Riverside Community Primary School

Overview

Riverside Community Primary School continues to be a good school, described by pupils as an inclusive ‘one big happy family’ where they feel safe and valued. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils, fostering strong community links and positive staff morale. The report confirms that the school remains effective in its provision, with particular praise for early years provision and reading instruction.

Strengths

• The school is ‘warm and welcoming’, with pupils behaving well and bullying being ‘now rare’.
• Early years children ‘get off to the strongest possible start’, forming strong relationships and making strong progress.
• Teaching presents information clearly, checking understanding accurately before moving on, with ‘meticulous curriculum thinking’ supporting pupils with special educational needs.
• Reading is a ‘top priority’, with well-trained staff helping pupils become ‘confident and fluent readers’ through phonics.
• Staff morale is high, with staff feeling ‘well supported by leaders who are mindful of their workload’.

Areas to improve

• Some curriculum changes do not benefit learning as intended because teaching approaches ‘do not deepen pupils’ knowledge of important concepts’.
• Some pupils’ attendance remains ‘stubbornly low’, leading to gaps in their knowledge of the curriculum.
• Governors do not have a ‘sharp enough understanding’ of how effectively leaders support disadvantaged pupils or hold leaders to account for additional funding.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with robust procedures in place and staff who are ‘astute to the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm’.