Rushton CofE First School

Rushton CofE First School is a small, nurturing first school that pupils and parents speak about very positively. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it now sits within The Talentum Learning Trust. Under the current inspection framework the school does not receive an overall effectiveness grade, but inspectors found behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years provision to be outstanding, with the quality of education and leadership and management judged good. Pupils with SEND particularly thrive, and parents are unanimously supportive. The school’s strengths are wide-ranging. The curriculum is well designed and sequenced, especially in early years, and staff deliver it well in mixed-age classes. Reading is central to learning and the phonics and early reading curriculum is effective. Staff are adept at meeting the needs of pupils with SEND, attendance is extremely positive, and pupils benefit from strong personal development, community involvement and a well-planned programme of trips and visitors. Safeguarding is effective, and trust and governance provide robust support and challenge. The main area for improvement is that, in a small number of subjects, the school has not yet evaluated the impact of revised curriculums on what pupils know and remember. As a result, it cannot be sure that pupils are learning as intended in those subjects or identify any gaps that may exist over time. Overall, however, this is a strong school with exceptional behaviour, personal development and early years provision.

Strengths

• Pupils behave exceptionally well and consistently live by the school’s REACH values.
• Personal development is a major strength, with pupils given leadership roles and strong preparation for middle school.
• Early years provision gives children an excellent start and prepares them very well for Year 1.
• Reading is central to learning, supported by an effective phonics and early reading curriculum.
• Staff meet the needs of pupils with SEND adeptly, and many pupils with SEND catch up quickly.
• Attendance is extremely positive, including for the very small number of pupils who need support to attend regularly.
• The curriculum is well designed and sequenced, with particularly strong thinking in early years.
• The school is at the heart of its community and widens pupils’ horizons through trips, visitors and local activities.
• Trust and governance provide robust support and challenge, and staff feel valued.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not evaluated how revised curriculums are affecting what pupils know and remember.
• Consequently, the school cannot yet be sure pupils are learning as intended in those subjects or identify possible gaps over time.

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 Rushton CofE First School attended 96.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.1% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Rushton CofE First School 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 Rushton CofE First School had 12.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Rushton CofE First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Rushton CofE First School received £10,816 and spent £10,242 for each of its 44 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £64,000 (£1,465 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of The Talentum Learning Trust, income was £7,413 and spending £7,300 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 Macclesfield · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

Rushton CofE First School is part of The Talentum Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Westwood College Leek
• Westwood First School Leek
• Churnet View Middle School Leek
• Blackshaw Moor CofE First School Leek
• Beresford Memorial CofE First School Leek
• Leek First School Select
• Leek High School Leek
• All Saints CofE First School Leek

What is Rushton CofE First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushton CofE First School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Rushton CofE First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushton CofE First School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Rushton CofE First School have?

Rushton CofE First School has 47 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushton CofE First School cover?

Rushton CofE First School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Rushton CofE First School?

Rushton CofE First School is at Sugar Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 0SG.