Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School is a small Catholic voluntary aided primary in Henley-on-Thames. Inspectors found it meeting the expected standard across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils are happy, proud and behave well, and strong relationships between staff and pupils underpin an inclusive, nurturing culture. The school's curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced for mixed-age classes. Early reading and phonics are introduced promptly in Reception, pupils with SEND are identified and supported well, and pastoral care and personal development are strengths. Leaders know their priorities, govern effectively and are seen by staff as prioritising wellbeing and workload. The main areas for improvement are attendance for some pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and making sure teaching consistently closes gaps in foundational reading, writing and mathematics for some SEND, disadvantaged and social-care-experienced pupils. Early years practice could also provide more opportunities through the day for children to practise essential skills. Published disadvantaged attainment figures are low, although cohorts are small and some data is suppressed. The roll has fallen significantly since the previous inspection.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, proud of their school and behave well.
• Strong, trusting relationships between staff and pupils create a nurturing culture.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced for mixed-age classes.
• Early reading and phonics are taught promptly and effectively in Reception.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and generally supported well.
• Pastoral support and the personal development programme are effective.
• Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and workload.
• Governors know the school well and challenge leaders effectively.
• Pupils benefit from inclusive wider opportunities and democratic voice.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance for some pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils remains too low.
• Teaching does not consistently close foundational gaps in reading, writing and mathematics for some SEND, disadvantaged and social-care-experienced pupils.
• Early years could provide more daily opportunities to practise essential skills such as reading, writing and communication.
• Published disadvantaged pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well below national averages, though cohorts are small and some data is suppressed.

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, Henley-on-Thames attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 0.0% of pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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, Henley-on-Thames had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 11.1% of pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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, Henley-on-Thames received £8,379 and spent £8,165 for each of its 108 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £91,000 (-£838 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Henley-On-Thames · Oxfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames last inspected by Ofsted?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames have?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames has 108 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames cover?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames?

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames is at Greys Hill, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1SL.