Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School, Rochester
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Rochester, part of The Pilgrim Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 49% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School in detail
Getting a place at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 72 families put Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 167 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 14 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School are St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); All Faiths Children's Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 74% maths); English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles); and St Nicholas CEVC Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding).
St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolAll Faiths Children's AcademyEnglish Martyrs' Catholic Primary SchoolSt Nicholas CEVC Primary School
The trust
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is one of 4 schools run by The Pilgrim Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
74 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (55%).
Who goes there
11.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Black (29%) and Mixed (14%).
Staffing
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School had 16 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rochester Rail Station, about 260 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rochester Guildhall Museum, 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School issued 16 suspensions, 6.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School are Fort Pitt Grammar School (0.9 miles), Maritime Academy (0.9 miles) and Leigh Academy Strood (1.7 miles).
Fort Pitt Grammar SchoolMaritime AcademyLeigh Academy Strood
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Rochester Riverside provides a warm, nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The school prioritises reading and early mathematics, giving children a strong foundation for learning. Staff work closely together to support each pupil's individual needs and help them settle quickly into the school community.
Key Strengths
- Strong start in early years with secure mathematical knowledge and effective staff support
- Reading is a priority with pupils quickly developing phonics knowledge and enjoying well-resourced reading areas throughout the school
- Calm behaviour and positive attitudes to learning, with warm and respectful relationships between pupils and staff
- Effective identification and provision for pupils' special educational needs and disabilities
- Leaders are ambitious and focused on continuous improvement with strong support from the trust
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, the curriculum does not clearly identify the sequence of knowledge and skills pupils need to build deeper subject-specific understanding over time
- Some pupils with SEND do not receive precise, tailored support to help them achieve as well as they could
- Staff need further training and expertise to meet the specific needs of pupils with SEND as the school continues to grow
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Trust-wide sports events, digital leader roles, school council fundraising activities, creative week, reading balcony at playtimes, pastoral support 'the cove' at break times
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is a newly formed primary school that opened in September 2022, currently serving pupils from Nursery through Year 4. The school has been rated Good across all key areas, with pupils showing pride in their school community and strong engagement with learning.
At a Glance
18.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
74 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
24.8
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
25.3
KS2
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School.
- MFSEAt the school · Not yet graded
- RTC Rochester720m away · Not yet graded
- Camp Beaumont - King's Rochester730m away · Not yet graded
- MFSE840m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 58
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 58 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 46 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 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
Your chances of a place at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School for 2023 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Medway got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
49%
Available places
206 pupils
420 places
214 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rochester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rochester
Across Medway council
Places available
3,675
Applications
3,130
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
23.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
298
Total Pupils
138
Boys
160
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,441
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,341
Per pupil
£1622k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
16.6%
Persistent absence
163
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School
What is the catchment area for Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 49% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School average 24.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School has around 298 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 16.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: MFSE (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 58 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 46 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School?
Rochester Riverside Church of England Primary School is at Gas House Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1US.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)