Classpot

River Primary School

Dover, CT17 0PPPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
5 Good
Jan 2025
KS2 Results
67%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
47 1st-choice / 50 places
Ranking
#5,318
of 13,686 nationally

About River Primary School

River Primary School in Dover is a mixed state primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently home to 394 pupils against a capacity of 427. That leaves a little breathing room, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 131 applications for just 50 places, with 47 of those going to first-preference families. That works out at 2.62 applications per place, a strong signal that local parents are keen to get in. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage — 22.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 24% and a Kent average that sits lower. Headteacher Victoria Alliston leads a school that, in its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025, was judged Good across the board, including for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. That’s a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2013, but the inspectors saw no reason to downgrade any individual area.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressLewisham Road, Dover, Dover, CT17 0PP
HeadteacherVictoria Alliston
Local AuthorityKent
Number of Pupils394
Free School Meals (FSM)22.3%
School Capacity394 / 427 (92% full)

The full report on this school

What 84 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

7 Jan 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 11 Feb 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

5
Outdoor PlaygroundArt StudiosForest SchoolSensory RoomChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

AthleticsGymnasticsCross CountrySwimmingDanceRounders

Clubs & Activities

Science ClubGardeningFilm Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Resourced Provision
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionLearning DifficultyResourced ProvisionOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Breakfast club

08:00-08:45

After-school care

15:15-18:00

Source: river.kent.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About River Primary School

River Primary School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.