Sacred Heart Catholic School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. This school has continued the rapid pace of improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection and pupils now achieve well. Sacred Heart is a very inclusive school that provides a high level of care that keeps pupils safe and promotes their good behaviour.

Typically, teaching is good across the school. It is particularly successful in developing the pupils' speaking and listening skills and in developing pupils' love of books and enjoyment in reading. Children in the Nursery, Reception and Year 6 classes respond extremely well to calm, very clear teaching and stimulating learning activities that encourage pupils to commit themselves fu...lly to their learning.

Staff treat pupils as unique individuals and strongly support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs as well as others from minority ethnic backgrounds, who often join the school later than the normal time of entry. The most able pupils also achieve well and, like other pupils, benefit from the teachers' consistent expectations that pupils should explain their ideas, share and check them with each other to bring improvement. The well respected headteacher, strongly supported by senior staff and governors, sustains a determined commitment to continued improvement.

There is a strong emphasis on ensuring that high quality adult support underpins pupils' increasing confidence in learning and good progress as pupils move through the school. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Occasionally, lesson introductions continue for too long, constraining the time available for pupils to work more effectively at their own level. The pupils' handwriting, punctuation and spelling skills are not always developed quickly enough, especially through Years 1 and 2.

At times, a few pupils become too dependent on close adult support and do not contribute enough to their own learning in lessons.

Information about this school

This school is below average in size. Most pupils attending the school are of White British heritage and few pupils speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is broadly average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs also matches the national average. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is above average.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is comprised of one Nursery and one Reception class. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. There is no alternative provision.