Sacred Heart Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils make good progress from their starting points in literacy and mathematics. Attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6.

Pupils write well and their handwriting is very neat. Pupils clearly take pride in their work. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make outstanding progress.

Their complex needs are extremely well catered for. Teaching is good with outstanding practice in the Reception class, Year 2 and upper Key Stage 2. Lessons are well planned and enthuse pupils.

Behaviour is outstanding in lessons and at break times. Pupils themselves actively promote excellent behaviour. Pupils feel extre...mely safe.

They respect each other's different cultures because the school teaches them to be kind and considerate. The leadership team has the skills, ambition and determination to succeed. This is why the school continues to improve.

Good, well organised leadership of teaching means that teaching is consistently good or better in every class. As a result pupils' achievement continues to improve. The curriculum is well planned to develop pupils' language and communication skills.

This is why those pupils new to learning English make good progress. Governors give good support to the school and help it to improve further. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not all teachers get the best out of the most able pupils and so sometimes these pupils' learning slows.

Leaders and managers have even more to do to get more parents closely involved in their children's learning.

Information about this school

This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Two-thirds of pupils are White British.

One third of pupils come from minority ethnic groups, the largest group being Polish. Twenty different languages are represented in the school. Almost a third of pupils learn English as an additional language.

This is much higher than average. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.

An above average proportion of pupils enters or leaves the school at times other than the usual. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is high. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.

One-third of the teaching and support staff have changed within the last four years. The deputy headteacher started at the school in September 2011 when an assistant headteacher was also appointed. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.