Principal's Welcome
WELCOME TO
PORTSLADE ALDRIDGE COMMUNITY ACADEMY (PACA)
Welcome to our amazing school on the edge of the South Downs.
When we think of our mission at PACA we start by recognising how lucky we are to live where we do. We have the country, the coast, our city and the capital. We live in a place that champions progressive values, which is dynamic and exciting. We are proud to be Portslade – it’s a great place to live. Our mission, therefore is for everyone in our community to make the most of all that is around us.
We want school to be enjoyable, for it to be a time to look back on fondly. It is essential that it is safe and that students thrive and achieve well. We aim for students to take joy in learning and to be curious. We want the young people who join us to delight in developing new skills and talents. We encourage students to explore new experiences and ideas and, over the five years they are with us, to become increasingly independent and to aim for excellence, ready, when they leave to lead their own learning and take the next step.
To make the best move from PACA we ensure that students know how to do well in exams and achieve great grades. Our target is to ensure that PACA students grades at least as good as the top 20% of similar schools, and this is a target that we consistently achieve.
We also know that success after school needs more than just grades, so we make sure that students have chances to develop their speaking skills to act well in different places and with people from outside of school. We run a wide range of enrichment choices, helping students develop the interests that will bring them success in later life. All this is underpinned by a consistent school ethos, founded on the idea of respect: respect for themselves (aiming high, and believing you can achieve), respect for others (having humility and being kind), respect for our environment (treating our shared spaces and our world with consideration) and respect for learning (knowing that with effort, we can all improve).
To make this all work, as a staff team, we focus our energies on:
- Working with you in a full partnership sharing information and being accessible to answer your questions.
- Celebrating your child’s successes, whether they are achieved in or out of school
- Seeking and acting on feedback be that from the student council, parents and from staff
- Being consistent in our expectations and our routines, giving students confidence that they know what is expected of them
- Be relentlessly ambitious for students’ learning and for our teaching, always looking for ways to make lessons better, and for students’ learning to be more engaging.
- Valuing and championing all forms of diversity so everyone feels part of our community
- Connecting with our community, be that in the way we use our local area for activities and engaging students with local organisations in their Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Mark Poston, Principal
Our vision and values
This is central to everything we go at PACA, through academic lessons, sports, enrichment, activities and our rewards system. We believe developing an enterprising mindset will build the confidence students need to succeed and enjoy a fulfilling life. To develop this mindset we focus on the following key attributes:
Our son came to PACA in Year 8 without many academic prospects, but through the support and encouragement of all his teachers over the remaining years he has developed into a confident, kind, mature, well-mannered and communicative child, with a set of GCSE results that give him far more choice than we would have hoped for. We can only thank all of the staff involved in Luke’s education and support in his development and his wellbeing. He really is a success story thanks to PACA and I hope you can all feel immensely proud as we do in his achievements.
Tracy Sayers, Parent
September 2020
One of our sons has gone through PACA from year 7 to 11 and has now left with good results. Our youngest son is in year 10 now.
Like all schools it depends on what experience you have had, we can say that our over all experience with the school is very good. If we have had any concerns with the school whether it be good or bad we have felt that the have been to deal with either by email or phone. We like that we have been contacted by teachers not only for negative subjects but teachers have taken the time to contact us with positive things about what our boys have done or achieved.
One of our sons was at PACA through covid. By the 2nd lockdown the school and teachers were well organised in providing live and online lessons. Tutors and other members of staff called home on several occasions to speak to us as parents and to our son to make sure all things were good and if there were any concerns. Like most schools, communication has been a problem in the past but now the head teacher Mr Poston does a weekly newsletter which we think is a good way to communicate with parents and carers keeping us informed on what is happening, has been happening in the school and a reminder to us of important upcoming dates.
So, if you asked us would recommend PACA to you and your child/children. I would say definitely recommend you visit school and look around.
Parent
May 2023
