Rushcroft Primary School

About Rushcroft Primary School

Rushcroft Primary School is a school that local families clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 34 applications for just 16 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.13. Of those applications, 12 were first-preference choices, and 12 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who put Rushcroft as their top choice secured a spot. That kind of demand is a strong signal of parent confidence, though it does mean that if you're not in the catchment or don't have a compelling reason for admission, you'll want to think carefully about your application strategy. The school is a state primary for mixed genders aged 4 to 11, with no religious character, and is led by headteacher Gillian Kay. With 169 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, there is some physical room, but the oversubscription tells you the school is operating well within its comfort zone in terms of popularity.

Academically, Rushcroft performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Oldham LA average of 58%. That places the school 6th out of 67 primary schools in the borough, comfortably inside the top 10%. Nationally, it ranks in the top 17% of all primary schools. The average maths score was 107, and reading averaged 106, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 24% of pupils achieved in maths and reading, though writing at that level was lower at 8%. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in December 2022, confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. Its previous graded inspection in 2012 had rated it Requires Improvement, so the trajectory is clearly upward.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, an ICT suite, library and even a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, dance, athletics, swimming and netball, and there's a good selection of clubs from gardening and coding to chess and drama. For children with additional needs, the school has SEND provision for moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 32.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. Rushcroft is a good fit for families who want a well-regarded local primary with strong academic outcomes, a broad enrichment offer, and a clear upward trajectory in its Ofsted history. Just be prepared for the competition for places.

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