We are an alternative provision free school situated within the City of Nottingham, delivering education to 12-16 year-olds who, for a variety of reasons, have found it difficult to enjoy, engage and succeed in a mainstream school, or are currently without a school place.

We work in partnership with over 25 commissioning schools and authorities to educate young people who choose to continue their pre-16 education as part of a small school community, studying a curriculum of GCSE, BTEC and vocational qualifications. Our school provides a supportive and aspirational environment that aims to ensure students make the necessary academic progress in order to achieve relevant qualifications that provide a pathway to a sustainable post-16 destination.

Our students learn in small classes and we are able to provide a tailored curriculum of learning and personal development for students in years 8, 9, 10 and 11. We aim to include all students in every aspect of school life and meet their individual needs by removing barriers to learning, raising their self-esteem and building confidence and resilience.

I am proud and privileged to be able to introduce you to CP Riverside School, a school that aims to “create possibilities through alternative education.”

Our school provides opportunities for students in years 8-11 who for a variety of reasons no longer receive a mainstream education, to achieve and develop alongside peers in an aspirational and supportive school environment. Our school does have several similarities to a mainstream school, such as the structure of the school day and 50-minute teacher-led lessons. Still, there are also many differences such as our restorative and relational approach to improving behaviour, and the frequency of mentoring and coaching opportunities ensuring all students receive the individual and personalised support that they need.

We provide a high-quality education for students who wish to be part of a small-school community and value a knowledge-rich education experience. Our curriculum allows students to study a combination of GCSE and vocational subjects, in line with the typical offer of mainstream schools. We believe that it is essential that our students achieve recognised qualifications and be able to compete with mainstream peers for post-16 places and move one step closer to achieving their career ambition.

Our staff are committed to ensuring that students have a positive and memorable experience at CP Riverside, grow and develop as young adults and contribute to their local community positively.

I encourage you to get in touch if you wish to visit or would like to know more about our fantastic school.

Mark Eyre

Principal

Our school allows students to have a fresh start in education. We take a student-centred approach to identify barriers to learning and work with the student to break these barriers down, to allow them to achieve their potential both academically and personally. We strive to meet the needs of all of our students, recognising that one size does not fit all, and help them develop resilience and skills to prepare them for the world of work.

Building positive relationships is at the heart of everything we do and by taking the time to get to know our students, we can mentor, guide and support them to thrive and be themselves. We recognise that emotions can get the better of us all and students will make mistakes, but if they are willing to engage, we will give them the support and opportunity to unpick situations, resolve issues and move on.

As the SENCo of the school, I am proud, every year, of the incredible achievements, and personal developments made by our students, supported and encouraged by an experienced body of staff.

Stef Smith

Assistant Principal | SENCo

CP Riverside has the best of both worlds: mainstream education in an alternative environment.

Our aim is to ensure that every young adult who joins our school has access to a high quality programme of study. The curriculum we offer is broad, varied and taught by teachers who have a deep understanding of their subject but also see the importance of developing positive relationships with their learners; understanding the person behind the learning is key to success.

As Assistant Principal, I have the privilege of leading a team of fantastic teachers whose main priority is to empower students and let them see their academic potential. They have an outstanding ability to support, guide and nurture students to get them where they want to be in the world. Students leave CP Riverside feeling valued, confident and able to stand against their peers having had access to the same level and breadth of education.

Gemma Blacow

Assistant Principal | School Standards

The CP Riverside Way is fundamental in ensuring our students are able to learn in an environment that focuses on recognising positive changes, the importance of using positive language and demonstrating behaviours that will allow them to access the benefits of being educated at CP Riverside. Our staff are expected to build secure relationships with our students, offer praise wherever possible and challenge negative behaviour in a non-confrontational manner. We adopt the PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) practice to enable students to feel safe and secure whilst at CP Riverside.

• Playfulness is about creating an atmosphere of lightness and interest when communicating, about creating an environment where no one feels judged or criticised. Playful moments reassure students that disagreements and conflict are only temporary and will not harm the strength of the relationship
• Acceptance is about communicating to the student that we accept their wishes, thoughts, feelings and motivations that are underneath any outward negative behaviour. Accepting any student’s intentions does not mean accepting the behaviours that are demonstrated. Our students recognise that whilst negative mindsets and behaviours are challenged, it is done so without causing damage to the relationship
• Curiosity enables us to further understand the motives or reasons for the way a student is feeling or behaving. We use curiosity as a way of supporting students to reflect upon a situation and adopt a solution-focussed approach. As curiosity is non-judgemental, this can help our students to be open to how they, and other people, are thinking and feeling. Curiosity lets students stay open and engaged in conversations, which over time should leave to a more positive response.
• Empathy allows our students to feel the member of staff’s compassion for them. Recognising a situation could be difficult for a student, demonstrates that we do not expect our students to journey challenges alone.

East Midlands Education Trust (EMET) is a partnership of schools originally formed in September 2014. We are pleased to have grown to a trust of over 20 schools with a tight geographical focus on the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire areas.

Our mission is to raise the educational standards and improve the life chances of all the children within our partnership. Our schools are high performing schools who represent the full age range of 3-19, along with an alternative education provider, and we place great emphasis on collaborative working across the Trust within a family of schools approach.

Our schools enjoy a high degree of ‘aligned autonomy’ whilst, at the same time, they are supported by a central trust team who help ensure our schools provide the highest quality of provision possible.

The East Midlands Education Trust is committed to equality of opportunity for all.

In return, we offer the following benefits:

• Annual Leave - Support staff are entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement which increases with length of service in addition to the 8 statutory public holidays.
• Pension - Automatic enrolment to the Local Government Pension Scheme for support staff and Teachers’ Pension Scheme for teaching staff.
• Cyclescheme - Save between 25-39% on a bike and accessories as well as reducing your Carbon Footprint. *
• Medical Services - Free access to an Employee Assistance Programme which includes a 24/7 GP Helpline, access to wellbeing apps and much more… * 

* Available to permanent, contracted employees only