Riverside Primary School

About Riverside Primary School

Riverside Primary School sits within the Medway local authority, where it ranks 23rd out of 55 primary schools based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. That places it comfortably in the top half of the LA, though it sits behind the three highest-scoring peers in the area: The Pilgrim School, Swingate Primary School and Leigh Academy High Halstow. The school is a state-funded, mixed primary for children aged 3 to 11, with no religious character and a headteacher named Helen Robson. It currently has 449 pupils on roll, which is 59 above its official capacity of 390, and 35 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school also offers nursery provision and is noticeably oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 108 applications for 59 places, with all 57 first-preference applicants being offered a spot.

Academically, Riverside performs slightly above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 65 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with the Medway LA average of 62 per cent. Only 6 per cent achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, but individual subject scores were stronger: 71 per cent reached the expected level in both reading and maths, and 68 per cent in writing. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 105 in maths. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained, with an overall effectiveness rating of Good. The graded inspection from November 2019 had also rated it Good overall, but inspectors awarded Outstanding for both personal development and behaviour and attitudes. Leadership and management, quality of education and early years provision were all rated Good.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including an ICT suite, a sensory room, a sports hall, a forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, netball, athletics, tennis, rounders and dance, while clubs range from film and art to coding, chess, drama and choir. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs, plus a resourced provision. Parent View responses from 43 families between September 2024 and September 2025 show that 77 per cent would recommend the school. However, the SEND support question drew a mixed response: 33 per cent agreed and 33 per cent strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, but 33 per cent disagreed and 6 per cent strongly disagreed. This is a school that suits families looking for a popular, oversubscribed primary with strong behaviour and personal development, but it is worth checking whether its SEND provision matches your child’s needs.

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