Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School

Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is a growing primary free school that was inspected for the first time under section 5 in July 2025. It is part of The Pilgrim Multi-Academy Trust and currently has pupils from Nursery to Year 4. Inspectors found it to be performing well across all inspected areas, with a calm, happy and nurturing environment, strong relationships, effective safeguarding and a clear ambitious vision from leaders. Pupils are proud of their new school community, settle quickly when they join at different points, and behave well. Reading is a priority and pupils develop phonics knowledge quickly; early years children make a strong start, especially in mathematics. Staff generally model learning well and check understanding, and pupils benefit from pastoral support, enrichment and leadership opportunities. Attendance is positive and parents value the supportive community. The main areas for improvement concern the wider curriculum and SEND. In some subjects, the school has not set out the precise sequence of knowledge and skills pupils need, which limits deeper subject-specific understanding. Some pupils with SEND do not receive the precise support they need, and leaders should further equip staff with the expertise to meet those needs as the school grows.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud of their school community and value its diversity
• Pupils settle quickly and learn routines and high expectations
• Warm, respectful relationships create a calm and happy environment
• Pupils feel safe and know staff will help with worries
• Reading is a priority and pupils quickly develop phonics knowledge
• Children make a strong start in early years, especially in mathematics
• Staff use secure subject knowledge to model learning and check understanding
• Behaviour in lessons is calm and playtimes are positive
• Pastoral support and ‘the cove’ help pupils’ well-being
• Attendance is positive and leaders support families
• Pupil leaders, including digital leaders and school council, contribute actively
• Leaders have an ambitious vision and staff value trust collaboration and training
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some wider curriculum subjects, the sequence of knowledge and skills is not identified clearly enough
• Some pupils do not develop detailed subject-specific understanding over time
• Some pupils with SEND do not receive the precise support they need to learn and achieve well
• Staff need further knowledge and expertise to meet the precise needs of pupils with SEND

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 Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.6% 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, 2.1% of pupils at Rochester Riverside Church of England 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 Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.1% 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, 20.1% of pupils at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School received £6,693 and spent £6,574 for each of its 230 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £96,000 (£417 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of The Pilgrim Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,077 and spending £6,915 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 Rochester · Medway local authority: places and applications

Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is part of The Pilgrim Multi Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School Rochester
• The Pilgrim School (A Church of England Primary With Nursery) Rochester
• St Mark's Church of England Primary School, Eccles Aylesford

What is Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School have?

Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School has 298 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School cover?

Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?

Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is at Gas House Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1US.