Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green

About Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hindley Green sits within the Wigan local authority, where it is ranked 90th out of 98 primary schools based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. That places it in the bottom half of schools locally, and some distance behind the top-performing peers in the area. The highest-ranked school in Wigan is Nicol Mere School, followed by Gilded Hollins Community School and Standish St Wilfrid's Church of England Primary Academy. For families considering a Catholic option, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School, just 1.9 kilometres away. Sacred Heart itself was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2024, a rating it has held consistently since its previous inspection in 2015. The school is led by headteacher Louise Byrne and has a Roman Catholic religious character, with a chapel on site.

In the 2023/24 academic year, 48 per cent of Sacred Heart's Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Wigan local authority average of 65 per cent. Just 4 per cent of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects. Looking at individual subjects, 64 per cent met the expected standard in reading, 68 per cent in writing, and 60 per cent in maths. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 102 in maths. The school's Ofsted inspectors rated all areas as Good in the 2024 inspection, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 100 per cent of the 19 respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 95 per cent strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe.

Sacred Heart is a relatively small primary with 188 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, and 16 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. It was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 44 applications for 23 places, with 20 first-preference offers made. The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, art studios, sensory room and outdoor playground. Sports provision includes gymnastics, netball, rounders, tennis, athletics, dance and swimming, while clubs range from film club and coding to chess, science club and choir. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. This is a school that suits families who value a strong Catholic identity, a small community feel, and a setting where parents report very high levels of happiness and safety.

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