Riverside Bridge School, Barking
Riverside Bridge School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Barking, part of Partnership Learning. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Riverside Bridge School in detail
Riverside Bridge School in its own words
In its own words: "At Riverside Bridge School, we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive community where every pupil is valued and understood. We support pupils to develop communication, confidence and independence, preparing them for a meaningful and active role in society. Everything we do is centred around the individual needs of each pupil."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Riverside Bridge School are Northstar Nurture School (1.1 miles); Hopewell School (1.1 miles, Good); Pathways School (1.5 miles, Good); and Brighter Futures Specialist College Ltd (1.7 miles).
Northstar Nurture SchoolHopewell SchoolPathways SchoolBrighter Futures Specialist College Ltd
The trust
Riverside Bridge School is one of 20 schools run by Partnership Learning, an academy trust.
What parents say
16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Riverside Bridge School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (75%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 16 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 56% to a further education college.
Who goes there
36.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 29.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (40%), Asian (29%) and White British (16%).
Almost every pupil at Riverside Bridge School has an education, health and care plan (290 of 291 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Riverside Bridge School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 270 places, 349 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barking Riverside, about 240 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Riverside Campus (->n), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 238 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Barking and Dagenham (470).
Suspensions and exclusions
Riverside Bridge School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Riverside Bridge School creates a happy, safe environment where children grow in confidence and are proud of their achievements. The school has an impressive curriculum that teaches vital life and communication skills alongside academics, with expert support from therapists. Children are given real responsibility through work experience and enterprise projects, preparing them well for their future.
Key Strengths
- Well-structured, ambitious curriculum that links to national curriculum and individual EHC plans
- Strong focus on communication, functional skills, and independence across all subjects
- Effective use of therapeutic experts like speech and language therapists to support learning and wellbeing
- Very good behaviour with embedded systems to help pupils manage emotions
- Excellent personal development and preparation for adulthood, including work experience and enterprise projects
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff intervene too quickly when supporting pupils, limiting opportunities for independent learning and tackling complex tasks
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils taught how to stay safe including online safety and recognising when strangers try to befriend them.
Extracurricular Activities
Museum and gallery visits, park visits, farm visits, overnight residentials, school workshops, Christmas concert, reward ceremonies, work experience on farms, enterprise projects, sixth form lunch enterprise
Riverside Bridge School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils are happy, safe, and develop confidence through a well-structured, ambitious curriculum tailored to their individual needs.
At a Glance
36.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism, MLD +2
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
16 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Riverside Bridge School
From Riverside Bridge School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Riverside Bridge School
Before and after school care
Riverside Bridge School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Barking and Dagenham
Getting There
Train Stations
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Riverside Bridge School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Riverside Bridge School is in Barking and Dagenham; for families living there:
Apply to Barking and Dagenham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
108%
Over capacity
291 pupils
270 places
21 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Barking
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barking
Across Barking and Dagenham council
Places available
3,518
Applications
3,094
Got 1st preference
81.9%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Barking and Dagenham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
290
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Riverside Bridge School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 270 places, 349 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
291
Total Pupils
213
Boys
78
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
41
Teachers
7.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,589
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.2%
Overall absence
33.2%
Persistent absence
232
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Riverside Bridge School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Riverside Bridge School
What are SATs results like at Riverside Bridge School?
Of the pupils at Riverside Bridge School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Riverside Bridge School's Ofsted rating?
Riverside Bridge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Riverside Bridge School?
No fixed boundary. When Riverside Bridge School is oversubscribed, Barking and Dagenham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Riverside Bridge School?
Riverside Bridge School has around 291 pupils on roll. 37% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Riverside Bridge School have specialist SEN provision?
Riverside Bridge School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 270 places, 349 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Riverside Bridge School?
10.2% of sessions were missed at Riverside Bridge School in 2024/25. 33.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Riverside Bridge School?
Apply through Barking and Dagenham's coordinated admissions process, naming Riverside Bridge School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Riverside Bridge School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Riverside Bridge School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Riverside Bridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Riverside Bridge School?
Riverside Bridge School is at Renwick Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 0FU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)