St Aidan's Church of England Memorial Primary School

Overview

St Aidan’s is described as a “nurturing, aspirational and supportive place” where “positive relationships are at the heart of school life.” The report highlights a “distinct sense of community” and praises leaders for their “tenacity” in ensuring high attendance and effective support for pupils facing barriers to learning.

Strengths

• Attendance is prioritised with “relentless” leadership, resulting in rates “above the national average” and persistent absence “significantly below” it.
• Pupils benefit from “warm, positive relationships” and a behaviour policy applied consistently, fostering a culture where they “work diligently and cooperatively.”
• Staff provide “high-quality pastoral care,” including targeted therapies and interventions that effectively support pupils’ social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• Inclusion is a priority, with “clear systems” and effective partnerships ensuring pupils with special educational needs receive “the right support, at the right time.”
• The curriculum is “broad and ambitious,” preparing pupils well for the next stage of education, with a strong focus on foundational skills in reading and mathematics.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should “embed recent changes to the curriculum” and ensure pupils benefit from “consistent, high-quality, adaptive teaching.”
• Leaders must “strengthen the expertise of subject leaders” so they can effectively lead further curriculum development and monitor teaching quality.
• Leaders recognise the need to “increase the level of rigour” in monitoring pupils’ progress and the impact of support provided.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with an “open culture” established where concerns are “actively identified, acted upon and managed,” ensuring pupils “feel safe.”