We are made up of three parts: Riverside College, Marlborough House Adolescent Unit (Tier 4 CAMHS) and the Hospital Education, Tuition and Outreach Service (HETOS).

Riverside College is a nurture-based provision, focusing on holistic learning in order to develop young people’s resilience, self-confidence and self-esteem. In addition to offering a range of subjects alongside core learning, including Art, Food and BTECs, all students follow our EOTAS Personal Development Curriculum (PDC). Our Student Action Team meets regularly, contributing their ideas and views which help the ongoing shaping of our college, as well as defining our rewards trips and other enrichment activities.

Students are successful at Riverside in that they are supported so that they can. Class sizes are small to support students to engage in learning, when previously they may have struggled to engage in a mainstream setting for a variety of reasons including Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). We use Oasis as a break-out space for students during learning when required, and offer quiet space at breaks and lunchtimes for young people who may prefer to eat away from the main dining area. We offer 1:1 therapeutic art sessions delivered by an onsite practitioner; referrals are completed in-house in response to need.

A number of our students have EHCPs with a small number being single-registered with us. Mainstream referrals to us request specific intents including working towards reintegration back into mainstream; functioning as part of the graduated pathway towards gaining an EHCP; supporting towards post-16 pathways as well as acting as a ‘re-set’ to re-engage with learning as part of a short-term placement. We work closely with our families and professionals, and have scheduled regular reviews with our mainstream referring schools to evaluate the progress of our young people.

The Riverside team is committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment for our young people. We are committed to supporting our students towards becoming successful, positive and resilient young adults.

The Medical Provision is made up of four sections –

• Marlborough House, The Adolescent Unit School – A Tier 4 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit (CAMHS) which is part of Oxford Health (students aged 11-18)
• Hospital and Education, Tuition and Outreach Service (students aged 4-16)
• Great Western Hospital in Swindon (students aged 4-18)
• 1:1 Tuition Service (students aged 11-16)

Staff carry out a daily ward round at the Great Western Hospital to ensure students can access learning if they are able to.

Schools and community nursing teams can refer in for tuition if a young person is unable to access a school.