Riverside School, Orpington
Riverside School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Orpington. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Riverside School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Riverside School are Woodview (1.1 miles, Good); Cleeve Meadow School (1.7 miles, Good); Clannad Education Centre (1.8 miles, Outstanding); and Marjorie McClure School (1.9 miles).
WoodviewCleeve Meadow SchoolClannad Education CentreMarjorie McClure School
What parents say
48 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Riverside School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 30% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (30%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 20 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
39.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 14.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Riverside School has an education, health and care plan (360 of 360 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Riverside School has a resourced provision for autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 319 places, 319 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Mary Cray Station, about 1200 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Main Road (->e), 350 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 298 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bromley (188), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Riverside School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Staff have high expectations and place pupils' well-being at the centre of all decisions made. Each pupil has a personalised 'happiness passport' which intricately details what staff need to know and be able to do, to ensure each pupil is happy, safe and can participate in their learning. Consequently, pupils' behaviour and regulation are well managed and they achieve well. Pupils said they are happy and feel safe at school.
The school builds positive working relationships with parents and carers. Staff work with and alongside parents to understand priorities for their children and co-produce personalised learning plans. This enables parents to reinforce at home the messages that pupils receive at school. One parent, typical of many, said, 'Staff not only focus on the academic and developmental needs, but also actively support our whole family, offering resources, guidance, and regular check-ins to ensure we are all well supported.'
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's commitment to personalising each pupil's learning journey at the school is ambitious. This is realised through staff knowing the pupils exceptionally well. Staff understand and know what pupils know and can do. This enables staff to develop carefully personalised programmes of study that support pupils to develop key academic, self-help and social skills. Consequentially, pupils learn new knowledge and skills in the right order, as well as develop their confidence and resilience.
The school has established a culture focused on pupils' enjoyment and the purposefulness of reading. Staff across the school, from Nursery to sixth form, maximise opportunities to share and experience reading and books. Pupils are read to often and careful consideration is taken to bring stories to life through multi-sensory adaptations. For those pupils who are early readers they learn the foundations of reading needed to become fluent. Staff regularly check the sounds pupil know. They personalise interventions to help those falling behind to keep up. The books they read are matched to their stage of learning.
From Ofsted's November 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its April 2019 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
39.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism, Multi-sensory, SLD +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
48 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
Keep up with Riverside School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Riverside School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Riverside School is in Bromley; for families living there:
Apply to Bromley for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 32
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 31 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 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
113%
Over capacity
360 pupils
319 places
41 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Orpington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Orpington
Across Bromley council
Places available
4,001
Applications
3,651
Got 1st preference
66.3%
Got preferred school
93.0%
All secondary applications across Bromley council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
360
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Riverside School has a resourced provision for autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 319 places, 319 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
360
Total Pupils
261
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
63
Teachers
5.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,554
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.8%
Overall absence
35.8%
Persistent absence
288
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 School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Riverside School
What are GCSE results like at Riverside School?
In the 2025 results, pupils at Riverside School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Riverside School's Ofsted rating?
Riverside School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Riverside School?
No fixed boundary. When Riverside School is oversubscribed, Bromley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Riverside School?
Riverside School has around 360 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Riverside School have specialist SEN provision?
Riverside School has a resourced provision for autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 319 places, 319 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Riverside School?
11.8% of sessions were missed at Riverside School in 2024/25. 35.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Riverside School?
Apply through Bromley's coordinated admissions process, naming Riverside 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 School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 32 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 31 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Bromley is 19 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Riverside School?
Riverside School is at Main Road, St Paul's Cray, Orpington, Kent, BR5 3HS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)