Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Ware
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Ware, part of St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 14 schools in Ware with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in detail
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I warmly welcome you and your child to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (80% in reading, 80% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 75 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School are Christ Church CofE (VA) Primary School and Nursery (0.4 miles, Good, 87% reading, 69% maths); St Catherine's Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 67% maths); Kingshill Infant School (0.7 miles, Good); and Larkspur Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 91% reading, 82% maths).
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Christ Church CofE (VA) Primary School and NurserySt Catherine's Church of England Primary SchoolKingshill Infant SchoolLarkspur Academy
The trust
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is one of 9 schools run by St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 9 schools in St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust
What parents say
65 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 92% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (88%).
Who goes there
8.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 20 pupils (9.9%) received SEN support and 7 (3.5%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ware Rail Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hertford Regional College, 250 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School are Presdales School (0.5 miles), The Chauncy School (0.6 miles) and Simon Balle All-Through School (1.8 miles).
Presdales SchoolThe Chauncy SchoolSimon Balle All-Through School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2021. Before that, as Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (URN 117493), it was rated Good in April 2014.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a happy school, where everyone receives a warm welcome. Pupils take pride in learning about the school's virtues, two of which are respect and courtesy. They demonstrate these consistently in everything that they do, and they celebrate them in weekly assemblies.
Pupils know the high expectations that staff have of their work and their behaviour. Pupils strive to meet these high standards. Pupils' positive attitudes to their learning are palpable. Pupils know that if there are any issues between friends then the staff will help to resolve them. This contributes to developing pupils' resilience, which staff promote throughout the school. Pupils take pride in their work. This helps them to achieve well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum design puts the school's ethos at the centre. In most subjects, the curriculum clearly identifies the knowledge that pupils should gain. It is well sequenced, ensuring that pupils build on previous knowledge. However, in a few subjects, the precise knowledge that pupils should learn is not as clear. Teachers are less effective at helping pupils know and remember this key knowledge in these subjects.
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met across the curriculum. Subject leaders prioritise supporting teachers to adapt how they teach the curriculum appropriately for all needs. There is a clear identification process in place so that staff can ensure support is provided for pupils who need it. Staff are well trained to meet pupils' needs. Therefore, pupils with SEND learn the curriculum well.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
8.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
65 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
5
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Sacred Heart Matters 15 May 2026
15 May 2026
Bulletin -17 April
Bulletin - 24 April
Bulletin - 1 May
Bulletin - 8 May
MAY HALF TERM NEWSLETTER (2)
From Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
- Ohana ChildcareAt the school · Not yet graded
- Camp 4 Champs580m away · Not yet graded
- Barracudas Hertford Presdales750m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Hertfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
193 pupils
210 places
17 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ware
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ware
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
13.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
202
Total Pupils
88
Boys
114
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,500
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,313
Per pupil
£1131k
Total funding
£26k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
6.4%
Persistent absence
171
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2021. Before that, as Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (URN 117493), it was rated Good in April 2014.
What is the catchment area for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School average 28 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has around 202 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 6.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Ohana Childcare (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is at Broadmeads, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)