Bamber Bridge St Aidan’s Church of England Primary School is characterized by a warm and caring culture that fosters a nurturing environment for its pupils. The staff build strong relationships with students and their families, creating a sense of community where pupils feel they are part of a family. The school promotes Christian values such as truthfulness, forgiveness, and compassion, which are reflected in the pupils' behavior. The students are polite, respectful, and demonstrate positive attitudes towards their peers, learning about friendship and kindness. Incidents of bullying are addressed promptly and effectively by the leadership team.
Despite the positive environment, the school has been rated as requiring improvement in overall effectiveness and the quality of education. While leaders have high aspirations for pupils' learning, there are notable gaps in knowledge across various subjects, which hinders students from achieving their full potential. Although pupils enjoy their learning and work hard, the current curriculum does not support them in building a comprehensive understanding of the subjects.
Pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, take pride in contributing to the school community through various roles such as school councillors and prefects. The leadership team is committed to improving all aspects of school life and has successfully navigated challenges in recent years. The curriculum is designed to be broad and balanced, with ambitious goals for all pupils. However, in some subjects, the curriculum is still in the early stages of development, leading to uncertainty among teachers regarding the key knowledge that should be taught and the order in which it should be delivered.
Leaders have made efforts to ensure that the curriculum is logically sequenced, allowing pupils to build on their prior knowledge. This approach has proven effective in subjects where the curriculum is well established, resulting in pupils remembering what they have learned and achieving good outcomes. However, in areas where the curriculum is less developed, teachers struggle to assess pupils' understanding and retention of knowledge, which impacts overall learning.
The school places a strong emphasis on reading, with daily reading sessions and well-resourced reading areas in classrooms. Pupils express enthusiasm for reading and are engaged in their phonics lessons. However, inconsistencies in the delivery of the early reading program have been noted, with some staff lacking adequate training. This has led to some pupils falling behind in their reading skills without receiving the necessary support to catch up.
Pupils exhibit positive behaviors in lessons, thanks to high expectations and established routines. The school environment is calm and orderly, with children in the early years demonstrating politeness and consideration for one another. Leaders prioritize pupils' mental health and well-being, providing opportunities for enrichment beyond the academic curriculum, such as mental health initiatives and various clubs.
The leadership team, supported by governors, is dedicated to ongoing improvement. Their actions align with improvement plans that positively impact the quality of education. However, they acknowledge that further work is needed to address the identified gaps in the curriculum and ensure that all pupils receive the support they need to succeed.
The safeguarding arrangements at the school are effective, with robust procedures in place to identify and manage risks. Staff are well-trained and understand the local risks, ensuring that pupils are kept safe. The curriculum and assemblies educate pupils on safety, including online safety and healthy relationships.
To improve, the school must focus on delivering a consistent early reading program and providing adequate support for pupils who struggle with reading. Additionally, leaders need to clarify the essential knowledge to be taught across all subjects to enhance the depth of learning. By addressing these areas, Bamber Bridge St Aidan’s Church of England Primary School can work towards achieving a higher standard of education for its pupils.
