Riverdale Primary School

Riverdale Primary School is performing at an expected standard with notable strengths in safeguarding and pupil behavior, which contribute to a positive learning environment. Leaders are committed to improving attendance and have established effective communication with families to support pupils. The curriculum provides a solid foundation in early years and key stage 1, but challenges remain in key stage 2 where pupils struggle to retain knowledge and demonstrate secure progress. The school is part of the Ironstone Academy Trust, which supports its governance and resource management.

Strengths

• Strong emphasis on safeguarding, creating a safe environment for pupils.
• High priority on regular attendance and proactive engagement with families.
• Calm and organized classroom behavior with positive pupil attitudes.
• Effective early years curriculum that prepares children for key stage 1.
• Supportive staff build strong relationships with pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent quality of teaching across the school, particularly in key stage 2.
• Pupils struggle to retain important knowledge over time, impacting their progress.
• Misconceptions are not identified or corrected in a timely manner.
• Recent results in key stage 2 are below national averages.

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 Riverdale Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.7% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Riverdale Primary 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 Riverdale Primary School had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% 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, 25.7% of pupils at Riverdale Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Riverdale Primary School received £7,298 and spent £6,896 for each of its 196 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £262,000 (£1,338 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Ironstone Academy Trust, income was £7,419 and spending £7,115 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 Redcar · Redcar and Cleveland local authority: places and applications

Riverdale Primary School is part of Ironstone Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Zetland Primary School Redcar
• Normanby Primary School Middlesbrough
• Overfields Primary School Middlesbrough
• Ormesby Primary School Middlesbrough
• Nunthorpe Primary Academy Middlesbrough

What is Riverdale Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Riverdale Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Riverdale Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Riverdale Primary School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Riverdale Primary School have?

Riverdale Primary School has 179 pupils on roll.

What age range does Riverdale Primary School cover?

Riverdale Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Riverdale Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Riverdale Primary School?

Riverdale Primary School is at Hambleton Avenue, Redcar, North Yorkshire, TS10 4HH.