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Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames, Henley-on-Thames

Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 4–11

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Henley-on-Thames. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2016. That was 10 years ago, so the rating may not reflect the school today. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 8 schools in Henley-on-Thames with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 55% full in 2025.

SATs results
In line with England
Ofsted
Good (2016)
Demand
Every first choice offered
Attendance
Below England average
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Oxfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Data last updated 27 Oct 2026

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames in detail

Results

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Oxfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 91% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

Getting a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames

For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames as their first choice and 30 named it as one of their preferences, for 9 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, Henley-on-Thames

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state primary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames are Trinity Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 82% reading, 82% maths); Valley Road School (0.5 miles, Good, 100% reading, 97% maths); Badgemore Primary School (0.6 miles, 83% reading, 92% maths); and Shiplake Church of England School (2.2 miles, Good, 93% reading, 93% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames.

Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolValley Road SchoolBadgemore Primary SchoolShiplake Church of England School

What parents say

29 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).

Who goes there

36.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (54%) and Mixed (15%).

In 2026, 12 pupils (11.1%) received SEN support and 1 (0.9%) 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.

Staffing

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Henley-on-Thames Rail Station, about 580 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Close (adjacent), 140 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames 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

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Rachel Sanders
Pupils:108
LA:Oxfordshire
Phone:01491572796
Address:Greys Hill, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 1SL
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 10 months ago

Report card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)

Inclusion
Expected Standard
Curriculum & teaching
Expected Standard
Achievement
Expected Standard
Attendance & behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal development
Expected Standard
Early years
Expected Standard
Leadership & governance
Expected Standard

Safeguarding standards: met

Inspected 2 December 2025View full report
URN:123204
UKPRN:10080298
Diocese:Archdiocese of Birmingham
Constituency:Henley and Thame
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's December 2025 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School creates a warm, happy environment where pupils feel valued and safe. Staff build strong relationships with children that help them belong and thrive, and pupils are proud to be part of this inclusive school. The school works hard to support all learners, particularly those facing barriers, and provides a broad curriculum that prepares pupils well for their next stage of education.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well, with a calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school
  • Staff form strong, trusting relationships with pupils that help them belong and thrive
  • The broad, well-sequenced curriculum is ambitious and designed to reduce barriers to learning
  • Early years provision is carefully planned with children settling quickly and developing essential skills
  • Leaders and governors work effectively to support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils from their starting points

Areas for Improvement

  • Some disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND do not consistently develop detailed knowledge in the fundamentals of early reading, writing and mathematics
  • Attendance for some pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils needs further improvement
  • Teaching does not always address gaps in knowledge, so some gaps persist for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
  • Staff expertise in closing gaps in English and mathematics needs to be strengthened further

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports tournaments, performing arts events, visits to local regatta, litter picking projects, school council roles and responsibilities

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a happy and inclusive school where pupils achieve well overall and are well-prepared for their next stage of education. Leaders prioritise the needs of all pupils, particularly those facing barriers to learning, and create a nurturing culture where pupils feel safe and valued.

At a Glance

19.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

29 responses
Would recommend100%
Child is happy100%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved97%
Bullying dealt with (of parents with a view)75%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns (of parents who raised one)96%

Source: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2024/25

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-8ppMaths-15ppWriting-15pp

Reading has declined from 91% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 82% to 67% (2024 to 2025).

Class Sizes

14.2

Avg class size

16.0

Infant (KS1)

13.0

KS2

5

Total classes

2025/26 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools

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Keep up with Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames

Before and after school care

Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames.

  • Elite Camps HenleyAt the school · Not yet graded
  • Junior Adventures Group @ Trinity RG9260m away · Not yet graded

Term dates

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Oxfordshire's term dates for its community schools.

Getting There

Train Stations

Henley-on-Thames Rail Station (Entrance)
578m · 9 min walk

Bus Stops

The Close (adj)
135m · 2 min walk
Deanfield Road HaR (SW-bound)
291m · 5 min walk
Albert Road HaR (NE-bound)
367m · 6 min walk
Green Lane HaR (SE-bound)
441m · 7 min walk
Christ Church (adj)
444m · 7 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is in Oxfordshire; for families living there:

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
6
Fatal
0
Serious
2
Children hurt
0

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.

No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.

1 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 Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 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.

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Commute and house prices

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Your chances of a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames

Will you get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames.
  • We hold no last distance offered figures from Oxfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames for 2014 to 2026 entry.
  • How many families in Oxfordshire 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

55%

Available places

116 pupils

210 places

94 spare places in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - Henley-on-Thames

Low pressure
New homes approved:754
Projected new pupils:189

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Henley-on-Thames

Across Oxfordshire council

Low demand council-wide0.80 applications per place

Places available

8,615

Applications

6,903

Got 1st preference

94.0%

Got preferred school

99.3%

All primary applications across Oxfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.

This school: Every first choice offered

Inspection History(9)

2 December 2025Report card
Inclusion
Curriculum & teaching
Achievement
Attendance & behaviour
Personal development
Early years
Leadership & governance
9 November 2021

Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.

5 October 2016
Leadership & ManagementGood

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

12

SEN Support

1

EHC Plans

12.0%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

No specialist provision recorded

Pupils by Need Type

Autistic Spectrum Disorder8
Specific Learning Difficulty2
Social, Emotional & Mental Health1
Visual Impairment1
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
53.7%
Asian
0.9%
Black
0.9%
Mixed
14.8%
Chinese
1.9%
Other
1.9%
Unclassified
1.9%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals19.4%
English as Additional Language36.1%

108

Total Pupils

52

Boys

56

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

8

Teachers

13.5:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£52,652

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£6,177

Per pupil

£813k

Total funding

£38k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£42,907
EAL funding£11,836
Lump sum£148,458

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.9%

Overall absence

11.5%

Persistent absence

104

Enrolments

Authorised4.9%
Unauthorised2.0%
Persistent (10%+)11.5%
Severe (50%+)1.9%

Absence trend

4.9%
18/19
2.9%
20/21
6.6%
21/22
7.2%
22/23
6.3%
23/24
6.9%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Questions parents ask about Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames

What are SATs results like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

Of the pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.

What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames's Ofsted rating?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2016, it was rated Good.

What is the catchment area for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

No fixed boundary. When Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is oversubscribed, Oxfordshire 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, Henley-on-Thames?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames was not full in 2025: it ran at 55% of its 210 places.

How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

Classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames average 14.2 pupils (2025/26).

How many pupils go to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames has around 108 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.

What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

6.9% of sessions were missed at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames in 2024/25. 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

Apply through Oxfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames 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, Henley-on-Thames have a breakfast club or after-school club?

Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Elite Camps Henley (registered, not yet graded). There is another 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, Henley-on-Thames?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Oxfordshire is 5 (the median across 369 schools, same distance and years).

Where is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is at Greys Hill, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1SL.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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