Riverside Community Special School, Waterlooville
Riverside Community Special School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Waterlooville. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Riverside Community Special School in detail
Riverside Community Special School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Hello - Welcome to our wonderful school. We are a primary school for pupils who have special educational needs, including those with social and communication difficulties, autism, speech and language difficulties, and learning difficulties. We currently have places for 149 pupils spread across our 14 classes for pupils from Reception to Year 6."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Riverside Community Special School are The Waterloo School (1.1 miles, Good); Prospect School (1.3 miles, Good); Jubilee School (1.7 miles); and The Wymering School (2.2 miles).
The Waterloo SchoolProspect SchoolJubilee SchoolThe Wymering School
Who goes there
44.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Riverside Community Special School has an education, health and care plan (157 of 157 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Riverside Community Special School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedhampton Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Crookhorn Corner (s-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Riverside Community Special School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 160 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Riverside Community Special School issued 1 suspension, 0.7 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
44.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Hearing, Speech and language, Autism +2
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Riverside Community Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Riverside Community Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Riverside Community Special School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 21 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
9 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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
105%
Over capacity
157 pupils
149 places
8 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Waterlooville
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Waterlooville
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,392
Applications
13,874
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
157
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Riverside Community Special School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
157
Total Pupils
113
Boys
44
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
6.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,925
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.9%
Overall absence
27.3%
Persistent absence
128
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Riverside Community Special School
Questions parents ask about Riverside Community Special School
What are SATs results like at Riverside Community Special School?
Of the pupils at Riverside Community Special 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 Community Special School's Ofsted rating?
Riverside Community Special School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2016 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Riverside Community Special School?
No fixed boundary. When Riverside Community Special School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Riverside Community Special School?
Riverside Community Special School has around 157 pupils on roll. 45% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Riverside Community Special School have specialist SEN provision?
Riverside Community Special School provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Riverside Community Special School?
9.9% of sessions were missed at Riverside Community Special School in 2024/25. 27.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Riverside Community Special School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Riverside Community Special 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.
How many road collisions happen near Riverside Community Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 21 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 9 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Riverside Community Special School?
Riverside Community Special School is at Scratchface Lane, Purbrook, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO7 5QD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)