Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy, Leicester
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Leicester, part of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2021. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 49th-highest of the 138 schools in Leicester with published results, and 5,545th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2021)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 75% in Leicester and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (77% in reading, 87% in maths).
Getting a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 31 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 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 Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy are Bridge Junior School (under 0.1 miles, 59% reading, 68% maths); Green Lane Infant School (0.1 miles, Good); Shenton Primary School (0.2 miles, 70% reading, 73% maths); and Charnwood Primary School (0.3 miles, 73% reading, 72% maths).
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Bridge Junior SchoolGreen Lane Infant SchoolShenton Primary SchoolCharnwood Primary School
The trust
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 23 schools run by St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi 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 23 schools in St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
76.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (67%), Black (17%) and White British (7%).
In 2026, 69 pupils (22.3%) received SEN support and 16 (5.2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leicester Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Spinney Hill Road (outside), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 1076 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Leicester (382), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.3 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 Voluntary Academy are Moat Community College (0.6 miles), Madani Boys School (0.8 miles) and Madani Girls' School (0.8 miles).
Moat Community CollegeMadani Boys SchoolMadani Girls' 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; 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 · 10 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school is remarkable for its relentless focus on removing barriers to learning and supporting every child to succeed. The inclusive culture, combined with high expectations and excellent staff role models, creates an environment where pupils feel safe, behave well, and take pride in their learning. Parents express sincere gratitude, with many confident their children are thriving both academically and emotionally.
Key Strengths
- Strong inclusive culture with tailored support for pupils with special educational needs and those facing disadvantage
- Excellent behaviour and attendance, with pupils entering school with positive attitudes to learning
- High-quality focus on language development and reading, benefiting pupils who speak English as an additional language
- Wide range of leadership opportunities that build pupil confidence and resilience
- Staff act as excellent role models with well-established classroom routines
Areas for Improvement
- Limited subject knowledge in some areas (particularly mathematics and music) affecting pupil understanding
- Persistent absence rates remain higher for some disadvantaged pupils despite improvements
- Occasional missed opportunities for high-quality interactions with younger children in early years
- Number fluency and multiplication skills develop at a slightly slower rate than other areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Friendship groups, eco-team, chaplaincy team, arts ambassadors, leadership roles in assemblies and charity events, work with local universities and employers on career exploration
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is a school deeply committed to inclusion, where leaders work tirelessly to overcome barriers for all pupils, whatever their needs or challenges. The school has established a culture of mutual respect and high expectations that enables pupils to thrive.
At a Glance
21.3%
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 remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.4
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
24.3
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Highfields Adventure Playground490m away · Not yet graded
- S&H Tuition and After School club750m away · Not yet graded
- Educate Leicester760m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Education at Taylor Road970m away · Not yet graded
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy, with their latest published grades:
- Kiddisafe Nursery Woodhill - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 4 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Wesleyhall CC - Pre-school, 0.2 milesOfsted, 5 January 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Mu'mins Day Care Ltd - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted report card, 27 April 2026: Needs attention in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
- Tumbi Tots Day Care - Day nursery, 0.4 miles
- The Den Nursery Ltd - Day nursery, 0.4 milesOfsted report card, 11 June 2026: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Leicester; for families living there:
Apply to Leicester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 47
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 14
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 33 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). 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 Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
For 2026 entry it had 23 first choices for 23 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
330 pupils
420 places
90 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Leicester council
Places available
4,828
Applications
3,626
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Central Primary planning area (Leicester) will have 617 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
69
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
27.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
310
Total Pupils
152
Boys
158
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
17.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,484
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,535
Per pupil
£2045k
Total funding
£120k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
19.4%
Persistent absence
320
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 Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, was a report card with no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2021, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy average 23.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 310 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 19.4% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Voluntary Academy: Highfields Adventure Playground (490m away, registered, not yet graded), S&H Tuition and After School club (750m away, registered, not yet graded) and Educate Leicester (760m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 14 serious and 33 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Mere Close, Off Mere Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 3HH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)