Rush Green Primary School

Inspection of Rush Green Primary School Dagenham Road, Rush Green, Romford, Essex RM7 0RL

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rush Green is an extraordinary place. It offers a highly inclusive environment and places no limits on what pupils can achieve. The school’s motto of ‘Strive to succeed’ is fully realised in all its work. The school expertly breaks down barriers to enable all pupils to learn very well, regardless of their background.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils remember new knowledge in detail thanks to the school’s innovative curriculum and expert teaching staff. High aspirations begin from early years, where children receive remarkable learning experiences, including learning to read musical notation in the Reception Year. Across the school, pupils achieve exceptionally well, including in national assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. They work hard, attend very well and show a genuine desire to succeed. Pupils are confident and articulate. They develop the knowledge and skills to become well-rounded individuals. Pupils are ready to make a difference in the community. They are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s work on pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The ‘Rush Green Promise’ includes the deliberate planning of memorable visits and experiences, allowing pupils to connect thoroughly with their learning. Pupils relish taking on leadership opportunities, including roles on the pupil senior leadership team, the school council and as pupil ambassadors.

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

The school implements a highly ambitious curriculum. The curriculum is meticulously designed to prepare pupils for their next steps. From the beginning, nursery-aged children embark on an exciting journey of learning. They engage in rhymes, singing and other activities that build their knowledge of basic skills in all key areas. The curriculum across the school is exceptionally well sequenced, with key information for each year group clearly identified. As a result, pupils build their knowledge gradually and securely. For example, older pupils show a detailed understanding of their learning in science, including on space and electrical circuits. This is because of the secure foundation and subject- specific vocabulary they have secured earlier in the school.

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

The school places a strong emphasis on English from the start. Reading is prioritised from the start of early years. In phonics sessions, staff skilfully teach pupils to separate and blend the sounds that make up words. Pupils become fluent and confident readers. They seamlessly transfer these skills into their writing. Pupils who fall behind receive targeted support to ensure that they catch up in their reading skills. The school prioritises reading across the school, for example engagement with visiting authors and older pupils supporting younger pupils to read.

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

The school focuses sharply on ensuring that staff have the teaching expertise to enable pupils to flourish. Teaching staff are expertly skilled in using their very strong subject 8 and 9 July 2025

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knowledge, imparting information and using well-chosen activities and approaches that enable pupils to know, understand and do more. Staff check on pupils’ learning and address any misconceptions rapidly.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from highly effective provision. The school’s processes for identification of needs are accurate and robust. Staff know pupils’ needs very well. They make adaptations to teaching resources and approaches to enable pupils to progress through the curriculum. This includes pupils in the school’s specially resourced provision. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils are supported well to develop and demonstrate greater confidence when applying physical skills. These pupils are also supported very well to improve their social and communication skills.

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Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. The school fosters a highly positive culture for learning, maintaining a calm and orderly environment. Rules and routines are very well established and consistently followed by all. Bullying is very rare and dealt with immediately. Strong pastoral systems support pupils who find it more difficult to manage their own behaviour. During social times, pupils show high regard and mutual respect for each other.

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The school adopts a comprehensive approach to promoting pupils’ personal development. The personal, social, health and economic education programme is designed so that pupils build deep knowledge, including about healthy living, keeping safe online and being mentally alert. Pupils are resilient. They have a strong understanding of democracy and the law. They are respectful when talking about and reflecting on people’s differences, and they demonstrate highly mature attitudes towards sensitive topics. They have very strong awareness of how to keep themselves safe in and near the water. Pupils enjoy attending the extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities. For example, pupils in the school choir sing songs with zest and great character. They have several opportunities for visits to museums and places of religious worship.

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Leaders at all levels demonstrate the highest ambitions in their pursuit of excellence. They meticulously strengthen all aspects of the school’s work. The governors provide strong support and challenge, making sure all pupils receive equal entitlement to opportunities. Staff are extremely positive about the school’s climate for learning. They highly appreciate the approaches to managing their workload, such as carefully planned points of assessment throughout the academic year.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 July 2025

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision.  The school has created three specialist resourced provisions for p upils with SEND. These cater for pupils with specific high needs, including needs related to speech and language and autism.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the senior leadership team, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. The lead inspector held meetings with the governing body and two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in art, computing, early reading, geography, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum, 8 and 9 July 2025

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses of pupils and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils during lessons and social times.

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Inspection team

Ray Lau, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Worrall Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 2025

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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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