Riverside Community Special School, Waterlooville

Riverside School is maintained by the Education Department of Hampshire County Council. It is a special school for children experiencing a complex range of needs associated with learning difficulties, including children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASCs), children with physical needs, speech and language difficulties. The school can take up to 105 children. The majority of children are aged between 4 and 11.

The school has a playing field area, large playground and adventure playground. There are specialist areas for PE, food technology and a computerised multi-sensory room. The school makes use of swimming pools at a local pools to run its swimming teaching programme and awards scheme. The school also has Foundation Stage provision for children aged four to five years.

The children are in school for just under 29 hours a week, with 23 hours a week spent in direct teaching and/or learning activities. The school believes that all children should have access to the whole curriculum including the National Curriculum and The Early Years Foundation Stage. Owing to the nature of the special educational needs of the children placed in the school the personal, social, emotional, spiritual and moral development of the child is given high status and viewed as an important part of the whole curriculum experience.