Bamber Bridge St Aidan's Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 March 2025

Pupils are happy at this small and welcoming school. They appreciate that staff know every single one of them well. They trust staff will help them if they have any concerns or worries. This helps pupils to feel well cared for and safe. The school's values, such as thankfulness, truthfulness and compassion, are embedded throughout the curriculum and underpin the positive relationships in the school. Pupils are well-mannered and polite. They extend a warm welcome to visitors and are kind and supportive of new pupils when they join the school. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement and behaviour. Pupils work hard in class and try their best. Many children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 achieve well. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils value the range of opportunities on offer. They speak excitedly about visits to museums and a wetland centre, as well as residential trips. Pupils eagerly take part in art, chess, reading and football clubs. These experiences enable them to develop exciting new interests and find undiscovered talents. Pupils flourish in their various roles and responsibilities, such as being head pupils, prefects and lunchtime helpers.

What the school should improve

• Occasionally, staff do not identify or address gaps in some pupils' knowledge before introducing new learning. This means that pupils' learning is not as secure as it could be. The school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to check pupils' learning so that pupils learn and achieve well across the curriculum.
• Some pupils are persistently absent from school. This means that they miss important learning and have gaps in their knowledge. The school should focus on further developing its strategies to improve pupils' attendance and, particularly, to reduce persistent absenteeism.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)