Catholic Life
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS INSPECTION | FEBRUARY 2019
What the school does well
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St Aidan’s is a very warm and welcoming school where everyone shares the clear vision promoted by the school leaders. The mission and ethos of Catholic education is at the heart of this community.
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The quality of Religious Education is good because pupils enjoy their Religious Education lessons, can explain their value and are keen to do well, leading to good progress in most lessons. Behaviour is exemplary.
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The Catholic Life of the school is outstanding because the wellbeing of all pupils alongside their spiritual and personal development underpins all that the school does. Pupils are actively involved in a range of activities which support their community and beyond, contributing significantly to their moral, social and emotional development.
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The quality of Collective Worship is outstanding. It is central to the life of the school. Pupils, guided by skilled staff, demonstrate the skills necessary to deliver high quality acts of worship.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
St. Aidan’s Catholic Primary School wholly believes that Religious Education is the foundation of all our teaching and the entire educational process. The Christian Catholic beliefs and values inspire and unify every aspect of our school life. The Gospel values underpin everything we do here and effectively, are the basis and spiritual influence on our school curriculum.
Our Religious Education curriculum, whilst aligned to the Religious Education Curriculum Directory, is organised so that units of learning are delivered through specific liturgical themes. The school follows the Come and See Catholic Primary Education Programme from Nursery to Year 4.
CATHOLIC LIFE & MISSION
'In the Love and Truth of Jesus We Grow'
At St Aidan's our faith and belief in Christ is at the centre of everything we do. We promote our school values by our words and deeds, and Catholic doctrine and practice therefore permeates every aspect of the school's activity. We challenge ourselves to live by gospel values and ensure that we serve one another. We provide a Catholic curriculum, which is broad and balanced, recognising that every pupil is unique and is created in the image of God (Gen 1:27).
Throughout the year we support a range of charities and organisations who on our behalf can offer help and support to those in need, particularly during Advent and Lenten fundraising activities. We support the following organisations:
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Wansbeck Valley Food Bank
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Children In Need
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Salvation Army
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BHF
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Operation Christmas Child
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CAFOD
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Youth Ministry Team
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LEPRA
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Mary's Meals
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Macmillan Cancer Support - Biggest Coffee Morning
We are incredibly grateful and humbled by the generous support of our families throughout the year.
LITURGICAL PRAYER
As a school we celebrate acts of Liturgical Prayer throughout the year. We celebrate important times of the Liturgical year with our school family and parishioners. We pray as a school each Monday and children lead this a set number of times throughout the school year. Important occasions such as Remembrance Day and Holocaust Memorial Day are also marked.
Celebrating Class Liturgical Prayer
Each class has an opportunity to lead Liturgical Prayer with the school family during the year.
Pupils also have the chance to plan and deliver Liturgical Prayer to their class on a weekly basis.
PARISH LINKS
We have strong relationships with the parishioners of St. Aidan’s Church. We invite members of our parish to events throughout the year. Masses are celebrated in school every month and parishioners and family members are invited to celebrate with us. Each class has their own Mass. Key Stage two pupils attend Church Masses throughout the year.
Children have time to visit St Aidan's Church to learn about what happens there and the roles within it.
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Our School Council are elected democratically each year and have two representatives per year group from Reception up to Year 6. Our School Council are lead by the Year 6 Representatives who are Head Boy and Head Girl. They work to improve the school for their peers and make it a better place.
Our new School Council were elected in the first week of September 2024.
For the academic year 24-25, their aims are as follows:
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Be good role models for everyone in our school in what we say and do, living out our school values
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Respect everyone's opinions and listen to everyone's ideas
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To be tolerant of everyone who is in our school or visiting
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To make our school environment more enjoyable and improve the conditions
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To ensure all children feel happy and safe in school
MINI VINNNIES
St. Aidan’s Mini Vinnies are part of the St. Vincent de Paul Society England and Wales, a voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms.
Our representatives from Year 6 meet to pray, discuss and support how we can to help make a difference in our local community.
In school we turn concern into action as we use the Mini Vinnie formula of ‘see, think, do’ to find people in need and help them.
In 2022 – 2024 we have:
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fundraised for CAFOD Brighten Up Appeal
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collected items for the Apostleship of the Sea
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‘Happy for a hundred’ fundraising for the Salvation Army and BHF
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Raised funds for Cancer Research
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Held parish Christmas dinner
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Collected for local food bank
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
Sacramental Preparation
The preparation of our children to enable them to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion is an important time in the life of St. Aidan’s Catholic Primary School and St. Aidan’s Parish. It presents a special opportunity for developing their relationship with God, each other and society. The sacramental preparation is led by catechists in St. Aidan’s Parish.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
This is the Sacrament of forgiveness, of God’s loving mercy and of conversion. As with the other sacraments it was instituted by Jesus Christ himself. It was on Easter Sunday when Christ first appeared to the Apostles after his Resurrection. Breathing on them, he said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained”. After a period of preparation, our children receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Autumn term.
Sacrament of First Holy Communion
During First Holy Communion children receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time. The Holy Eucharist refers to Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity truly present in the consecrated host and wine (now called the Body and Blood of Christ). For Catholics, there is nothing greater than to receive Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist at Mass.