Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
General Information
- Address: St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 1BL – View on map
- Phone: 01422831360
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mrs Alexandra Hudson-Crook
- Age range: 4-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 11 families put it first for 11 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
- Sixth form: No
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Roman Catholic
- Nursery provision: No
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 59
- % eligible for free school meals: 39.3%
- Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (less mixed than the Calderdale average)
- English as an additional language: 0% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 13.7% a year (Calderdale 16.3%, typical in England 13.9%)
- Where they went: about 29% moved to another school, 71% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
- Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)
Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.
Behaviour
Awaiting Data
Across Calderdale: suspensions by reason
- Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
- Suspensions for bullying: 1 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
- Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)
These are figures for all state primary schools in Calderdale, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.
Attendance
- Overall absence: 5.7%
- Persistently absent pupils: 13.7%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision
- Pupils on SEN Support: 14.0%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 5.3%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Speech, language and communications needs: 11 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 4 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 2 pupils
- Physical disability: 1 pupil
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Social, emotional and mental health: 4 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils
- Speech, language and communications needs: 1 pupil
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Good 2022 report
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 60% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 7% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: in line with the Calderdale average (62%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: Below (3-year average 57% against an expected 64%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 57%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 67% · Writing 77% · Maths 77% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 70%
- Average test scores: reading 103, maths 104
- Based on: 30 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25
View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.
SATs results over time
Year 6 SATs: joint 49th of 76 junior and primary schools in the area
- =45Parkinson Lane Community Primary School61%
- =45Triangle CofE VC Primary School61%
- =49Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy60%
- =49St Michael and All Angels CofE Primary & Pre School60%
- =51Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School59%
Click to see the full ranking
View full Ofsted inspection report
35th of 61 primary schools in Calderdale for Ofsted rating
- #33New Road Primary SchoolGood
- #34Ripponden Junior and Infant SchoolGood
- #35Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
- #36Salterhebble Junior and Infant SchoolGood
- #37Salterlee Primary SchoolGood
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £8,288 (2024-25)
19th of 76 primary schools in Calderdale for spending per pupil
- #17Luddenden CofE School£8,474
- #18Holywell Green Primary School£8,332
- #19Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy£8,288
- #20Trinity Academy St Peter's£8,253
- #21St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy£8,057
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)