At St Aidan’s Church of England Primary School, pupils are encouraged to ‘shine like lights in the world’. Leaders ensure that the strong Christian ethos underpins the experience of everyone who attends or works at the school. Different cultures are embraced. Visitors are made to feel welcome. Leaders have high expectations for pupils. Pupils achieve well. Pupils feel safe and happy at school. They are polite and courteous. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. There is a calm and purposeful learning atmosphere. On the rare occasions when children fall out or there are concerns, staff are quick to address issues. Leaders have ensured that there is a wide range of partnerships in place, both locally and internationally. For many years, the school has had effective links with China and Italy, including residential visits to China. Staff and pupils have benefited by learning about other cultures. Staff have also introduced teaching approaches they have seen abroad successfully. Leaders are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The work of the recently appointed mental health and outdoor learning leads is having a significant, positive impact. Pupils particularly enjoy the opportunities to cook on an open fire, which has helped them to learn new skills, as part of their forest school work. They have been taught to assess risks thoroughly when learning outdoors. Music is a strength of the school. Specialist teachers deliver music lessons in Years 3 to 6. The older pupils particularly enjoy the whole-class ukulele and guitar lessons. Many pupils relish the opportunity to receive individual instrumental teaching in piano, violin or guitar.