Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Brays Lane, Stoke, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Coventry, West Midlands CV2 4DW

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The principal of this school is Rachel Ellis. This school is part of The Romero Catholic Multi-Academy company, which means other people in the company also have responsibility for running the school. The company is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Helen Quinn, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Brendan Fawcett. There is also an executive principal, Paul Madia, who has responsibility for this school and the Romero school improvement team. 7 and 8 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sacred Heart is a school where being kind is the most important thing to be. This school is at the heart of its community. Pupils enjoy coming to school and speak excitedly about their experiences. Parents and carers are complimentary about the support their children receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a place where everybody is included. Pupils recognise that being different is what makes someone special. Staff treat pupils as unique individuals. They understand how to motivate pupils because they take the time to get to know their needs. This makes pupils feel happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well. Many do so in a range of subjects, because adaptations to the curriculum are now better supporting pupils to know and remember more. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and visits that support their understanding of the topics that they study.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn the importance of positive mental health and know how to access support should they feel they need to. Pupils benefit from the ‘Romero Child Offer’, with many learning how to speak confidently in public. Other pupils demonstrate their civic responsibility by organising and running events to raise money for charities and those in need.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Sacred Heart is a school where everybody matters. Leaders are dedicated to doing their best for the pupils and families they serve. They have developed a team that is equally committed to doing so. Those responsible for governance support the school in making improvements. They provide the necessary resources to help the school to overcome challenges. School improvement priorities are carefully considered and well matched to the development needs of the school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff receive effective support to enable them to deliver the curriculum designed by experts from the company. Many staff feel that opportunities to work alongside other teachers from the trust support their development. There have been recent changes to learning sequences in some subjects. These are better supporting pupils to develop subject-specific skills. However, checks on learning in these subjects do not always identify pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in knowledge quickly enough. As a result, some pupils do not recall knowledge as fluently as they should. Additionally, errors in spelling, punctuation and handwriting sometimes go unchecked, leading to repeated mistakes over time.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has ensured that its curriculum is designed to meet the needs of its changing context. Some pupils are unable to speak English on arrival. They are supported to settle, and their language needs are assessed quickly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are also identified early. When necessary, the school employs 7 and 8 May 2025

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the support of external services, who offer good help to pupils who have complex SEND needs.

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Children in the early years make an exceptional start to school. Some children have not experienced education before. Others arrive not able to communicate. Staff quickly get to know children. They build kind and caring relationships that help children to feel secure. Children learn about the world around them in creative ways. The outdoor learning environment is full of resources that support children’s needs. Children are supported to develop their gross and fine motor skills. They work well as a team to solve problems they are set. The early years curriculum ensures that every activity has a purpose. For example, many children learn to count confidently in activities other than mathematics.

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Pupils enjoy reading books. Many like selecting books from a range of authors and time periods. Most pupils read widely and do so at home. Those that do not, are provided with daily support to keep up with their peers. Most pupils learn to read fluently by the time they leave key stage 1. Those pupils that struggle to read get extra support to help them learn the sounds they do not know. Pupils look forward to reading with Amber, the school dog, as a reward for showing dedication to reading.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Classrooms are calm places to learn. Pupils interact with maturity and freedom during playtimes. They understand the importance of the school rules and many benefit from the rewards the school offers. Relationships between staff and pupils are ones of mutual respect.

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The wider development of pupils is exceptional. There are numerous opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils take leadership responsibilities seriously. Some get the chance to be ambassadors, while all pupils get to hold a leadership role when they reach Year 6. Pupils develop a sophisticated understanding of topics such as neurodiversity. They learn the importance of being empathetic and tolerant towards others.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that errors in some pupils’ spelling, punctuation and handwriting are consistently identified and addressed. As a result, some pupils continue to make the same mistakes over time. The school should ensure that systems are in place to identify and address these errors effectively, so that pupils are supported to develop greater accuracy and expertise in their writing across the curriculum.  In a few subjects, the school does not consistently identify pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in knowledge quickly enough. This means that some pupils do not have secure 7 and 8 May 2025

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foundations on which to build new learning. The school should ensure that checks on pupils’ learning in these subjects support staff to check how well pupils have learned the knowledge in these curriculums.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority Board of directors

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Romero Catholic Multi-Academy Company.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  A private before- and after-school club operates from the school premises.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 7 and 8 May 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive principal, principal, early years leader, the SEND coordinator and other subject leaders.  Senior teachers from the multi-academy trust supported leaders in some inspection activities.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the multi-academy trust, including the chair of directors, directors, members of the local governing board and the CEO.  The lead inspector spoke with a senior adviser from the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to groups of pupils about

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered evidence from other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times. Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses received on Parent View, including free-text responses. They met with parents in person at the school gates.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tony Bradshaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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