Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school in Islington for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 434 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026. In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted inspection: October 2026. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Voluntary aided school |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | 68 Georges Road Holloway London N7 8JN |
| Phone | 02076073407 |
| Reference Number | 100437 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 434 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 53.69%
Girls: 46.31% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 53.4% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 45.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.7 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 27 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 26.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | 17 | 46 |
| 2 | 30 | 27 | 57 |
| 3 | 25 | 22 | 47 |
| 4 | 37 | 22 | 59 |
| 5 | 31 | 24 | 55 |
| 6 | 31 | 29 | 60 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 30.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 18.7% |
| African | 16.8% |
| White, Other | 10.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.8% |
| Caribbean | 1.8% |
| Irish | 1.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.7% |
| Indian | 0.5% |
| White & Asian | 0.2% |
| Asian, Other | 0.2% |
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a caring, inclusive and well-led school where pupils achieve well by the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make steady progress from their starting points. The curriculum is well designed and sequenced, reading and phonics are taught effectively, early years provision is ambitious and engaging, and staff build warm relationships that help pupils feel safe and ready to learn. Personal development is broad, behaviour is calm and orderly, and leadership and governance are robust. The school is a larger-than-average Catholic primary in a federation, with high proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and pupils with education, health and care plans, and it serves an area with above-average deprivation.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Needs attention |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 09 Sep 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 09 Sep 2026 | School inspection |
| 18 Oct 2022 | School inspection |
| 21 Oct 2020 | Monitoring visit |
| 10 Jan 2017 | Short inspection |
| 13 Mar 2013 | Full inspection |
| 26 Nov 2010 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 12 May 2009 | Full inspection |
| 23 May 2006 | Full inspection |
| 19 Jun 2000 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils achieve well by the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils.
- Pupils with SEND make steady progress from their starting points.
- Reading and phonics are taught effectively, with timely support for pupils who need it.
- The curriculum is well designed and sequenced, and teaching is generally effective.
- Early years provision is ambitious and engaging, with strong support for children with SEND.
- Leaders, governors and staff create a caring and inclusive community.
- Personal development and pastoral support are effective, with a wide range of experiences.
- Pupils behave well, feel safe and say bullying is rare.
- Leadership and governance are robust, and staff feel well supported.
- Additional funding is well deployed to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
Areas for Improvement
- Attendance is below national levels for some pupils, including persistent and recurrent absence.
- Recent attendance improvements are not yet fully embedded, so their impact is not yet clear.
- Early writing teaching is not consistently building important knowledge, including grammar and letter and number formation.
- Early years staff-child interactions do not consistently extend children's language and communication.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 63% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 8% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 104 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 105 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -0.8 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 0.6 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 13 | 3 |
| Third Preference | 6 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 4 | 1 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School had 391 pupils for 420 places. 29 places (6.9%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Central” planning area
Islington counted 420 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 361 in 2029–30, down 14%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 315 | 315 | 315 | 315 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| Pupils | 299 | 309 | 314 | 330 | 346 | 362 | 377 | 393 | 404 | 412 | 416 | 405 | 391 | 395 | 391 |
| Unfilled | 5.1% | 1.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 17.6% | 13.8% | 10.2% | 6.4% | 3.8% | 1.9% | 1.0% | 3.6% | 6.9% | 6.0% | 6.9% |
Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.
In 2024–25 pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 2.0% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 0.0% |
Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.
In 2024–25, 1.1% of pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.
In 2025–26 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School had 19.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 12.6 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.5 | 10.6 | 10.9 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 11.2 | 10.3 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 16.4% | 17.9% | 13.4% | 15.5% | 23.6% | 4.4% | 6.1% | 17.4% | 0.0% | 12.8% | 6.3% | 14.0% | 22.1% | 21.0% | 9.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 75.0% | 69.6% | 42.3% | 52.0% | 64.3% | 76.9% | 66.7% | 81.5% | 80.0% | – | 46.4% | 73.1% | 61.5% | 56.5% | 70.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 5.5 | – | 1.4 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 3.1 | 2.2 | – |
Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.
