Riverside Education

Riverside Education is an independent special school for pupils with complex neurological and psychological needs, most of whom have an education, health and care plan. It operates across three sites and all independent school standards are met, with safeguarding also judged effective. The school's personal development and wellbeing provision is a notable strength, praised for its carefully designed PSHE and relationships education, safety education, careers programme, rich wider activities, and strong focus on pupil voice and belonging. Most other areas are performing as expected. Pupils are supported well to re-engage with learning, behaviour is a strength, inclusion is positive, and post-16 students progress successfully to further education and skills providers. Leaders and staff are values-driven and committed, staff feel well supported, and parents speak highly of the difference the school makes. The main areas for improvement are attendance, which is not consistently strong across all three sites, and assessment practice, where some staff do not check understanding precisely enough or give feedback that deepens learning. Leaders also need to embed literacy, numeracy and a culture of reading more fully so all pupils secure the foundational knowledge needed to access the wider curriculum.

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing provision is a significant strength, including PSHE, safety education, careers and wider activities.
• Pupils feel safe, valued, understood and accepted across all three sites.
• Behaviour is a strength: pupils learn calmly and purposefully and manage emotions with trusted staff support.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well matched to pupils' complex special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Staff are well trained, committed and positive, and leaders take staff wellbeing and workload seriously.
• Leaders and governors have created a strong, values-driven culture with a clear knowledge of school priorities.
• Post-16 students are well integrated, ambitious, and progress successfully to further education and skills providers.
• Disadvantaged pupil funding is spent effectively and improves outcomes from pupils' starting points.
• Pupils develop practical, independence and employability skills through vocational, farm and hands-on activities.
• Parents speak highly of the school and the difference it makes to their children.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture in which concerns are actively identified and managed.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance is not consistently high across all three sites, and some pupils attend less well because of previous educational experiences.
• Some staff do not always check pupils' understanding effectively or provide clear, precise feedback to deepen learning.
• Literacy and numeracy are not yet fully embedded across all curriculum subjects.
• A fully embedded culture of reading across the school still needs further development.
• Leaders need to strengthen work with families and external partners to secure and maintain high attendance over time.

In 2025–26, 9.0% of pupils at Riverside Education were on SEN support (nationally 18.4%) and 91.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 7.9%).

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 independent school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Riverside Education's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Riverside Education is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Riverside Education last inspected by Ofsted?

Riverside Education was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Riverside Education have?

Riverside Education has 100 pupils on roll.

What age range does Riverside Education cover?

Riverside Education for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Where is Riverside Education?

Riverside Education is at 2 Riverside Drive, Stechford, Birmingham, West Midlands, B33 9BF.