Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 1BLOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school in Sowerby Bridge for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 112 schools in Calderdale. It ranks 46th of 75 primary schools in Calderdale. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2017.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 8 November 2017, report published 1 December 2017
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 15 November 2022
Pupils feel happy and safe at this school. They are enthusiastic and keen to do well. The pupils are caring and thoughtful to others. Adults are excellent role models; they are kind and respectful to each other and pupils. Pupils behave well. Although some say there are occasional disagreements at breaktimes, pupils know that adults and play leaders are there to help resolve any minor conflicts. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils rarely need adults to tell them how to behave. They know they are responsible for their own behaviour and act accordingly. Pupils know what bullying really means and know that teachers will help should it occur. Parents who responded to the Ofsted free-text online questionnaire made comments such as, 'we are extremely happy with the school - especially the quality of teaching and pastoral care. The school provides an excellent education for the all-round development of the children in its care'.
What the school should improve
- In some foundation subjects, curriculum planning does not make strong enough links with prior knowledge so that it can help pupils understand new learning. Therefore, pupils do not always make the connections. On occasion, this prevents the building up of strong schematic knowledge. Curriculum leaders need to look carefully at their curriculum to ensure that when teaching, the sequential building blocks are reinforced, and links made to help pupils build up expert schemas.
- The academy council is relatively recently formed, and training opportunities have been limited throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This has hindered the members of the academy council in challenging and supporting the school leadership team as well as they could. Governors need to ensure they receive good quality training to help equip them in performing their roles.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
30 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
150 pupils on roll, with places for 175
Schools near Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Road Primary School | 0.2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 47% met the expected standard |
| Trinity Academy St Peter's | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 71% met the expected standard |
| Triangle CofE VC Primary School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 61% met the expected standard |
| Christ Church Sowerby Bridge CofE (VA) Primary School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | 68% met the expected standard |
| Norland CE School | 0.9 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 80% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- BLESSED PETER SNOW CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Alexandra Hudson-Crook
- Phone
- 01422831360
- Address
- St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 1BL
- Local authority
- Calderdale
- URN
- 141479
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.