St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy

St Aidan's Primary School is a warm, nurturing and ambitious Church of England academy where pupils behave well, feel valued and achieve well across most of the curriculum. Inspectors found strong provision in reading and phonics, effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), positive attitudes to learning and effective safeguarding. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum, rich enrichment and opportunities for responsibility, and attendance has improved through new systems. The school is part of the Cidari Multi-Academy Trust and has a new headteacher appointed in September 2024; this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders have designed broad and ambitious curriculums and staff receive high-quality training, but there are two clear areas for improvement. In a few subjects, teachers do not routinely address pupils' misconceptions, so errors can go unchecked. In some subjects, pupils also lack enough meaningful opportunities to revisit prior learning, which makes it harder to build new knowledge securely. Published 2024 writing results at the end of key stage 2 were below the national average, although the report notes that many of those pupils joined late and that current pupils achieve well. Overall, the school is well led, governors and trustees provide effective support and challenge, and staff feel valued. The next steps are focused and specific: strengthen the handling of misconceptions and ensure pupils regularly revisit prior learning across all subjects.

Strengths

• Warm, nurturing school culture with pupils who are confident, kind and articulate
• Ambitious curriculum with clearly identified key knowledge from Reception to Year 6
• Strong reading and phonics provision that develops fluent, enthusiastic readers
• Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND
• Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and typically learn without distraction
• Effective new attendance systems improving regular attendance
• Wide range of enrichment, extracurricular activities and pupil leadership roles
• Effective governance and trust support, with staff feeling valued
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, teachers do not routinely address pupils' misconceptions, allowing errors to go unchecked
• In a few subjects, pupils lack meaningful opportunities to revisit prior learning, making it harder to remember and build on knowledge

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.5% of pupils at St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 23.6% of pupils at St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy received £8,954 and spent £8,020 for each of its 186 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £318,000 (£1,708 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Cidari Education Limited, income was £8,446 and spending £8,235 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Blackburn · Blackburn with Darwen local authority: places and applications

St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy is part of Cidari Education Limited, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St Luke and St Philips Church of England Primary School Blackburn
• St Silas's CofE Primary School Blackburn
• Darwen St James CofE Primary Academy Darwen
• Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy Blackburn
• Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy Darwen
• St Matthew's Church of England Primary Academy Preston
• Newchurch-In-Pendle St Mary's Church of England Primary School Burnley
• Appley Bridge All Saints Church of England Primary Academy Wigan
• Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy Nelson
• Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy Preston

What is St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy have?

St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy cover?

St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 23% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy?

St Aidan's Primary School - A Church of England Academy is at Norfolk Street, Mill Hill, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4EW.