The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Ilkley
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Ilkley, part of The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 8 schools in Ilkley with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. It was 60% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bradford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Bradford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (89% in reading, 83% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 47 named it as one of their preferences, for 13 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School are Ashlands Primary School (0.2 miles, 83% reading, 74% maths); Ben Rhydding Primary School (0.4 miles); Ben Rhydding Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 79% maths); and All Saints' CofE Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 93% reading, 89% maths).
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Ashlands Primary SchoolBen Rhydding Primary SchoolBen Rhydding Primary SchoolAll Saints' CofE Primary School
The trust
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is one of 16 schools run by The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
8.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 8 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 9 (7.6%) 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
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ilkley Rail Station, about 640 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sacred Heart School (at), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 62 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bradford (404).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Bradford published that the last place for 2026 entry went to a family 0.381 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
8.5%
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 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 83% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
34.0
Avg class size
34.0
KS2
1
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
- Kip McGrath Ilkley910m away · Not yet graded
- Moor Time Holiday Club960m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is in Bradford; for families living there:
- Bradford's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy for children of compulsory school age
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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 Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 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 The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School.
- Last distance offered for 2026 entry, from Bradford's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bradford 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
60%
Available places
125 pupils
210 places
85 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ilkley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ilkley
Across Bradford council
Places available
7,475
Applications
6,301
Got 1st preference
92.3%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Bradford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
118
Total Pupils
48
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
14.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,612
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,321
Per pupil
£704k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
6.3%
Persistent absence
112
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
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2007 it was rated Outstanding.
How close to The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School do you need to live?
Bradford published for September 2026 entry that the last place offered at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School on distance went to a family 0.381 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 60% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Classes at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School average 34 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has around 118 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
3.6% of sessions were missed at The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 6.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Bradford's coordinated admissions process, naming The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School 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 The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School: Kip McGrath Ilkley (910m away, registered, not yet graded) and Moor Time Holiday Club (960m 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 The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Bradford is 30 (the median across 233 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
The Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is at Valley Drive, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8NL.
Sources: Bradford admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)