School Chooser

Sacred Heart Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic327 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubMiddlesbrough
School Chooser Score
50
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 28 to 71
Out of 100. Better than 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Reached the expected level at 1149%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families44%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull327 pupils, 280 places
Pupils per teacher17.0School workforce census

Sacred Heart Primary School is a converter academy in Middlesbrough for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 327 pupils, 47 more than it has places for. About 44 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 50 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Ayresome Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 4NP01642 816083sacredheartcp.npcat.org.ukHeadteacher Vicky White headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 May 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

39 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1149%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 37%37%20172018: 55%55%20182019: 69%69%20192023: 65%65%20232024: 54%54%20242025: 49%49%2025
Since 2017: +12%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017MiddlesbroughEngland
Pupils tested393940393835
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths49%54%65%69%55%37%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%3%0%5%0%6%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0103.0103.0104.0104.098.0105.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0101.0103.0105.0102.0101.0105.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0104.0106.0103.0103.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard72%77%70%79%76%40%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard62%62%78%82%71%63%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)69%74%80%72%71%71%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.1+4.5+2.6-3.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.1+4.6+1.2-0.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged41%41%60%76%50%30%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged59%64%70%61%60%47%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
41%59%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
41%55%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
50%49%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full280 pupils for 280 places, 2024/25
100% full

The school is full. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 170 m away in 2026, 590 m away in 2025, 120 m away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 170 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4040170 mLA
2025 Primary4040590 mLA
2024 Primary4040120 mLA
2023 Primary4040120 mLA
2022 Primary4039all offeredLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 170 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 170 m of the school£76,500half sold for £61k to £81k
Homes sold27December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-51%a typical home in the district sells for £155,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll327Census January 2026
Places280117% full
Pupils from low-income families38%44% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English49%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%40 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.513 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)42%£182,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls165 / 162
White British pupils24%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.9 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), Specific learning difficulty (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), emotional and mental health (4), Physical disability (2), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll327329331332329310
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals38%39%31%30%32%31%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language49%44%41%38%40%44%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%8%6%6%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.4%5.3%5.2%6.3%3.0%4.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.9%3.7%5.3%2.5%3.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.4%1.5%1.0%0.5%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.6%17.1%15.5%19.8%8.4%12.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.31.84.22.72.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers17.8full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher17.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,490
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.42024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,020England £7,128. Total £1.8m
Income per pupil£6,813England £7,587. Total £2.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,203England £3,405
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £199k, £653 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£242kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,020spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1,63912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate152 per 1,000 people67% higher than the England average
Typical house price£155,000Middlesbrough
Nearest bus stop350 mDorman Museum, 14 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Ayresome Primary SchoolAcademy310 m705Good 202337Compare
Archibald Primary SchoolAcademy690 m479Good 202261Compare
Newport Primary SchoolFoundation700 m358Good 202324Compare
Linthorpe Community Primary SchoolAcademy760 m727Outstanding 202497Compare
St Edward's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles398Good 202346Compare
Abingdon Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles565Good 202356Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles404Not inspected57Compare
Green Lane Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles663Good 202240Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sacred Heart Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats63%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 50 is 9 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 42 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 50 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 50% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 28 to 71. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.16
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 39 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.23
DfE progress measure; 39 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.06
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 249 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.07
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 39 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Sacred Heart Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Sacred Heart Primary School scores 50 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 28 to 71, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Sacred Heart Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Sacred Heart Primary School good at its last full inspection on 8 May 2024.

How good are Sacred Heart Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 49% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Sacred Heart Primary School have?

327 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 280 places, so it is 117% full.

Is Sacred Heart Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 170 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Primary School?

The average class had 23.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Sacred Heart Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Ayresome Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 4NP
Telephone
01642 816083
Website
sacredheartcp.npcat.org.uk
Headteacher
Headteacher Vicky White
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Middlesbrough
Multi-academy trust
Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (38 schools)
Local authority
Middlesbrough
Ward
Park
Constituency
Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2015 (academy converter)
URN
142365 · LAESTAB 8063385 · UKPRN 10054177
Formerly
Sacred Heart RC Primary School

Where these figures come from