Sacred Heart Catholic School, Birmingham

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Sacred Heart Catholic School on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders place a strong and sustained focus on attendance."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders provide clear, purposeful direction for the school, underpinned by a strong moral commitment to serving the community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school places pupils' personal development at the centre of its work."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils generally achieve well as they move through the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children settle quickly into the early years because staff create a calm and welcoming environment."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders place a robust emphasis on understanding each pupil as an individual."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently adjust learning tasks, so pupils build knowledge securely, develop deep understanding across subjects and achieve highly over time"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to apply their writing knowledge to produce consistently high-quality work across the curriculum".

In its own words: "We are a caring community which aims to promote respect and understanding of all individuals through a sharing of Catholic Faith and the love of Christ. All children will feel a sense of worth, knowing that they are valued and loved by God in their uniqueness."

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 76% in Birmingham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 63% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Sacred Heart Catholic School as their first choice and 42 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic School are Birchfield Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 85% maths); Canterbury Cross Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 72% reading, 74% maths); Westminster Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); and Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy (Handsworth) (0.4 miles, Good, 57% reading, 60% maths).

Sacred Heart Catholic School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Sacred Heart Catholic School is one of 14 schools run by St. John Paul Ii Multi Academy Company, an academy trust.

54.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 62.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (63%) and Asian (19%).

In 2026, 37 pupils (21.4%) received SEN support and 2 (1.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Perry Barr Rail Station, about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heathfield Road (before), 150 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sacred Heart Catholic School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 780 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Sacred Heart Catholic School issued 25 suspensions, 13.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The secondary schools closest to Sacred Heart Catholic School are Broadway Academy (0.3 miles); Holte School (0.6 miles); Eden Boys' School, Birmingham (0.7 miles); and King Edward VI Aston School (0.8 miles).