St Aidan's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

St Aidan's is a nurturing and inclusive school. Staff know pupils well. Pupils feel happy and secure because staff provide high levels of care. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Pupils with SEND feel they belong and take part in all aspects of school life because of the extra support they receive. Pupils are welcomed warmly by staff each morning. They settle into learning quickly, receiving help from staff when needed. Pupils enjoy school. However, some pupils do not attend regularly. This makes it harder for them to achieve well. The school's values shape daily life. Pupils are respectful and care for one another. They behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils say bullying rarely happens. They trust staff to help with any worries. Children get off to a strong start in the early years. They learn phonics well and read with confidence. However, the achievement of older pupils is too variable across the curriculum. Leaders are tackling the weaknesses in the curriculum, but gaps in older pupils' learning persist. As a result, pupils do not achieve well in national tests and are not well prepared for the next steps in their education. Pupils benefit from a range of rich opportunities to prepare them for the future. For example, the careers week helps pupils explore future pathways and raise their aspirations. Pupils learn how to keep safe and healthy. They understand age-appropriate risks in the community and how to protect themselves, including online. Through the curriculum they learn about the importance of managing their own mental health. Older pupils discuss ways they can keep calm and stay positive with maturity. They fully understand how their school prepares them for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that recent actions to strengthen the teaching of mathematics are fully embedded so that all pupils secure number facts and apply them with increasing fluency.
• Leaders should ensure that gaps in older pupils' foundational knowledge are addressed quickly so that they can access the curriculum and achieve well in national tests.
• Leaders should continue to implement and evaluate their attendance strategy, further strengthening their work to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence, with a particular focus on disadvantaged pupils, to ensure that all pupils attend regularly and achieve well.

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