Rushton CofE First School

About Rushton CofE First School

If you’re looking for a school where parents are overwhelmingly positive, Rushton CofE First School makes a strong impression. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering responses from 22 families between September 2024 and September 2025, every single parent who responded said they would recommend the school. That’s a 100% recommend rate, with zero parents saying no. The school is also oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 5 applications for just 4 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.25. All 4 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that while competition exists, local families who put it first are likely to get in. Parents’ individual responses back up the enthusiasm: 77% strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 86% strongly agreed that their child feels safe. Behaviour and communication also score highly, with 77% strongly agreeing that the school makes them aware of what their child will learn and that concerns are dealt with properly.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025 judged it as Good overall, though it wasn’t given a formal overall effectiveness grade this time. The breakdown shows real strengths: early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes were all rated Outstanding. Leadership and management, along with the quality of education, were rated Good. That’s a notable shift from the school’s previous inspection in 2014, which gave it an Outstanding overall rating. While the school hasn’t published its own Key Stage 2 results in this data, the local authority average for KS2 attainment across Staffordshire primary schools is 65, which gives a useful benchmark. With only 44 pupils on roll and a capacity of 35, the school is running slightly above its official capacity, which may reflect its popularity. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is low at 4.7%, well below the national average, and the school serves a Church of England community in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

For families considering Rushton, the practical picture is one of a small, close-knit school with a strong set of facilities for its size. There’s a Forest School, a sports hall, a gymnasium, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, and even a chapel. Sports include football, cricket, rounders, swimming, and athletics, while clubs range from gardening and eco club to coding and drama. The school has nursery provision for children from age 3, and it caters for pupils up to age 9, so you’d need to plan for a transition to a middle or junior school afterwards. SEND support is listed for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia and for social, emotional, and mental health needs, though no parents responded to the SEND question in the Parent View survey, so it’s hard to gauge satisfaction there. This is a school that suits families who value a strong community feel, high parental satisfaction, and a Church of England ethos, and who are comfortable with a very small roll where every child is known.

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