Sacred Heart Catholic Academy

About Sacred Heart Catholic Academy

Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Sefton is a mixed secondary school with 653 pupils on roll, well below its capacity of 886, meaning there is room to grow. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 29.6%, which is significantly above the national average and suggests the school serves a community with higher-than-average levels of disadvantage. Despite the spare capacity, the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 247 applications for 146 places, with 154 of those as first preferences. That works out at 1.69 applications per place, a healthy oversubscription ratio, and 142 first-preference offers were made. The school’s Roman Catholic character likely drives some of that appeal, but the numbers also point to a school that local families are actively choosing, even if it isn’t yet full to the brim.

Academically, Sacred Heart sits in a solid but not spectacular position. Its Progress 8 score of -0.21 is below the national average of zero, meaning pupils make slightly less progress than their peers nationally, but it ranks 4th out of 14 schools in Sefton on this measure and comfortably outperforms the local authority average of -0.59. The Attainment 8 score of 48.6 is respectable, and 55% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 5 measure), compared with 77.9% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 30%, with 16.4% achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good across the board, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019. Leadership, behaviour, personal development and the quality of education all received Good grades.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, gymnasium, sports hall, tennis courts, science labs, art studios, music rooms and a chapel. Sports provision covers hockey, tennis, swimming, football, cricket and dance, while clubs include eco club, coding, choir, orchestra and Young Enterprise. SEND support is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and physical disabilities. There is no sixth form on site, so pupils will need to move on after Year 11. With its strong Catholic identity, above-average disadvantage intake and solid but not elite results, Sacred Heart is a good fit for families who value a supportive, inclusive environment and want a school that has improved its Ofsted rating and is clearly popular locally, even if it isn’t the highest-performing in the area.

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