Rutherford Public School is a warm, community-focused primary where explicit literacy and numeracy sit at the heart of teaching.
NAPLAN 34 points below national year-level averages and solid student growth; the result is a B- overall.
Rutherford Public School is a warm, community-focused primary where explicit literacy and numeracy sit at the heart of teaching. The school offers structured support for students who need it, plus pathways for high-potential learners through its Opportunity Class and Inspire program. Modern, flexible learning spaces and a strong pastoral culture make it a place where students know they belong. It suits families who value clear foundational learning, a tight-knit environment, and staff who know their kids well.
Rutherford Public School is also known as RPS Rutherford.
Rutherford Public School draws students from the Rutherford PS.
Rutherford Public School has an overall SchoolRank score of 40.4/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 41/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 933, below the national average of 1,000. Notably, the school shows strong student growth over time (64/100), meaning students tend to improve well regardless of their starting point.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Rutherford Public School, Year 3 students averaged 366 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 462, below the national average of 490 for that year level. National averages are specific to each year level, because NAPLAN scores are scaled so older year levels score higher, a school-wide average can't be compared with a single national figure.
Rutherford Public School is a large government primary school with approximately 1,007 students. It offers education for years K-6. As a government school, enrolment is generally available to students living within the school's designated catchment zone. Families outside the zone may apply for out-of-area placement subject to availability.
Rutherford Public School is not a selective school as a whole, but it runs a test-entry Opportunity Class program alongside its regular intake. Entry is through the OC Placement Test. The main entry point is Year 5. Applications go through the official state process, and entry cutoff marks are not published.
Rutherford Public School is a government school, so there are no tuition fees. Families may be asked to contribute to voluntary school fees covering materials, excursions, and activities. The school has a value score of 43/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Rutherford Public School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 17.8:1. This is above the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning class sizes are typical for Australian schools. Support staff make up 16% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 89%, which is moderate.
Rutherford Public School is located in Rutherford, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 933 (19th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is below average, which means the school serves a community with greater socio-educational challenges. ICSEA measures the educational advantage of a school's community, not the school's quality, a lower ICSEA school with strong academic scores may indicate particularly effective teaching.