River Valley School

• Location: Rotherham
• Gender: Mixed
• Age Range: 6-18
• Capacity: Up to 45

River Valley School is a small, independent SEMH school for pupils aged 6-18, located in Rotherham, close to Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park.

The school is registered to offer education to 45 pupils with a range of needs, including ADHD, autism, developmental trauma, anxiety, sensory processing difficulties, dyslexia, and attachment difficulties, amongst other varying needs. River Valley School caters to individual needs within very small class groups of pupils, promoting social engagement.

Our Mission

At River Valley School, we look to develop well-rounded, confident and responsible individuals who aspire to achieve their full potential. We will do this by providing a welcoming, happy, safe, and supportive learning environment in which everyone is equal, and all achievements are celebrated.

We believe that a happy child is a successful one. We are committed to providing a positive, safe and stimulating environment for children to learn, where all are valued. All children should enjoy their learning, achieve their potential and become independent lifelong learners.

Our Values

Our Facilities

Our site offers a range of extra-curricular activities including outdoor pursuits, a kitchen for cooking and developing life skills, a sensory room, a therapy room and several nurturing classrooms. We also make use of the local area and provide a robust off-site curriculum too.

Our Curriculum

We at River Valley believe that ‘One size does not fit all’. We offer a bespoke curriculum to meet the needs of every pupil, and push for our pupils to achieve their full potential.

Trauma Informed

River Valley School staff are trained to work therapeutically, using trauma-informed strategies with pupils, to recognise potential triggers for the individual children they work with. We have an art therapist who attends our site weekly, providing direct therapy to pupils who require it. In addition, our therapist offers consultations and reflective practice to our staff team and facilitates some of our team training.

While a selection of our school policies are available to download, please contact education@five-rivers.org if you can’t find what you’re looking for.