Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy, Sowerby Bridge
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sowerby Bridge, part of Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 9 schools in Sowerby Bridge with published results, and 9,595th of 14,452 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Calderdale (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 75% in Calderdale and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 64% 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 Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 17 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 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 New Road Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 53% reading, 53% maths); Trinity Academy St Peter's (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 86% maths); Tuel Lane Infant School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement); and Triangle CofE VC Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 85% reading, 76% maths).
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
New Road Primary SchoolTrinity Academy St Peter'sTuel Lane Infant SchoolTriangle CofE VC Primary School
The trust
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 14 schools run by Blessed Peter Snow Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
39.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sowerby Bridge Rail Station, about 1020 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sacred Heart Academy (opposite), 30 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy issued 10 suspensions, 6.1 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 Ryburn Valley High School (0.4 miles) and Trinity Academy Grammar (0.8 miles).
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 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 November 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
39.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 64% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 68% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
20.3
Infant (KS1)
25.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
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 Calderdale; for families living there:
Apply to Calderdale for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 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 Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Calderdale, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Calderdale 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
76%
Available places
160 pupils
210 places
50 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sowerby Bridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sowerby Bridge
Across Calderdale council
Places available
2,848
Applications
1,863
Got 1st preference
96.6%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Calderdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
21
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
19.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
150
Total Pupils
83
Boys
67
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
21.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,703
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,881
Per pupil
£1140k
Total funding
£100k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
13.7%
Persistent absence
153
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, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% 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 November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Calderdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
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 76% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy average 25 pupils (2025/26). 2 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 Voluntary Academy?
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 150 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 13.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy 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.
How many road collisions happen near Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is at St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 1BL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)