Rushcroft Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Rushcroft Primary School Trent Road, Shaw, Oldham, Greater Manchester OL2 7YL

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Outcome

Rushcroft Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Rushcroft Primary School. They arrive happy and ready to get their day of learning underway. Pupils chat with each other as they make their way into their classrooms, where staff greet them with a warm smile. Positive relationships exist between staff, pupils and children. Pupils are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils are polite to each other and adults within the school. They show respect to school property that they use at playtimes. Pupils behave well in lessons. Pupils are confident that staff in school would sort out any falling-out. Leaders deal well with any bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities which extend beyond the school day. They value the opportunities that staff offer. Pupils enthusiastically spoke about the variety of clubs that they can attend, including clubs for homework, multi-sport and netball. They spoke about how they enjoyed their recent trip to France, which brought alive what they have recently learned. Pupils say the many opportunities they have make Rushcroft Primary a special place to be.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). From the early years, leaders have defined the important knowledge that they wish pupils and children to learn. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is well ordered. Teachers choose appropriate activities which support the delivery of the curriculum. They check to make sure that pupils have remembered their current learning. Across several subjects, pupils achieve well.

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

In a small number of subjects not enough is done to identify the few pupils who are not remembering their previous learning. This affects how well these pupils build up their knowledge over time. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Reading is an important part of the curriculum. Leaders make sure that books are part of the topics that pupils and children will study. They have invested in books to make the school library something which pupils and children like to visit. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they come into Reception class. They develop their language and vocabulary by listening to stories which are part of the school’s phonics programme. Staff are well trained. They understand the different sounds that they teach. Teachers use different ways to spot pupils who may not be keeping up with their peers. They provide swift intervention to make sure that pupils catch up. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. As a result, many pupils learn to read confidently and fluently.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. They concentrate on their learning. Lessons are not disrupted by any off-task behaviour. Pupils work well together on the tasks that teachers set them. Children in early years rapidly settle into school routines. Pupils and children respond well to the systems that are put in place to promote positive behaviour. Pupils and children understand the expectations of behaviour. There is a calm atmosphere across school for pupils to learn in.

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Leaders have designed an extensive personal development curriculum. Pupils have many opportunities to take on leadership roles in school. They have their learning brought to life through carefully planned trips such as to Jodrell Bank. They learn about different religions and families. They develop a rich understanding of the British values which they celebrate every Friday in assembly. Leaders provide many opportunities to develop pupils’ character. Pupils learn a musical instrument and can join the school band if they wish to. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern day Britain.

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Leaders are equally ambitious for pupils with SEND. They make sure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Leaders work with different outside agencies to ensure that their needs are met. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. Teachers make careful adaptations to support this. As a result, pupils with SEND learn a great deal.

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Governors understand what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve further. Governors hold leaders to account closely for the performance of pupils. Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders about their workload and well-being. There is a strong teamwork ethic in school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong safeguarding culture. Staff know their pupils, families and local community well. Staff receive up-to-date training to make sure that they can spot any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. They report any concerns promptly. Leaders ensure that pupils and families receive the support they need. Leaders work with a wide range of outside agencies to support their work in school. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Pupils learn throughout their curriculum to keep themselves safe, including online. They understand what they need to do if they see something online which worries or upsets them. Older pupils understand what consent is.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects assessment is not used carefully enough to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge that they have been taught in the past. Therefore, teachers cannot always be sure that new learning is built on firm foundations. Leaders should ensure that assessment systems in these final few subjects are used effectively to check what pupils know and remember over time.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2012.

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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’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226141 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with two other local schools. The school is led by an executive headteacher.  There have been several changes to staff since the previous inspection. The executive headteacher and head of school are new to the school.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not make any use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher and other senior leaders. He met with a range of leaders who are responsible for the school’s pastoral system and the school’s personal development programmes. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 The inspector met with a group of governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons, talked to pupils and looked at pupils’ work. They also reviewed other subjects in the curriculum.  The inspector observed some pupils in Years 1 to 3 reading to familiar adults.  The inspector reviewed leaders’ policies and procedures to keep pupils safe. They discussed safeguarding arrangements with leaders and staff.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.  The inspector met with parents at the start of the school day. The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 December 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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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