Following a visit by Her Majesty’s Inspector in March 2013 Riverside Junior School has been judged as making good progress in teaching, learning, leadership and management, which were identified by Ofsted in January 2012 as areas for improvement.
HMI Marguerite Murphy spent two days in school and concluded that the school has responded well to the findings of the original Ofsted report, and has already improved significantly in a number of key areas.
The school has also been praised for putting plans in place to continue this improvement throughout the school.
Cabinet Member for Education and Life-long Learning, Cllr Ashley Evans said:
“It’s great news that Riverside Junior School is continuing to improve. The hard work of the staff and pupils has really paid off, and the results of this inspection highlight the improvements the school has already made, and continues to make.”
The inspector reported that progress in management and leadership at all levels was good, as were the improvements in the consistency and quality of teaching across the school. The report stated that:
“There is a much increased level of confidence and trust in the leadership of the school and its capacity to improve.”
Val Eggleton, Head Teacher of Riverside Junior School said:
“I am pleased with the findings of the monitoring visit, and would like to thank the staff, children and governors of the school for their hard work in achieving this result.
“This is really good news for the whole school community, both now and in the future. Riverside has many strengths and this report confirms that we are addressing areas for improvement and, as a team, are driving the school forward rapidly”
The Chair of Governors, Mr John Dermo, commented:
“I am delighted but not surprised with the report. The inspector’s comments confirm my belief that Riverside is on course to receive a good Ofsted rating, and can go on to become an outstanding school.”