Riverside School is a council-run special school in Orpington, Bromley, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports autism, multi-sensory, severe learning and 1 other need.
- Ages 3–19
- 360 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 360 (places for 319)
- Headteacher
- Steve Solomons (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2007
- Free school meals
- 38.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Bromley
- School reference (URN)
- 135232
Needs it supports
4 needs: autism, multi-sensory and 2 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bromley (7)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Bromley (2)
Sensory and physical
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Bromley (3)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bromley council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, April 2019; standards maintained (November 2024)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in April 2019. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, November 2024).
Contact and getting there
Main Road, St Paul's Cray, Orpington, BR5 3HS
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Midfield Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.7 miles
- Woodview Independent · Ages 7–19 · Ofsted: Good 1.1 miles
- Poverest Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
By need in Bromley: Autism (10) · Severe learning (8) · Speech and language (6) · SEMH (4) · Hearing (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Physical (4) · Moderate learning (3) · PMLD (3) · Vision (2)
Questions about Riverside School
How do I get a place at Riverside School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Riverside School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Riverside School support?
Autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Riverside School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Riverside School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Riverside School?
Main Road, St Paul's Cray, Orpington, BR5 3HS, in Bromley.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.