The Littlehampton Academy came into existence when it superseded The Littlehampton Community School in 2009 and became part of the Woodard Academies Trust. Proposals for an academy were first mooted in 2007 with the school, West Sussex County Council and Woodard Schools entering a legal agreement to convert the school's status into an academy. The Department for Children, Schools & Families later approved the plans in 2008. In 2010 most of the buildings which dated from the 1960s or earlier, were demolished and replaced by a new academy building with modern facilities suitable for 1,900 students.
The building was designed by Architecture PLB and constructed by Balfour Beatty who were awarded the £30m contract for the new facilities. Building began in 2011 and was completed 18 months later. The remaining buildings on the site were refurbished as part of the program now providing excellent an environment for teaching and learning. The new academy buildings officially opened in 2013.
The school’s motto is "Inspire Growth; Reap Success". Four community values are referenced in its motto with the word ‘REAP’ chosen as an acronym to reflect the academy’s Christian ethos: standing for Respect, Explore, Aspire and Persevere.