Riverside Special School

Inspection of Riverside Special School Ainsty Street, Goole, East Yorkshire DN14 5JS

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders at Riverside Special School have taken effective steps to address the significant safeguarding weaknesses identified at the time of the previous inspection in January 2023. Supported by colleagues from the local authority, leaders have addressed safeguarding training, reporting and systems, to ensure that the school’s safeguarding culture is now effective.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy exciting lessons at the school. When they arrive, they are warmly greeted by staff. There is a buzz of energy as pupils make their way to lessons. Clear routines are well embedded. Staff know their roles very well. This means that pupils are well supported. At all times, leaders aim to encourage pupils’ independence. For example, when pupils arrive in a morning, they have the chance to buy breakfast items to get used to everyday routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is constantly reviewed to ensure that it meets the needs of pupils. Reading support is individually tailored to pupils in all phases in the school. Pupils receive guidance to help them prepare for choices after leaving Riverside Special School. In the sixth form, students receive expert support to help them transition to colleges and other providers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. The school environment is inclusive and adapted to the needs of pupils. This means pupils thrive. Some parents, for example, told inspectors about how impressed they were with performances and plays that took place at the school. There is an emphasis on the physical health of pupils woven into classroom- based lessons as well as physical education (PE).

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum specific to the needs of each class. Information received from education, health and care (EHC) plans informs the activities that pupils will experience. Leaders group pupils with similar needs together and subject leaders plan a curriculum to meet the needs of these groups. The intervention team helps to develop the curriculum, based, for example, on the communication needs of pupils.

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better?

At all levels, staff work together to understand pupils and ensure that the curriculum is designed to meet complex needs. In the primary phase, for example, this work includes embedding classroom routines so that pupils can concentrate and make the most of learning activities as they progress through the school.

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better?

There is a strong focus on reading throughout the school, including up to the sixth form. All adults have been trained to use the phonics programme. During lessons, pupils persevere and use their knowledge of phonics when they encounter unfamiliar words. Leaders are continuing to deliver training to ensure that the programme is delivered with further consistency. In other subjects, pupils are engaged by well-chosen lesson activities. In PE, for example, pupils enjoyed learning 26 and 27 September 2023

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about tactics in team games. In some lessons, teachers do not take opportunities to fully extend pupils’ learning once they have completed the initial tasks they have been set.

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The work to support pupils’ wider development is exemplary. This is a school with an inclusive approach at the centre of its community. Pupils are engaged in charity work and raise substantial amounts for various causes. This is interwoven with the academic offer for pupils. For example, pupils in the sixth form can choose to take part in enterprise lessons and sell the products they make. The school’s ‘30/30’ strategy in lessons is designed to ensure all pupils engage in physical activity throughout the day. Clubs are popular with pupils. Leaders ensure that any potential issues with transport are overcome to ensure all pupils are fully involved in the life of the school.

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There is a strong focus on developing skills for life, for example social skills and transport skills. Pupils build resilience and independence. They are ready for the future once they leave the school. As pupils move through the school, it is plain to see the increasing confidence that they acquire. Sixth-form pupils work cooperatively to complete tasks, for example when cleaning up after cooking lessons. Leaders’ plans to offer off-site work experience to pupils will further enhance the life experience of pupils.

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The school community is highly respectful. Pupils treat each other with respect, they support each other in lessons. Teachers encourage pupils to know and use sign language. Pupils can therefore make their feelings clear to each other and to the adults that work with them. Lunchtime routines are well embedded. Relationships between pupils and staff are relaxed, warm and happy. Pupils are incredibly positive as they go about their daily routines. Many wanted to introduce themselves to inspectors.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel that leaders take account of their needs. The staff body is a close community which supports each other for the benefit of pupils. Regular morning meetings take place in each phase before pupils arrive. This means that important information and updates can be shared. Following the previous inspection, there has been a recent focus on safeguarding training. Governors have made recent improvements to their monitoring and have greater oversight of the work that leaders do, particularly in relation to safeguarding matters. There has also been training, for example, around equalities for governors. This means they can hold leaders to account more effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Since the last inspection, there have been numerous changes to the systems around safeguarding. Changes have been made, for example, to ensure that the system to carry out and record checks on staff working at the school is robust and accurate. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Leaders with responsibility for child protection provide training and updates to staff on a regular basis. They check the impact of this training. All staff are now clear about their responsibilities.

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Staff know how to record concerns on the school’s information systems. Leaders are currently completing changes to the system for recording concerns about pupils so that the information they receive and record is as precise as possible, so that patterns and trends can be monitored more strategically.

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Governors check safeguarding systems more regularly than was previously the case. They also seek assurance from external reviews of their safeguarding processes.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s record-keeping system needs refinement to ensure that staff can precisely record the nature of safeguarding concerns they raise and to help leaders identify and analyse information and data more effectively. This work is already underway. There is no immediate risk of harm to pupils as information is still recorded by staff and can be accessed by leaders. Leaders should ensure that they complete their review of the system and finalise the changes to improve the quality of information they receive.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding ( this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 January 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides education for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and/or profound and multiple learning difficulties.  The school can admit pupils from age two to 19 years. At the time of this inspection, all pupils who attended the school were aged six or older.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and several members of the school’s leadership team. Inspectors met with governors, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  Deep dives were carried out in reading, mathematics, science and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

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Information about this inspection

culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. Records relating to safeguarding were scrutinised. Inspectors also spoke to governors about their oversight of safeguarding in the school.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, carers, staff and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tudor Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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