Riverside Meadows Academy, St. Neots
Riverside Meadows Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in St. Neots, part of Horizons Education Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Riverside Meadows Academy in detail
Riverside Meadows Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of our pupils, staff and Trustees of Horizons Education Trust, we are proud to welcome you to Riverside Meadows Academy. Riverside Meadows Academy is an inclusive specialist academy where pupils are supported to grow in confidence, rediscover a love of learning and achieve success both academically and socially."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
Riverside Meadows Academy is one of 3 schools run by Horizons Education Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Riverside Meadows Academy (as of April 2026): 39% would recommend the school, 39% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (52%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 21 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college and 5% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
74.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Riverside Meadows Academy has an education, health and care plan (120 of 120 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Riverside Meadows Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 115 places, 115 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Neots Rail Station, about 910 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Crescent (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 168 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Riverside Meadows Academy issued 99 suspensions, 87.6 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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 · 4 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Riverside Meadows Academy excels at supporting pupils with significant social, emotional and mental health challenges. The school has made impressive progress in reducing absence and behaviour incidents through personalized mentoring, and pupils now feel better supported and more engaged in their learning. Staff work consistently across both sites to apply behaviour strategies and help pupils succeed.
Key Strengths
- Strong leadership structure and clear accountability across both school sites
- Significant improvements in attendance and behaviour for high-risk pupils through targeted mentoring
- Positive staff engagement and unified teamwork across the two sites
- Better pupil engagement in lessons and consistent application of behaviour management approaches
- Tailored curriculum pathways aligned to pupils' individual needs and EHC plan goals
Areas for Improvement
- Reading and mathematics curriculum lack detailed knowledge mapping compared to writing
- Systems to identify and fill knowledge gaps in reading and maths need strengthening before September 2026 launch
- Need to widen attendance support approaches to more pupils for faster overall improvement
- EHC plan targets not yet sufficiently explicit within the updated curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective with robust systems in place to support pupils' welfare and protection.
Riverside Meadows Academy is a specialist school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is making effective progress in addressing areas identified for improvement, particularly in attendance and behaviour support.
At a Glance
74.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with Riverside Meadows Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Riverside Meadows Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Riverside Meadows Academy is in Cambridgeshire; for families living there:
- Cambridgeshire's school travel policy: School Travel Assistance Policy - Mainstream September 2025 326KB - pdf
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
4 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 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
100%
Full
120 pupils
120 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - St. Neots
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St. Neots
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
7,228
Applications
6,755
Got 1st preference
88.3%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
120
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Riverside Meadows Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 115 places, 115 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
120
Total Pupils
81
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,275
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
31.7%
Overall absence
62.1%
Persistent absence
116
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 Meadows Academy
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Riverside Meadows Academy
What are GCSE results like at Riverside Meadows Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Riverside Meadows Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 6. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Riverside Meadows Academy's Ofsted rating?
Riverside Meadows Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Riverside Meadows Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Riverside Meadows Academy is oversubscribed, Cambridgeshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Riverside Meadows Academy?
Riverside Meadows Academy has around 120 pupils on roll. 74% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Riverside Meadows Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Riverside Meadows Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 115 places, 115 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Riverside Meadows Academy?
31.7% of sessions were missed at Riverside Meadows Academy in 2024/25. 62.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Riverside Meadows Academy?
Apply through Cambridgeshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Riverside Meadows Academy 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 Meadows Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 4 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Riverside Meadows Academy?
Riverside Meadows Academy is at Almond Road, St. Neots, PE19 1DZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)