Subject Leader for Religious Education

Our School

Saint Aidan’s is a successful and popular 11-16 co-educational Church of England school with 840 students situated in a very pleasant part of the Fylde in Lancashire. We draw our students from a wide area which includes the rural area of Over Wyre, as well as a number of areas on the edge of Blackpool and Fleetwood. The school is within easy reach of the cities of Lancaster and Preston and the town of Blackpool.

Our students achieve very well, and there is a real will in the school to improve even further. In 2023 over 80% of students achieved Grade 4+ in English, Maths and Science, and our GCSE results are consistently above local and national averages.

The school’s commitment to learning extends to staff as well as students; there is a well-developed structure of support for new members of staff and a culture of “lifelong learning” among our teaching and associate staff. Our in-house CPD programme is important to us and we are continually looking to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning, with an emphasis on the use of modern technology and collaborative learning. All teaching staff have access to a Microsoft laptop, and all of our classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards or touch displays. Individual tablet and laptop devices are used by students in the classroom.

The school was inspected by Ofsted in October 2013 and was found to be a Good school with Outstanding Behaviour and Safety. This was confirmed by a short inspection in July 2018 and again in June 2023. Our 2023 report states, “Pupils enjoy coming to school” and, “Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.” An inspection by SIAMS in March 2017 found us to be Outstanding in two areas and Good in the other two. The school is full or nearly full in all year groups, and is regularly oversubscribed for entry into Year 7. The majority of our students travel to us by bus and choose Saint Aidan’s over schools nearer their homes because of our individual care for students, our calm and purposeful atmosphere, our high academic standards and our Christian ethos.

As a church school we have a strong emphasis on the provision of a stimulating, secure and caring environment within which all members of our community can develop their potential to the full. Relationships within the school community are characterised by mutual respect; this creates a safe environment where young people can grow and develop, and where learning is valued. There is a strong “vertical” pastoral structure, built around forms that contain students from all five year groups. Our collective worship draws staff and students together and encourages them to explore life’s big issues. The school’s ethos is distinctively Christian but is also inclusive of those of other faiths or none. This gives us a great responsibility as for many of our children Saint Aidan’s provides their only experience of worshipping and growing within a Christian community.

We work closely with our local primary schools, sixth forms, FE providers and universities. Further afield the school has many links with partners in Britain and abroad, including links with a partner school in South Africa. Students can participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and educational visits in this country and further afield. All staff are encouraged to contribute to this programme.

During and after the COVID pandemic Saint Aidan’s, like all schools, has constantly adapted to keep students’ education and the life of the school going through all of the challenges the pandemic has brought. The close school community and our investment in technology for learning have allowed us to do this better than most. Staff, students and parents have worked together and have shown the qualities that make Saint Aidan’s such a great place to work or study.

Our school ‘motto’ is taken from John 10 v 10 -”I have come that they may have life in all its fullness”. All we do at Saint Aidan’s is aimed at making this a reality for our students and staff.

View Saint Aidan's Church of England High School’s latest Ofsted report 

Our commitment to staff

Our offer includes:

• In house CPD programme tailored to each member of staff
• Opportunities for professional development within and beyond our school
• A positive, collaborative working atmosphere for staff and students
• Beautiful location with a well-maintained site and buildings
• Personal use of an Microsoft Surface laptop as well as a PC / interactive whiteboard / touch screen in each classroom
• Large Staff Room with free refreshments
• Free use of the brand new on-site gym
• Free on-site parking
• Regular staff social events
• Many opportunities for overseas visits