Rushbrook Primary Academy

Rushbrook Primary Academy has shown significant improvements since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of Requires Improvement to Good overall. The school fosters a warm and caring environment where pupils are happy, confident, and well-behaved. The leadership, supported by the Bright Futures Educational Trust, effectively drives learning across the curriculum, ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. The school promotes a strong understanding of British values, encouraging respect and inclusion among pupils. However, some inconsistencies in teachers' implementation of strategies to help students recall learning have been noted, which could hinder long-term retention of knowledge for some pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils have a positive attitude towards learning.
• The school provides effective support for pupils with SEND.
• High-quality early years provision ensures children settle well.
• Strong leader engagement from the trust and local governing body.
• Positive behaviour and respect among pupils.
• Effective staff training and professional development opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of strategies for helping pupils recall learning in some subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Rushbrook Primary Academy attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Rushbrook Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Rushbrook Primary Academy had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.7% of pupils at Rushbrook Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 38 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Rushbrook Primary Academy received £8,906 and spent £8,374 for each of its 518 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £415,000 (£801 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Bright Futures Educational Trust, income was £10,531 and spending £10,103 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Manchester local authority: places and applications

Rushbrook Primary Academy is part of Bright Futures Educational Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Cedar Mount Academy Gorton
• Melland High School Gorton
• Stanley Grove Primary Academy Longsight
• Lime Tree Primary Academy Sale
• Barton Clough Primary School Manchester
• The Orchards Stretford
• Elmridge Primary School Altrincham
• Altrincham Grammar School for Girls Altrincham
• Acre Hall Primary School Manchester
• Marton Primary Academy and Nursery Blackpool

What is Rushbrook Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushbrook Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Rushbrook Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushbrook Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Rushbrook Primary Academy have?

Rushbrook Primary Academy has 513 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushbrook Primary Academy cover?

Rushbrook Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Rushbrook Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rushbrook Primary Academy?

Rushbrook Primary Academy is at Shillingford Road, Gorton, Manchester, Lancashire, M18 7TN.