Riverside Primary School and Nursery has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted.
Emma Shearer, Headteacher, said ‘I am incredibly proud of the whole school community. The report reflects our school perfectly and we were really pleased with some specific comments.
‘There is an absolute passion for providing the very best education.
‘Everyone feels welcome and everyone belongs.
‘Endless positivity is seen through the school.
‘Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary; they are kind and considerate.
‘There is a tireless ambition for pupils to achieve well.
‘Children in the Early Years get off to a flying start.’
Comments from Ofsted Report:
This (Riverside Primary School) is a large, vibrant and happy primary school in the heart of the city.
There is a wonderfully inclusive culture in which everyone feels welcome and everyone belongs.
The school’s aim ‘for every child to become a happy, responsible and effective citizen’ is realised through a relentless drive by staff to do the very best for each and every pupil.
There is also a tireless ambition for pupils to achieve well. As a result of the excellent relationships and caring environment, pupils work very hard to match the high expectations that staff set.
Their work across the curriculum is of high quality, and they take great care to do their best.
Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary; they are kind and considerate. This is recognised by staff, parents and the pupils themselves.
There is a safe culture here in which pupils feel secure and confident. Incidences of poor behaviour are rare, and there is no tolerance of bullying. If either happens, pupils have total faith in adults to sort it out quickly.
The behaviour policy is well understood by all. It is successful because it actively teaches pupils about their behaviour through simple rules and supportive, restorative conversations.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has given much thought to the curriculum. In all subjects, the curriculum identifies what pupils will learn in nursery and up to Year 6.
The curriculum makes deliberate links between subjects. These links are helping pupils deepen their understanding by making content meaningful.
For instance, pupils in Year 5 learn their science and geography through answering the question, ‘What makes the world angry?’
Teachers and support staff make lessons thoroughly engaging and enjoyable for pupils.
They provide information clearly and use subject-specific vocabulary precisely. This means that pupils gain a secure understanding of concepts such as the water-cycle in science or how to describe the pitch, pulse and rhythm in music.
They become skilled mathematicians, and are able to recall and apply number facts competently. Pupils develop a secure knowledge of the curriculum that prepares them well for secondary school.
There is an absolute passion for providing the very best education for disadvantaged pupils. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive support that helps them access the full curriculum, and they achieve well.
There is a relentlessness to how this support is reviewed and adapted, which ensures it is highly effective.
If any pupil has a barrier to learning, a skilled SEND leadership and the pastoral team work tirelessly to remove it.
The inclusive culture of this school shines through and is exemplary.
