Riverside Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Riverside Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Riverside is a caring and friendly school where parents and pupils feel happy and included. Strong relationships create a warm and supportive atmosphere. Teamwork plays a key role in the school community, making it a wonderful place for learning.

The school equips pupils with essential skills to stay safe in today's world. Engaging assemblies address important topics like online safety and local water safety. These lessons are impactful, helping pupils grasp how to navigate various situations safely.

The school promotes ...a positive behaviour culture. Pupils speak politely to adults and each other, especially during group work. The school has introduced a new approach to breaktimes.

This encourages teamwork and fun activities. All pupils behave exceptionally well during these times. They collaborate well with their friends, including pupils from the resourced provision, which is integrated into school life.

The focus of the school and this positive environment have helped improve attendance. Pupils grow in confidence at this school.

The school focuses on helping pupils succeed in all subjects.

Pupils do well in mathematics. The school prioritises the work needed to ensure pupils achieve the same level of success in other subjects. The school promotes a love of learning for all pupils.

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

The school has created a reading environment that encourages a love for reading. The library is a quiet and inviting space filled with a diverse selection of texts. These cater to various interests.

Pupils are encouraged to explore different genres. Daily reading sessions help build reading fluency. Pupils in the resourced provision benefit from effective phonics interventions.

Some struggling readers do not receive similar support. The school is prioritising staff training so that this begins as a matter of urgency.

Pupils are exposed to different texts and themes as models for their writing.

The school has recently adapted its approach to writing. They focus on letter formation and the use of dictation practice. The impact of these changes is yet to be realised.

For older writers who struggle, there is an overreliance on scribing and copying. This is because they have not fully developed accurate letter formation and writing fluency. The impact of the school's work can be seen in mathematics.

Staff demonstrate strong subject knowledge. Learning successfully builds on secure number fluency. Regular arithmetic practice and reinforcement of previous learning are part of this success.

Pupils apply their knowledge to increasingly complex problems.

The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum. It shows small steps in learning that build knowledge over time.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about art and design. The impact of this and the small steps of progression can be seen around the school. More recent curriculum developments include regular recaps, which strengthen learning and check remembered knowledge.

For example, in science, pupils are deepening their understanding. They learn important vocabulary that helps them understand the main ideas. The full impact of these changes is still in the early stages.

The school is fully inclusive and ambitious for the significant number of pupils attending that have an education, health and care plan. The school works with pupils and their families to settle them into school life. These pupils progress well from their starting points and grow in confidence.

The school offers a well-rounded curriculum. Pupils eagerly apply for leadership roles. These include the eco council members and librarians.

In a high flood risk area, the school promotes ecological issues within the community. This includes a climate café and climate change march with local schools. Clubs and sporting events build pupils' perseverance and resilience.

These experiences begin with well-timed residential trips to develop skills. Pupils understand equality and fairness. They recognise that some pupils need more support.

Pupils are beginning to deepen their understanding of different faiths. A planned programme of visits and speakers will further enhance this learning. These rich experiences develop pupils' character and prepare them for the next stage of life.

The school is part of a local federation. Recent restructuring has brought stability and strength to leadership. This includes some new governors who come with a wealth of experience.

Leaders know their community and school well and are focused on driving improvement. Staff appreciate that leaders consider their workload and well-being when introducing new initiatives.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils start school without accurate letter formation or writing fluency. This results in ongoing errors that hinder their ability to write effectively. The school should focus on teaching correct letter formation and provide more practice to improve handwriting fluency.

• In some subjects, pupils can recall basic information but struggle with a deeper understanding of their learning. This leads to difficulties in remembering and connecting important knowledge over time. The school should continue to embed its new approach to assessment to help pupils remember and connect key knowledge across the curriculum.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2015.