Welcome to the Riverhead Infants' School Website. As you explore the site we hope you will develop an understanding of our vision and share in our achievements.
At Riverhead we believe that all children thrive in an environment in which they are happy, challenged and secure. Secure in the knowledge they are safe and cared for. Challenged to achieve their best, and happy in the knowledge they are each appreciated for their individuality and their achievements.
We have high expectations of all our children, and endeavour to enable them each to achieve their potential. We aim to enable them to develop self-confidence and independence, recognising that each and everyone has a part to play as a responsible member of our learning community.
The curriculum we provide is broad and balanced with emphasis upon the development of social and emotional skills which provide secure foundations for the academic, creative and physical development of all our children. The environment we provide for this is stimulating and exciting with recognition that education takes place both in the classroom and outside, and through a range of learning styles.
Within our community we welcome the parents of our pupils acknowledging the vital role they play in the education of their children. An active partnership and effective collaboration between home and school ensures our children are provided with a start to their school life that is second to none.
As you explore our website join with us in celebrating our continued success and our vision for the future. If you require any further information regarding our school please contact us and we will be only too pleased to help.
I look forward to offering a warm welcome to you and your children.
Mrs. Heather Powell
Headteacher
Vision
Education at its best.
Mission
At Riverhead Infants' School we strive to help one another to become rounded, independent and successful so that we maximise our potential, our progression and our engagement with life. This is education at its best.
Values
At Riverhead Infants' School we value:
Riverhead Infants' School was founded in 1871 by the Lord and Lady Amherst, who lived locally. The School badge incorporates part of the Amherst family crest, the arrows commemorating the coming together of the Amherst brothers after the Battle of Quebec. This badge can be seen on the front of our former main building and on one of the stained glass windows in St Mary's Church, Riverhead.
The original School was an all-age Primary School but in 1966 the 7 to 11 year old children moved to a new Junior School site, Amherst County Junior School, in Witches Lane.
The two Schools continued to enjoy a close link with each other and had the same Governing Body until January 1995. It was then decided, for financial and administrative reasons, that the two schools were too large for one Governing Body to govern effectively and separate Governing Bodies were formed. The two Headteachers serve on the Governing Body of both schools, as do some Governors.
The School had its first Ofsted Inspection in September 1996.
In May 1998 the School was awarded a "Certificate of Excellence" from the Department for Education and Employment and was recognised as an "exceptionally successful school".
Also at this time, the School was invited to apply to become one of the Government's new "Beacon Schools" where the Staff could demonstrate good practice to other schools.
In the Summer Term of 1998, the Department for Education and Employment announced that £1.06 million would be available for the rebuilding of Riverhead County Infants' School.
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We finally received planning permission for the rebuilding of the school on the site opposite Amherst School, on 25th March 2001. Building work started on 6th April 2001 and the School opened on it's present site in September 2002.
The old school was located in a Victorian building on Amherst Hill for 131 years. The original school building was far too small, accommodating just one classroom, the main hall, and staff offices. The remaining classes were situated in the temporary huts. It was not feasible to rebuild on the old site due to access problems, and the concern about mixing building works with small children.
A high priority for the School, Planners and the Design team was to minimise congestion due to traffic and parking when parents were delivering and collecting children. A Travel Plan was submitted as part of the Planning Application which set out how to minimise traffic congestion by different means, including, amongst others, walking buses, car sharing, and modifying existing bus routes and timetables. Many of the pedestrian routes were examined and improvements made, such as the resurfacing of the footpath which runs through Montreal Park to Brittains Lane.
In a departure from traditional design, the building has a low curved roof supported by a series of steel arches. The roof looks like grass but is actually planted with 'Sedum', a moss like plant. A strong feature of the design was that it must be child friendly, and a fun place to learn. This ethos can be seen in many places in the school, such as the circular porthole windows found through the building. Seen through a child's eyes, the bold reds and blues of the entrance and assembly halls, coupled with the triangular and rectangular shapes, are extremely visually stimulating.
Every classroom faces South, with large floor to ceiling glass windows providing natural daylight and allowing even the smallest child uninhibited views of the playground and countryside beyond.
Seen from a distance with adult eyes, the school can be startling as it is not a traditionally built school, but taken from the perspective of a young child, the school provides a stimulating environment which encourages growth. The school was also selected for the 2002 Royal Academy summer exhibition, where it was on display next to projects by Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.
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Architects Design Partnership (ADP) submitted plans for designing a sustainable school in Sevenoaks, Kent. The 270-pupil infants school was conceived as an extension of the green belt in which it sits. The school's low, curved roof was planted with sedum so that the surrounding pastureland appears to sweep over the building, while the hall and entrance are formally expressed as a blue cube and red triangle which burst through the roof. The deep-plan, flexible building is arranged around two winter gardens, and rooflights provide additional ventilation and light. All classrooms face south towards the playing field, with full-height glazing leading to outdoor teaching spaces.
The design has been independently audited under the Building Research Establishment's 'Design Advice-Towards Greener Buildings' initiative. The analysis covers a range of issues, including siting, building fabric, water economy, energy management, material selection and environmental issues. A detailed travel plan is an integral part of the proposal, with a 'walking bus', upgraded footpaths and crossings, and a managed dropping-off area aimed at minimising car journeys to the new school - a recent survey indicated that Sevenoaks has more cars per household than anywhere else in the UK. ADP won the commission in competition, beating Brookes Stacey Randall, Arup Associates, Kent Property Services and Barnsley Hewitt and Mallinson. Construction work started in the Spring 2001 and completed in September 2002.
Architect: Architects Design Partnership
Quantity Surveyor: Close Morton & Company
Structural Engineer: Anthony Ward Partnership
Services Engineer: Slender Winter Partnership
Landscape Consultant: Robert Rummey Associates
Highways: Babtie Group
Travel Plan: TPK Consulting
The contents of this page were last updated on Wed, 8 Feb 2012
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