A HEADTEACHER who helped turn around a failing academy into a good school has resigned.

Katie Scott will be leaving Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) in September next year.

It comes after the academy in Chalky Road, Portslade, gained a good Ofsted in December 2016 after previously being rated as requiring improvement in 2014 and 2012.

Ms Scott will take up a headteacher role in London from September.

She said: “I am immensely proud of PACA’s students and staff and all that we have achieved together. I am confident PACA will go from strength to strength because of the learning culture that now exists as well as the fantastic group of staff that work tirelessly to support our young people.

“My move gives me the opportunity to return to London, where I spent much of my teaching career, but in the meantime my focus remains 100 per cent PACA and the success of our students.”

Parents were told about the departure of Ms Scott, who joined the school in September 2015 taking over from Peter Marchant, in a letter on Wednesday.

The school thanked the mother-of-one, previously deputy head at Sir Robert Woodard Academy in Lancing, for her contribution to making a “thriving school”.

Chairwoman of governors Rosalind Turner said: “Katie joined PACA in 2015, and her time as principal has seen the academy achieve a good Ofsted rating in all categories; GCSE results that put us in the top five per cent nationally for English and maths; and recognised as The Argus Youth in Action Awards’ Most Improved School of the Year 2017.

“Not surprisingly PACA has grown in popularity with parents with applications for year seven places more than doubling.

“I would like to put on record our appreciation of her leadership of the academy. The achievements the school has made in the past few years come from having a great team and I know that Katie’s successor will inherit highly committed staff and a thriving school.”

The school is looking for a successor.