Riverside Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Riverside Primary School and Nursery Donnington Gardens, Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7JA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and thriving at this school. Leaders are ambitious for pupils to achieve their very best. Pupils want to succeed. They talk confidently about their learning and are proud of their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’ in lessons and around the school. Pupils meet leaders’ high expectations and work enthusiastically in class. They socialise well together at playtimes. Warm, trusting relationships exist throughout the school. Bullying is rare. However, if it happens, staff resolve any issues quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils immerse themselves in the life of the school and the local community. They enjoy taking part in the wide range of clubs on offer, such as reading, archery, running and football. The school’s eco warriors support the school with litter-picking events. They also encourage the school community to reduce energy use and to increase recycling.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum and wider opportunities help to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about democracy by voting for the school council team, the head boy and girl and for the winners of the school talent show. Pupils really value difference. They make sure that everyone treats each other with tolerance, kindness and respect.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum across all subjects. This curriculum identifies the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn right from the start of early years to the end of Year 6. In most subjects, teachers have planned lessons so that they build on knowledge over time. For example, they have a consistent approach to the teaching of mathematics and reading across the school. In these subjects, teachers check what pupils know and can remember during lessons to help inform them of pupils’ next steps.

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better?

However, in some subjects, the precise detail pupils need to learn and the order in which this should be taught sometimes lack clarity. Some activities are also not as closely matched to what pupils need to learn. Where this is the case, teachers do not check what pupils know before introducing new content. This can lead to pupils developing gaps in their understanding, meaning they are less confident in making links to new learning.

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better?

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Teachers make careful adaptations to teaching to support pupils with SEND to help them learn well. Pupils who access the specialist resource provision have their learning expertly adapted. As a result, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers and achieve well. 11 and 12 July 2023

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Staff prioritise reading across the school. Children start to learn to read from the start of reception using a well-structured programme. Pupils are excited by their phonics sessions. They recognise that reading is important. Leaders have instilled a love of reading across the school by choosing interesting and varied books for pupils to enjoy. Pupils access the well-stocked library daily. Teachers identify children who find reading more difficult and quickly provide extra help where needed.

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In early years, children learn from well-designed activities that engage their interests. Adults support the development of children’s resilience through carefully chosen activities. These encourage children to continue with tasks even when they find them more difficult. Alongside this, children also learn how to be independent. These skills help to prepare them for the next stage of their learning.

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Pupils behave well across the school. In lessons, they are keen to learn and participate well. Staff ensure that the school is an inclusive environment where all pupils can learn without interruption. Leaders have worked hard with families to encourage high attendance. This work is beginning to have an impact, but there continue to be too many pupils who are absent too often. These pupils, therefore, miss vital learning and often do not achieve as well as they could.

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Pupils benefit from the varied enrichment activities on offer. Particular attention is paid to encouraging those pupils who have not previously attended. Pupils recognise the efforts that teachers make to support them. They can talk confidently about the support provided, such as the ‘nurture room’ and ‘safe space’ to help them self- regulate when needed. Pupils have learned how to develop strong relationships with each other.

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Leaders and governors work well together to continue to improve the school. They are considerate of staff workload and mindful of this when making significant changes. Staff feel valued and supported. They appreciate the care leaders show for their well-being. The skilled governing body understands its role well. Its members provide leaders with effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an effective culture of safeguarding. All staff receive appropriate training which enables them to identify signs of potential harm to pupils. The school has accurate and detailed record-keeping. Leaders act on concerns and liaise well with external agencies, seeking support when needed. Leaders build strong relationships with families and work with them to identify and provide the required of support. Governors know their statutory responsibilities and check safeguarding systems regularly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe and are positive about the support provided by staff. Specific lessons help pupils learn how to stay safe, including when they are online. 11 and 12 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teachers do not always design tasks which enable pupils to build knowledge systematically. Teachers also do not always identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge quickly enough so that they can be addressed promptly. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that teachers implement the curriculum effectively across all subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268042 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Clive Haines and Alasdair Whitelaw (co- chairs) Headteacher Richard Daniels

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School details

Website www.riversideprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of the previous inspection 12 and 13 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils who have speech, language and communication needs. Currently, 11 pupils who have education, health and care plans attend this provision.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provider.  The school’s nursery has provision for two-, three- and four-year-old children.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the 11 and 12 July 2023

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two co-chairs of governors. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The lead inspector held a telephone call with a representative from the alternative provision.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, mathematics and music. In each subject, inspectors met with subject leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to adults they knew. Inspectors also reviewed curriculum plans in some other subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors held meetings with safeguarding leaders, the governing body, teachers and pupils. They reviewed the single central record and safeguarding records.  The inspection team took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and governor minutes.

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 Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including the free-text comments that were submitted. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Numera Anwar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura James His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 July 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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