Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

In its own words: "Prefects and Head girls meet the Head mistress and Director of sixth form regularly. Organising visits from the police service to reinforce the message of right and wrong. Highlighting the rules of the Church and God in the RE curriculum, for example the 10 commandments and the Precepts of the Church."

From the headteacher's welcome: "St Madeleine Sophie Barat, the foundress of the Sacred Heart Schools in 1800, said that she would have founded the Society of the Sacred Heart 'for the sake of one child' and in many ways, this simple statement is still relevant in our school today."

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 13 January 2027 at 5pm and an open evening on Wednesday 27 January 2027 at 5pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.8 in Newcastle upon Tyne and 47 across England.

55% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Newcastle upon Tyne and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 52.1.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.54: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42, against 58.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 322 families put Sacred Heart Catholic High School as their first choice and 575 named it as one of their preferences, for 225 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 112 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic High School are St Cuthbert's High School (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.9); Excelsior Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 34.4); Kenton School (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.4); and Studio West (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33).

Sacred Heart Catholic High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Sacred Heart Catholic High School is one of 39 schools run by Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.6 in 2024/25.

92 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sacred Heart Catholic High School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

Of the 222 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 28% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 129 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 78% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 10% into work. 37% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

39.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 26.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (47%), Asian (19%) and Black (15%).

In 2026, 211 pupils (14.8%) received SEN support and 32 (2.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Sacred Heart Catholic High School had 105 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest tram or metro stop is St James (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sacred Heart Catholic High School (w-bound), 20 metres away.

In 2024/25, Sacred Heart Catholic High School issued 188 suspensions, 13.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Sacred Heart Catholic High School are Sacred Heart Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Wingrove Primary School (0.5 miles); English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Fenham (0.5 miles); and Stocksfield Avenue Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.