Riverside Primary School, Gillingham

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~622m)Possible (~888m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Helen Robson
Pupils:453 / 390 capacity
LA:Medway
Phone:01634623500
Address:St Edmunds Way, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 8ET
Trust:RMET
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2017

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:144135
UKPRN:10063036
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Gillingham and Rainham
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Riverside Primary is a caring school where every child feels welcomed and celebrated. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and regularly check what pupils are learning, helping them make good progress especially in English and maths. The school offers an exceptionally wide range of enriching activities - from theatre visits and cooking to building go-karts and supporting the local community - which help pupils learn about the world beyond school.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils feel happy, included and celebrated with strong care and compassion shown towards each other
  • High achievement in English and mathematics with skilled teaching and regular checks on pupil learning
  • Exceptional personal development programme including online safety, health, careers, theatre visits, and community service through the Riverside Rangers
  • Well-adapted learning for pupils with SEND who progress alongside their peers
  • Effective phonics teaching with improved outcomes after staff training and well-matched reading books

Areas for Improvement

  • Checks on pupil knowledge and recall need to be more fully developed in subjects beyond English and mathematics
  • Teachers need better systems to establish and build on what pupils already know in the wider curriculum to address any gaps in learning

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with pupils confident they can report concerns to staff or use worry boxes.

Extracurricular Activities

Theatre visits, cathedral visits, performances, go-kart building club, bridge building club, Riverside Rangers community service programme, careers fairs, growing food and cooking activities, online safety learning

Riverside Primary School has maintained its good standards and provides a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils are well-supported and achieve strongly in English and mathematics. The school has a broad curriculum with excellent personal development opportunities and effective safeguarding arrangements.

At a Glance

34.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

VI - Visual Impairment, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

43 responses
Would recommend77%
Child is happy86%
Well taught79%
Good progress79%
Feels safe88%
Well behaved72%
Bullying dealt with16%
Kept informed67%
Handles concerns56%
Wider development72%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-10ppMaths-9ppWriting-6pp

Reading has declined from 71% to 61%. Maths has declined from 71% to 62%. Writing has declined from 68% to 62%.

Class Sizes

27.9

Avg class size

28.7

Infant (KS1)

30.3

KS2

14

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Riverside Primary School

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Social & online

Getting There

Train Stations

Rainham (Kent) Rail Station (Entrance)
538m · 9 min walk

Bus Stops

Taswell Road (o/s 11)
74m · 1 min walk
Farnham Close (adj)
177m · 3 min walk
William Street (o/s 36)
261m · 4 min walk
Henry Street (opp)
404m · 7 min walk
Harwood Road (opp)
407m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

116%

Over capacity

453 pupils

390 capacity

63 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham

Medium pressure
New homes approved:1,897
Projected new pupils:474

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Gillingham

Admissions Demand - Medway

Low demand0.83x oversubscription

Places available

3,805

Applications

3,151

Got 1st preference

95.6%

Got preferred school

99.4%

Primary admissions across Medway (2025/26)

Inspection History(103)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.47823%

Overall absence

7.7957%

Persistent absence

372

Enrolments

Authorised3.38282%
Unauthorised1.09541%
Persistent (10%+)7.7957%
Severe (50%+)0.26882%

Absence trend

4.54672%
18/19
3.60634%
20/21
6.43965%
21/22
6.0287%
22/23
5.30545%
23/24
4.47823%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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