Riverside Primary School, located on Renwick Road in Barking, continues to be recognized as a good school following its inspection on October 4 and 5, 2023. Under the leadership of headteacher Sarah Kinnaird, the school is part of the Partnership Learning Trust, which oversees its operations through CEO Roger Leighton and a board of trustees chaired by Saadat Mubashar. The school fosters a supportive environment where pupils feel happy and safe, aided by the presence of teachers and peers who are always available to help. The school promotes its RESPECT values—resilience, empathy, self-belief, perseverance, effort, courage, and tolerance—throughout its curriculum, encouraging high expectations for behavior among students. This has resulted in a calm and purposeful atmosphere, with pupils demonstrating good behavior both in classrooms and during outdoor activities.
Riverside Primary School is committed to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, achieve well. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, designed to deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding, effectively preparing them for the next stages of their education. Pupils enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities, including art, fashion, gardening, cooking, and multi-sports, and they appreciate the opportunities to take on additional responsibilities through roles such as school council members and eco-committee participants. This involvement helps them understand democratic processes and prepares them for life in modern Britain.
Reading is prioritized at Riverside, with staff well-trained in delivering a consistent phonics program. Children begin learning letter sounds as soon as they start school, and regular practice with carefully matched reading materials helps them become fluent readers quickly. The school effectively uses assessment to identify pupils at risk of falling behind and provides appropriate support to help them catch up. A love of reading is evident throughout the school, with initiatives such as poetry days that engage both pupils and parents.
While the curriculum is well-designed in most subjects, a few areas are still developing. In these subjects, the sequencing of key knowledge has not been as systematic, leading to fragmented learning experiences for some pupils. Leaders are aware of this issue and are working with specialists to enhance these subjects to align with the strengths of the overall curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs are accurately identified, and the school collaborates with outside agencies to ensure appropriate adaptations are in place, allowing these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers.
Behavior in lessons is strong, with established routines that promote eagerness to learn. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time, supported by effective systems. The school also emphasizes the broader development of pupils, providing opportunities to engage with complex ideas and develop language skills. However, there are instances where formal English is not consistently modeled, which can hinder pupils' understanding and use of standard language structures.
Staff at Riverside Primary School report high levels of job satisfaction, appreciating the consideration given to their workload and well-being. The school is described as a respectful and friendly environment where staff support one another. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, ensuring the safety and well-being of all pupils. Overall, Riverside Primary School continues to provide a good quality of education, with a strong commitment to improvement and the holistic development of its pupils.
