Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
About Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Barnsley is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary that is currently running above its official capacity, with 158 pupils on roll against a capacity of 140. That oversubscription is no accident: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 37 applications for just 19 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1. 95. All 19 first-preference applicants were offered a place, but the numbers suggest demand significantly outstrips supply. The school serves a community with a higher-than-average level of disadvantage — 26. 6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with a national primary average of around 23-24%. This context matters when looking at the school's academic profile, because it's a school that is clearly popular locally despite not topping any league tables.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 20 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Mar 2025Latest monitoring visit (19 Mar 2025): Some aspects not as strong
Source: Ofsted, 1 Jul 2020. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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