Riverside Academy

Inspection of Riverside Academy Newbold Road, Newbold-on-Avon, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 1EH

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Rebecca Payne. This school is part of Reach2 Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Catherine Paine, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gavin Robert. 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Riverside Academy. The school wants the very best for every pupil. The ethos of ‘learning together, achieving excellence’ underpins everything that everyone does. Pupils learn well and achieve highly across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending the school. They feel safe and well cared for while they are here. They enjoy, and benefit from, a wide range of pupil leadership opportunities. These help them to develop important life skills as well as enabling them to contribute positively to the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well around school and in lessons. Staff set high expectations. Pupils live up to these. Pupils are polite and helpful. They listen carefully in lessons, strive to do their best and learning is not disrupted. Working together to earn ‘friendship tokens’ helps pupils to understand what it is to be a good friend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An extensive range of personal development opportunities is on offer for all. ‘11 before 11’ provides a wide range of experiences for all pupils. These include riding a horse, taking part in a flash mob and making a positive impact by carrying out ‘10 good deeds in 10 days’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the school’s work with their children.

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better?

The school prioritises the importance of pupils being able to read well by the time they leave. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme effectively, which begins when children start school in nursery. Pupils practise phonics by reading books that are matched to the sounds that they know. They thoroughly enjoy hearing teachers read aloud from engaging texts. This helps pupils to develop a passion for books, which they are eager to share. Any pupils who are falling behind with reading get effective support that helps them to catch up quickly.

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better?

Across the curriculum, the school has identified the important knowledge and vocabulary for pupils to learn, from nursery through to Year 6. Pupils build on this knowledge over time and apply it to new learning. For example, in geography, pupils in Year 6 draw on previous learning about compass points when learning about the routes of Tudor explorers. In mathematics, pupils in Year 5 recall what they have learned before when learning about angles.

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better?

The school provides very well planned additional opportunities for pupils to showcase their subject knowledge through curriculum days. These enable pupils to practise the skills they have learned in a range of subjects and apply what they know in different contexts, such as International Day. This helps to bring learning to life and deepens pupils’ understanding. 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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The school is highly ambitious for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. The school promptly identifies pupils with SEND and gives them effective support to access learning and the full curriculum. All pupils benefit from highly effective teaching that helps them achieve as well as they can.

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Children in the early years quickly learn the routines and expectations. Staff know children and their needs well. Leaders ensure that activities are purposeful and extend or consolidate children’s learning. Activities are deliberately designed to develop children’s vocabulary, language and communication skills. This is particularly effective for those children who speak English as an additional language. Children show high levels of engagement and concentration. They are very well prepared for learning in Year 1.

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A real strength of the school is the care all staff show towards pupils and their families. The school provides personalised strategies to improve attendance and does everything it can to ensure that pupils are well supported and kept safe. No stone is left unturned to get the right support, at the right time, for every pupil.

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All pupils benefit greatly from the school’s personal development programme. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop the character, resilience and life skills needed for life in their local community and modern Britain. Pupils value this. They know that they contribute positively to how the school is managed. For example, elected members of the junior leadership team work with leaders to improve lessons. The school has very carefully considered the range of trips, clubs and other experiences that broaden pupils’ horizons.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They enjoy living up to the high expectations set by the school. Pupils value talking to staff if things go wrong. This helps them to make different choices in the future. They understand what bullying is and know how to keep themselves safe and healthy, including when online. They celebrate difference and show high levels of respect for staff and for one another.

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The school appreciates the support of the trust, which shares the same vision for all pupils. Staff feel valued and know that leaders are very considerate of their well- being. They welcome the high-quality professional development they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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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). 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 April 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast club.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspection started on 25 and 26 June 2024. Inspectors returned on 10 October 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy .  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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 During the inspection, the inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, design and technology, and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans where they were available, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work, spoke to school leaders and looked at curriculum documentation for some other subjects. An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and other leaders, including the deputy director of education from Reach2 Academy Trust.  The lead inspector met with a member of the board of trustees, a director of education from Reach2 Academy Trust and the chair and representatives of the

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local governing body.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspectors spoke to pupils about pupils’ behaviour.  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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. The inspectors also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  An inspector talked to parents and families at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 June, and 10 October 2024

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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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