Ofsted issues update after St Neots school rated inadequate in areas and told to improve

The school has continued to be monitored after its previous inspection

Ofsted has issued an update after a follow up visit to a school rated inadequate. The watchdog carried out its latest monitoring visit at Riverside Meadows Academy in St Neots, and outlined some improvements and some concerns which reamin.

The school, which is on Almond Road and part of Horizons Education Trust, has continued to be monitored by Ofsted after it was rated ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’ in June 2025. During the monitoring visit in June this year, inspectors recognised that the school had now fully established the new curriculum pathways for pupils however, this was not due to be started until September. Therefore, it was deemed too soon to assess the impact of this work.

The report outlines that the school has “not ensured that the curriculum sets out how pupils’ existing knowledge helps them secure new learning” which means teaching does not link new knowledge to what pupils already know.

The report adds: “Consequently, pupils find it difficult to secure new knowledge and do not learn as well as they should. The school and trust must ensure that the curriculum clearly sets out how prior learning links to new knowledge.”

During the inspection, inspectors identified that the school had not ensured its staff had the needed subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach the curriculum as intended. The education watchdog added: “As a result, teaching does not provide pupils with clear explanations of new information, adaptations that help them engage or suitable activities they need to secure learning.”

According to Ofsted, some strategies to support pupils who struggle to regularly attend school “often lack the focus to directly address individual pupils’ needs and barriers”, meaning some pupils “do not feel adequately supported to return to school”.

The monitoring visit also revealed that staff do not understand why changes are implemented which has led to marked provision differences between the two school sites. However, in terms of leadership and governance, inspectors noticed trustees and leaders continue to move the school forward “on its journey of improvement”.

The trust keeps a close eye on standards and holds leaders to account for their work, Ofsted confirmed. The report stated: “Leaders have had a positive impact in a short period of time on the areas of improvement identified at the last inspection. They have done this despite some recent unforeseen challenges.”

Since the last inspection, the school has moved to having one executive head teacher who oversees both sites. Each site now has a head of school and an assistant head teacher.

Executive Headteacher at Riverside Meadows Academy Kate Lovegrove, said she is “pleased” that the watchdog recognised the school’s “significant progress” in a short period of time. She added: “The report highlights the strength of our leadership, the commitment of our staff and the positive improvements in attendance, behaviour and pupil engagement across both sites.

“We recognise that there is still important work to do, but we are excited about the year ahead and confident that the improvements already in place, alongside our new curriculum, will make an even greater difference for our pupils.”

Riverside Meadows caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school has a capacity of 120, but 119 pupils were on roll at the time of the inspection.

Adam Dabin, CEO, Horizons Educations Trust, said: “We are delighted with the continued progress being made at Riverside Meadows Academy, which has once again been recognised by Ofsted. The commitment and determination of our staff, leaders and trustees is making a real difference for our pupils, and it is particularly encouraging to see improvements in attendance, behaviour and engagement.

“We are proud of the journey we are on and look forward to building on this strong foundation as we work towards making Riverside Meadows Academy a leading SEMH provision in Cambridgeshire.”