This is a good school Strong leadership, management and governance have successfully improved the school's effectiveness since the last inspection. The enthusiasm and commitment of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are unrelenting. Expectations are high and the school continues to improve at a good rate.
Leaders have successfully addressed previous weaknesses in teaching. Teaching, including in the sixth form, is now good. As a result, pupils in all key stages are now making good progress from their starting points across a range of subjects.
Standards of attainment are rising. Good teaching effectively promotes pupils' interest, involvement and motivatio...n in lessons. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.
Pupils are confident in asking questions. A small amount of variability still remains in the quality of teaching. Sometimes, work for the most able pupils lacks challenge and this hampers their progress.
This is particularly the case in mathematics. Leaders' actions to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils are paying off. These pupils are now achieving as well as others.
Leaders have improved pupils' behaviour since the last inspection. Pupils, parents and carers agree. Pupils conduct themselves very well in lessons and around the school.
They are confident, polite and courteous to one another and to staff. Pupils behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is above average.
Arrangements to check how well pupils are doing in each subject are very thorough. Even so, there remains scope to ensure that the
Information about this school
St Aidan's Catholic Academy is an average-sized secondary school. The school meets the government's current floor standards.
These set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress by the end of Year 11. The headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in permanent positions in February 2016. Since the last inspection, there have been significant staffing changes, including the leadership of the science, modern foreign languages, mathematics and geography departments.
Most pupils are of White British heritage, with a small minority from other ethnic backgrounds. A quarter of the pupils in school are known to be eligible for pupil premium. This is about average for schools nationally.
The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is average. A small number of sixth-form students attend St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy as part of their programme of study. The school uses the Link School, Sunderland Training & Education Farm and Sunderland College for alternative provision.
