River Mead School

River Mead School is a primary academy in the Equa Mead Trust that inspectors found to be a caring, ambitious school where pupils are happy, safe and well supported. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the report notes that published 2023 outcomes do not accurately reflect current pupils’ learning because of pandemic disruption and recent improvements. The school also has an on-site nursery and a specially resourced SEND provision. Leadership is a standout strength: leaders have driven improvement effectively, use additional funding well for disadvantaged pupils, and have established a curriculum that helps pupils learn and remember more. Early reading is a particular strength, personal development is woven through the school, safeguarding is effective, and staff feel well supported. Pupils behave very well in lessons and are proud to attend the school. Two areas need further work. Behaviour expectations are not as consistently high outside lessons, so pupils do not behave as well at social times. In addition, some older pupils with SEND have not had the expert phonics support they need to read and write as well as they could.

Strengths

• Leadership is exceptional and drives improvement
• Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and their families
• Curriculum is well sequenced and helps pupils learn and remember more
• Early reading teaching is a strength
• Pupils are happy, safe and well looked after
• Pupils behave very well in lessons
• Personal development is threaded through all aspects of school life
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Staff are proud to work at the school and workload is managed well
• Early years provision prepares children well, especially in language and communication

Areas for Improvement

• Behaviour expectations outside lessons are lower, leading to poorer behaviour at social times
• Some older pupils with SEND have not received expert phonics support to build secure knowledge

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at River Mead School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.2% of pupils at River Mead School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 River Mead School had 12.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 21.5% of pupils at River Mead School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 19.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 40 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 River Mead School received £9,725 and spent £9,617 for each of its 258 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £237,000 (£920 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Equa Mead Learning Trust, income was £7,956 and spending £7,893 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Melksham · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

River Mead School is part of Equa Mead Learning Trust, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:

• St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Bromham Chippenham
• The Mead Community Primary School Trowbridge
• Bellefield Primary and Nursery School Trowbridge
• Paxcroft Primary School Trowbridge
• Castle Mead School Trowbridge
• The John of Gaunt School Trowbridge
• Five Lanes Church of England Primary School Devizes
• Studley Green Primary School Trowbridge
• The Grove Primary School Trowbridge
• North Bradley CofE Primary School Trowbridge

What is River Mead School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for River Mead School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was River Mead School last inspected by Ofsted?

River Mead School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does River Mead School have?

River Mead School has 261 pupils on roll.

What age range does River Mead School cover?

River Mead School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are River Mead School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is River Mead School?

River Mead School is at Lowbourne, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7ED.