In 2025–26, 15.9% of pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 24 | 27 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 22 | 5 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 16 | 1 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 4 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 3 | 0 |
| Vision impairment | 0 | 1 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School received £10,506 and spent £10,726 for each of its 415 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £77,000 (£187 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £191,000 | £302,000 | £360,000 | £323,000 | £295,000 | £136,000 | £168,000 | £77,000 |
| per pupil | £417 | £656 | £778 | £718 | £679 | £318 | £383 | £187 |
| In-year balance | £83,000 | £111,000 | £57,000 | -£36,000 | -£28,000 | -£159,000 | £32,000 | -£91,000 |
| per pupil | £182 | £242 | £124 | -£81 | -£65 | -£372 | £74 | -£219 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
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|
Drayton Park Primary School
ARVON ROAD, HIGHBURY, LONDON, N5 1PJ |
0.35 miles |
|
Robert Blair School and Children's Centre
Brewery Road, Islington, London, N7 9QJ |
0.52 miles |
|
Laycock Primary School
Laycock Street, Upper Street, London, N1 1SW |
0.56 miles |
|
Hungerford School
249 Hungerford Road, Islington, London, N7 9LF |
0.57 miles |
|
Pakeman Primary School
Hornsey Road, London, N7 6DU |
0.59 miles |
|
Brecknock Primary School
Cliff Villas, Camden, London, NW1 9AL |
0.65 miles |
|
Grafton Primary School
Eburne Road, Holloway, London, N7 6AR |
0.65 miles |
|
Canonbury Primary School
Canonbury Road, London, N1 2UT |
0.67 miles |
|
Thornhill Primary School
Thornhill Road, Islington, London, N1 1HX |
0.67 miles |
|
Tufnell Park Primary School
31 Carleton Road, London, N7 0HJ |
0.75 miles |
|
St John's Highbury Vale CofE Primary School
Conewood Street, London, N5 1DL |
0.77 miles |
|
William Tyndale Primary School
Upper Street, London, Middlesex, N1 2GG |
0.78 miles |
|
Torriano Primary School
Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town, London, NW5 2SJ |
0.83 miles |
|
St Joan of Arc RC Primary School
Northolme Road, Highbury Park, London, N5 2UX |
0.83 miles |
|
St Andrew's (Barnsbury) CofE Primary School
Matilda Street, Islington, London, N1 0LB |
0.84 miles |
|
Gillespie Primary School
Gillespie Road, London, N5 1LH |
0.88 miles |
|
St Mary's CofE Primary School
Fowler Road, Islington, London, N1 2EP |
0.93 miles |
|
Ambler Primary School and Children's Centre
Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 2DR |
0.99 miles |
|
Pooles Park Primary School
Lennox Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3NW |
1.01 miles |
|
Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre
Yorkway Court, London, N1 0UH |
1.02 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
St Mary Magdalene Academy
Liverpool Road, Islington, London, N7 8PG |
0.26 miles |
|
The Courtyard Islington
Holloway Road, Islington, London, N7 8LT |
0.33 miles |
|
Highbury Fields School
Highbury Hill, London, N5 1AR |
0.54 miles |
|
The Bridge School
251 Hungerford Road, London, N7 9LD |
0.59 miles |
|
City of London Academy Highbury Grove
8 Highbury Grove, Islington, London, N5 2EQ |
0.67 miles |
|
Samuel Rhodes MLD School
11 Highbury New Park, Islington, London, N5 2EG |
0.68 miles |
|
The London Screen Academy
Highbury Grove, London, N5 2AG |
0.7 miles |
|
Lift Beacon High
Hilldrop Road, Islington, London, N7 0JG |
0.74 miles |
|
North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School
6-9 Canonbury Place, Islington, London, N1 2NQ |
0.8 miles |
|
The Bridge Integrated Learning Space
1 Dowrey Street, London, N1 0HY |
0.86 miles |
|
The Camden School for Girls
Sandall Road, London, NW5 2DB |
0.96 miles |
|
St Paul's Waldorf School
1 St Paul's Road, Islington, London, N1 2QH |
1.12 miles |
|
Arts and Media School Islington
Turle Road, London, N4 3LS |
1.16 miles |
|
Richard Cloudesley School
Tudor Rose Building, 1 Prebend Street, London, N1 8RE |
1.18 miles |
|
City of London Academy Islington
Prebend Street, Islington, London, N1 8PQ |
1.19 miles |
|
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School
Donegal Street, Islington, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, London, N1 9QG |
1.2 miles |
|
Acland Burghley School
Burghley Road, London, NW5 1UJ |
1.29 miles |
|
Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form
Clissold Road, Hackney, London, N16 9EX |
1.35 miles |
|
College Francais Bilingue De Londres
87 HOLMES ROAD, KENTISH TOWN, LONDON, NW5 3AX |
1.38 miles |
|
City of London Academy, Highgate Hill
Holland Walk, Duncombe Road, Archway, London, N19 3EU |
1.4 miles |
All schools in Islington · Islington local authority: places and applications
What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.
When was Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.
How many pupils does Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School have?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has 434 pupils on roll.
What age range does Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School cover?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.
What are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School?
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is at 68 Georges Road, Holloway, London, N7 8JN.
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