldridge Community Academy - 41% of students achieve 5 or more passes at A* – C grades including English and Maths this year, an incredible 86% improvement over two years since the Academy opened. The results are the best ever in the 57 year history of the school at the Falmer site.
• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy's overall pass rate at GCSE is 98%, with a new record high of 76% of students gaining grades A*-C in mathematics.
• Portslade Aldridge Community Academy sees the overall percentage of students achieving five or more passes at A*-C level increase by 5% to 70%, with the English A*-C grade pass rate increasing from 56% to 63% this year against a background of national falls in this subject.
• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy achieves a new record pass rate of 99.4% at A Level. With a typical combination of at least grades A-B-B it is likely that all of DACA's students who have applied to university will secure their places, with over 75% of this year group now likely to progress to university.

July

• Sir Rod Aldridge was nominated as an Olympic torch bearer for his dedication to helping young people and the wider community through the work of The Aldridge Foundation. He ran through the Borough of Lewisham on the 23rd July 2012.
• DACA pupil Benn Cowell wins Academies Excellence Award in Economics at the Education Awards for his Essay ‘Does the World have a Problem with food?’
• Sir Rod Aldridge receives a Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration from Manchester Metropolitan University. The Award recognises both his distinguished achievements in business and his an outstanding commitment to supporting young people reach their potential through the work of The Aldridge Foundation

• Three Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA) students have work selected for the National Students' Art Exhibition in London, and three other submissions were highly commended. Khushna Sulaman-Butt, Sam Goodwin and Liam Dargan all had work exhibited at the prestigious Mayfair gallery, while fellow DACA students Tamara Newton, Shona O'Neill and Michaela Bell all submitted entries which were highly commended by the judges.

June

• Brighton Aldridge Community Academy won a RIBA Regional Sustainability Award (South East region) and a RIBA South East Downland Award at the RIBA Southern Architecture Awards 2012 for their new building.

May

• DACA Student, Lubna Ali, regional winner for the North West was presented with the Sir Winfried Bischoff Award Careers Academies UK Graduation Ceremony, held at the IOE London.
• BACA wins the Regional Sustainability Award in the RIBA South East Downland Awards and the Regional Client of the Year Award 2012.

March

• 17 Year old DACA pupil Liam Dargan has his stop motion film showcased at a national film festival. His film premiered at the Cornerhouse Cinema in Manchester for the Underexposed Film Festival.

February

• DACA wins the 2012 National Independent Academies Association Best Practice Award for Innovative Academy of the Year in London for their entrepreneurship model that has measurably raised standards had an impact on the whole community.
• Josh Collins presented with PACA Citizenship Award by Baroness Prosser, on a visit to Portslade Aldridge Community Academy.
• Stephen Twigg visits Darwen Aldridge Community Academy to learn more about the work of the Academy.

January

• Rod Aldridge is Knighted for services to young people in the New Year Honours List.

2011

November

• BACA won the e-Teach Academy Development Award at the Education Business Awards 2011. The award reflected the sound project management and procurement strategies that led to the new BACA building being completed on time.
• The Aldridge Academies and Enabling Enterprise jointly run competition was awarded High Impact Status for Global Entrepreneurship Week.
• Rod Aldridge picked up the award for an Outstanding Contribution by an Individual, at the EducationInvestor Awards 2011.
• Elizabeth Anderson, our Head of Foundation Affairs and Executive Assistant to Chairman won the Women of the Future in Public Service Award 2011, at the awards run by Real Business - the first ever winner of that category.

October

• Six BACA students completed a trip to Pune and Mumbai, visiting a range of schools and community programmes.
• Congratulations to Jean-Pierre van Wyk, winner of the Foundation's Christmas Card Competition - his design will be used this year on the Foundation's cards.
• The Foundation celebrated its Fifth Anniversary with a party at the Household Cavalry Museum in Whitehall.

September

• BACA moved into its brand new £23m home, celebrating with a community focussed opening. A time-capsule was buried to mark the historic occasion.
• PACA opened its doors for the first time as an Academy, specialising in Entrepreneurship and Science.
• The Foundation has secured £9,920 from the Big Lottery Fund 'Awards for All' programme, which will be used for Pegasus FM, a community radio station based initially at BACA.

August

• For a second year, the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy also recorded another increase in their GCSE results, with 56% of students securing five or more GCSEs at A*-C Grade, including English and Maths.

• At BACA, 36% of students secured 5 or more GCSEs at Grades A*-C, including English and Maths, a 64% increase from the previous year, at the then Falmer High School. 73% of students secured five or more GCSEs overall at A*-C, again, up from 58% the previous year.
• 17 DACA students received a place at University - each being the first in their family to carry on to Higher Education.
• Darwen Aldridge Community Academy (DACA) Sixth Form celebrated record-breaking A Level results - a 98% pass rate, with a quarter of the results at A* and A grades, and 36% of the results at A*, A and B grades.

July

• In EducationInvestor Awards 2011, The Aldridge Foundation shortlisted as Schools Operating Group of the Year, Darwen Aldridge Community Academy shortlisted for Academy of the Year, and Rod Aldridge shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.
• BACA has outstanding celebration with STOMP

June

• The Aldridge Foundation was named Academy Sponsor of the Year at the British Council for Schools Environment “Best of British” Awards 2011. The awards recognise achievements in education, design and construction.

• Graduate of the My Life Is My Business scheme, Joe McInerney, is named Outstanding Achiever of the Year at the annual ‘Young ‘Uns’ award, organised by Lancashire Business View and the University of Central Lancashire.
• Well done to Molly Holden (winner) and Luke Allen (second place) who won our Alex Rider Short Story Award, presented by Anthony Horowitz at DACA.
• Aldridge Foundation declared Winner of BCSE Academy Sponsor of the Year.

April

• DACA delighted to receive royal visit from HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton.
• Congratulations to Jessica Dootson, winner of our 2011 Pegasus Literacy Award, presented by Catherine Middleton.
• DACA new building shortlisted for RIBA North West Design Awards
• Congratuatlions to BACA students who won entrepreneurship award at Brighton University

March

• DACA awarded as one of the country's most improved schools by SSAT

February

• The Aldridge Foundation receives grant of £150,000 to develop community entrepreneurship work - The Aldridge Pioneers.

2010

November

• The Darwen Aldridge Community Academy was a finalist in the Academy of the Year category at the Education Investor Awards 2010.