Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Bushey
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bushey. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 8 schools in Bushey with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 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 and Nursery in detail
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery in its own words
In its own words: "Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery is a thriving school in the Diocese of Westminster. Our school is situated in the village of Bushey and proudly serves the Parish of The Sacred Heart of Jesus and St John the Evangelist."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 91% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 92% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 117 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery are Bushey Manor Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 78% reading, 83% maths); Bushey and Oxhey Infant School (0.4 miles, Good); Bournehall Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 83% maths); and Ashfield Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 84% reading, 88% maths).
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Bushey Manor Junior SchoolBushey and Oxhey Infant SchoolBournehall Primary SchoolAshfield Junior School
Who goes there
5.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 37 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 6 (1.7%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bushey Rail Station, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Grange Academy (opposite), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery stands in is among the 20% 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 and Nursery issued 5 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery are The Grange Academy (0.2 miles), Queens' School (1 mile) and Bushey Meads School (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
5.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 92% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 87% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
27.4
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
12
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery.
- TOPKIDZ @ BUSHEY MANOR460m away · Not yet graded
- Topkidz @ Bushey & Oxhey710m away · Not yet graded
- All Aboard Kids Club Bournehall860m away · Not yet graded
- Barracudas Bushey920m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery is a voluntary aided school, 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 and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
5 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 and Nursery
Will you get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery.
- 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 and Nursery for 2014 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
101%
Over capacity
317 pupils
315 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bushey
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bushey
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
12.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
346
Total Pupils
174
Boys
172
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,937
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,991
Per pupil
£1712k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
6.2%
Persistent absence
275
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 and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 91% did so in maths.
What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery 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 and Nursery?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery average 28.8 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have 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 and Nursery?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery has around 346 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 6.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery 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 and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 4 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery: TOPKIDZ @ BUSHEY MANOR (460m away, registered, not yet graded), Topkidz @ Bushey & Oxhey (710m away, registered, not yet graded) and All Aboard Kids Club Bournehall (860m away, registered, not yet graded). 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 and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 5 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 and Nursery?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery is at Merry Hill Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, WD23 1SU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)