Sacred Heart RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

This school meets the needs of all of its pupils exceptionally well. As a result, pupils make excellent progress across all of the year groups in English and mathematics and their achievement is outstanding. The headteacher is an inspirational leader, strongly supported by governors and staff.

The school's effectiveness has improved from good to outstanding since its last inspection and a relentless drive for further improvement is ongoing. Pupils feel entirely safe and secure in school. Their behaviour is exemplary and they enjoy trusting relationships with all of the adults in school.

Their attitudes to learning are ex...cellent. Teaching is outstanding. It is constantly adjusted to meet the varied and changing learning needs of pupils.

Excellent assessment and marking ensure that pupils make the best progress. Children make rapid progress in the outstanding Early Years Foundation Stage, often from very low starting points. There are excellent systems in place for checking the school's work.

Outstanding planning and staff training ensure that the school maintains high quality teaching and pupils' outstanding achievement. Most pupils reach nationally expected standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Increasing numbers are reaching the higher standards in English and mathematics, reflecting the success of the school's work to support its most able pupils to achieve as well as possible.

Disadvantaged pupils achieve higher standards in English and mathematics than similar pupils nationally. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make excellent progress from their various starting points. Although all of the different groups of pupils do well, girls have done a little better than boys in tests in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in recent years.

The school is fully aware of this slight imbalance and is developing a range of ways to address it. Governors are actively involved in all aspects of the school's work. They hold the school to account exceptionally well.

Parents express great confidence in the school and its leaders and staff. The successful partnership between home and school is reflected in attendance figures that are well above the national average.

Information about this school

The school is similar in size to most other primary schools.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. Although most pupils speak English as their home language, a few pupils are learning to speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is considerably above average and constitutes a majority of the pupils in school.

The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is similar to that found in most schools. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is also average.

The school meets the government's current floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The school operates a breakfast club each day. A new deputy headteacher has been appointed and will take up his post in January 2015.