Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy

About Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy

Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy in Leicester posts a combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score of 70 per cent, which sits eight percentage points above the local authority average of 62 per cent for primary schools. That gap is a meaningful one, placing the school 20th out of 68 primaries in Leicester and in the top 30 per cent nationally. The school's overall Ofsted rating is Good, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2018. In its most recent graded inspection in November 2021, inspectors awarded Good across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That upward trajectory, combined with above-average KS2 outcomes, suggests a school that has made solid, measurable progress in recent years.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 KS2 results, 87 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in maths, while reading and writing both hit 77 per cent. At the higher standard, 38 per cent achieved in reading, 37 per cent in maths, and 15 per cent in writing. The average scaled scores were 107 in maths and 106 in reading, both comfortably above the national baseline of 100. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard across all three subjects was 10 per cent. While the school doesn't publish Progress 8 scores for primary, the attainment data is strong enough to rank it in the top 50 per cent of schools nationally. For context, the nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Catherine Infant School, one kilometre away, but Sacred Heart's Good rating and above-average results make it a competitive option within Leicester's primary landscape.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 21 applications for 15 places, all of which went to first-preference families. That 1.4 oversubscription ratio reflects its local popularity. Facilities include a chapel, music rooms, art studios, a sports hall, gymnasium, forest school area, and outdoor playground. Sports on offer include netball, athletics, rounders, cross country, gymnastics, and swimming, while clubs range from chess and coding to eco club and gardening. The school has a nursery provision and supports pupils with a range of SEND needs, including specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, visual impairment, and physical disability. With a 24.8 per cent free school meals rate, it serves a diverse intake. This is a solid, improving Catholic primary that suits families prioritising strong core attainment and a broad enrichment offer within a faith setting.

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