Riverside Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Riverside Primary Academy is a welcoming and inclusive school. Leaders and staff have created an ethos where kindness and a sense of fairness prevail. Pupils are friendly and supportive of each other.

They build strong friendships, characterised by respect. Pupils enjoy school. Parents and carers reflect this in their views.

One parent said, 'At all times, the school has the best intentions for every child.'

Pupils feel safe and they know staff look after them well. Pupils' behaviour is exceptional.

Clear routines and expectations for behaviour are understood by pupils and adults alike. This is a calm and orderly school. Moreover, from an early age,... children understand these routines.

They share and work together to solve problems.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The school's ambitious curriculum reflects these high ambitions.

Pupils engage well in their learning and achieve well.

The school ensures that pupils have access to a range of opportunities outside the classroom through extra visits and clubs. Pupils contribute to school life in roles such as those of eco-cops, reading buddies and young interpreters.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum, starting from early years, that ensures children are ready for the next stage in their learning journey. In some curriculum areas, such as mathematics and physical education (PE), the curriculum is well mapped out. The school ensures that key knowledge and skills are planned and sequenced carefully.

In mathematics and PE, teachers make checks on learning so that they know what pupils have learned and remembered. In mathematics, leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to go over what they have learned before. This helps pupils to remember important mathematical knowledge and to make the progress leaders plan for.

However, in some wider curriculum areas the curriculum does not set out clearly what pupils will know and remember and the checks made on this are inconsistent. This limits the school's understanding of pupils' progression through the wider curriculum.

The school prioritises reading.

Leaders ensure that there is a reading curriculum, which starts in early years. This is taught with consistency. Pupils read books using the sounds they know.

Staff make regular checks on pupils' progress. Pupils who need help to catch up with their reading receive it. Leaders carefully map out the texts pupils will read across school.

Pupils talk confidently about books they are currently reading in class.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum wherever possible. Support, adaptations and resources help pupils with SEND to learn alongside their peers.

Leaders use advice from professionals to support pupils with SEND well.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Their attitudes towards learning are positive in lessons.

Right from the start in early years, staff have established routines that children understand and follow. Relationships between pupils are strong. They get on well with each other.

Respect is important to pupils. It is seen in their relationships with each other and with adults in school. Pupils are courteous and well mannered across the school day.

Leaders give careful thought to pupils' personal development. Pupils learn important information about online safety, healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils attend clubs, such as those for chess, karate and gymnastics.

Pupils say that the visits they go on, such as to museums and outdoor adventure centres, are an important part of school life.

Pupils understand equality and that it is important that everyone has the same rights as each other. They live out these values every day.

Pupils have a strong understanding of difference and respect for diversity. They celebrate learning about different religions and cultures.

Governors and school leaders have clarity about their vision for the school.

They ensure that pupils are kept safe. Staff are proud to work at this school and feel supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is not mapped out as clearly as it could be in some areas of the wider curriculum. This means that the school cannot check the impact of the planned curriculum as well as it could do in these areas. The school should ensure that the key knowledge it wants pupils to learn in the wider curriculum is better mapped out so that the school is assured that pupils are learning the important knowledge that they need.

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