Carr Infant School

Carr Infant School

Address: Ostman Road, Acomb, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 5QA Unique reference number (URN): 121273

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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This school requires special measures

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. However, for some groups, such as those who are in receipt of pupil premium funding, attendance is not as positive. Consequently, they miss important learning. Leaders have revised the expectations for attendance. The school has a well-informed understanding of the barriers affecting pupils’ absence. It has started work with parents and carers, alongside external agencies, to support them effectively. For some groups of pupils, attendance is improving.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Within lessons, pupils often take too much time to settle into their learning. At times, pupils lose interest in learning. On occasion, low-level disruption persists when instructions from staff have not been clear and precise. Recently, leaders have rightly raised expectations for behaviour. A revised approach to managing behaviour by supporting pupils and working with staff has ensured an increased level of consistency.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Around school and when talking to adults, pupils are respectful and proud to be recognised for adhering to the school rules. Children in the early years welcome their friends to join in with their play. At playtimes, older pupils are engaged in purposeful activities.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Typically, pupils, including children in the early years, do not develop the foundational knowledge and skills that they need in reading, writing and mathematics. This is also evident more broadly for pupils who face barriers to learning, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Where pupils have gaps in this important knowledge, staff do not have the knowledge and expertise to address this quickly enough. In most cases, there is a lack of targeted support. Pupils do not secure the detailed knowledge they need to prepare them well enough for their next stage of education. This is reflected in pupils’ low attainment in published outcomes from assessments they take.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Across the wider curriculum subjects, pupils do not achieve well enough because activities are not designed or used carefully enough to reinforce and embed learning. Pupils’ knowledge in these subjects is limited. Leaders have identified the need to secure pupils’ basic knowledge across subject areas. However, many of the actions taken are at the very early stages.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The curriculum, including that in the early years, is not adapted well to meet pupils’ needs or build on their starting points. The knowledge that pupils must learn at each stage is not clearly defined. This means that pupils’ experiences in lessons are focused on task completion rather than ensuring that they gain new knowledge and build on this.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Across the curriculum, pupils do not learn the knowledge that they need to prepare them for their next steps in education. Typically, expectations of what pupils can learn and do are too low. In lessons and in their work, pupils do not secure the important foundational knowledge they need in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Teachers do not identify basic errors swiftly. Pupils are unclear about how to improve and misconceptions in their learning persist. The adaptations that staff make reflect low expectations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. Their learning is not matched to their starting points and does not enable them to close gaps in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders are developing their understand of the weaknesses in the quality of the curriculum. They are prioritising the urgent improvements needed. This includes ensuring that staff have the expertise that they need to teach the curriculum well. This work is at an early stage and the impact of it is limited.

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Early years Urgent improvement

The curriculum does not set out clearly the knowledge that children should learn at each stage. Staff are not clear enough on what the focus of learning is. This hampers the support that staff give to children to help them secure the skills and development they need to prepare them for key stage 1 and beyond.

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Early years Urgent improvement

Leaders recognise the need to strengthen the early years provision. However, purposeful talk between adults and children within the early years provision is limited. Children have few conversations with each other, and interactions with staff are not focused sharply enough on developing children’s language skills.

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Early years Urgent improvement

The opportunities that children have in the learning environment lack the ambition and detail required to support successful learning and development. Many activities that children access do not allow them to apply and practise new knowledge or develop their learning further.

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Early years Urgent improvement

Children in early years benefit from established routines that support positive behaviour. They form early friendships with others and have positive relationships with staff. Children appear happy and settled at school. Children in the Nursery and the Reception classes show an increasing interest in books and stories. The school’s chosen phonics programme is used to support early reading knowledge. Leaders in the early years recognise the importance of developing positive relationships with parents and carers and start this work with them.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Typically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not receive a high-quality education. The curriculum and support that they receive are not effective. These do not ensure that they make sufficient progress from their starting points. Staff use their knowledge to identify pupils’ additional needs. However, leaders do not ensure that staff have the expertise to check how well pupils’ needs are met. Effective support is not put in place in a timely way. Leaders have put in place new procedures and essential training for staff. However, it is too early to see the impact of this and whether this provides sustained improvement for pupils with SEND at the school.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Where the school has provided access to additional support for some pupils to catch up and address gaps in learning, this is not designed or delivered well enough to meet pupils’ needs. Leaders’ monitoring of the impact of this support is limited.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The barriers to learning and achievement for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding are not identified accurately by the school. Support for these pupils is not specifically targeted or matched well to what they need. Therefore, barriers and gaps in learning persist.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders' actions have not been successful in improving areas of the school's provision. Governors do not hold leaders to account sufficiently well.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

There has been a significant period of turbulence at the school. This has included the appointment of several headteachers, as well as changes within the governing body, in a short space of time.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Recently, leaders have brought a renewed sense of energy, vision and drive. Their plans for improvement are appropriate, precise and aligned with the school’s needs. Leaders have identified the most urgent areas in school and have worked quickly to establish effective strategies where this has been needed the most. For example, developing a consistent approach to behaviour management. However, it is too early to see the impact of this work.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff feel positive and supported well by leaders. They value the consideration for their workload and wellbeing. Staff recognise that change is needed and they are committed to making further improvements. Leaders have put in place a carefully considered training programme for staff to develop their skills and expertise.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The governing body has an effective oversight of safeguarding at the school. However, their oversight of educational provision, and particularly the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as the impact of the pupil premium strategy is not robust enough.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The development and success of current curriculum for personal, social and health education is at an early stage. As a result, it is not consistently applied by teachers across school. Pupils do not learn the knowledge that they need to develop their wider understanding of important issues, such as relationships, diversity and keeping healthy.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders have recently prioritised the most important information that pupils need to know in the personal development programme. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online, through daily taught sessions. Key knowledge is reinforced as part of regular assemblies so that pupils are starting to build up their wider knowledge. For example, pupils are developing a basic understanding of the fundamental British values in an age- appropriate way. Although pupils are remembering some of this important learning, this is a very new approach.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Pastoral support is established well in the school. Pupils value this support and care. Those who need additional help to manage their emotions receive this through the school’s pastoral offer, which provides some effective targeted support.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

A planned schedule of visits and visitors is in place to develop pupils’ understanding of the wider community. For example, visits from the local mayor and visits to York Minster. While such experiences offer pupils opportunities out of school, these are not explicitly linked to their curriculum learning in school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs on offer. Pupils who are disadvantaged are supported to attend these clubs and many of them do. For pupils with higher levels of need, the wider offer is more limited.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils do not receive a high-quality education at this school. The curriculum is not designed or taught well enough to meet their needs. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils, including children in the early years, have gaps in their learning. Their basic knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics is not secure. These gaps persist for too long without being addressed. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Turbulence in leadership and staffing over time has led to challenges in making impactful changes that can be sustained.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

More recently, leaders have established higher expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils follow the behaviour rules in place during social times. However, some pupils do not settle quickly enough in lessons and others occasionally disrupt learning. They enjoy being rewarded for making positive choices. Pupils move around the school calmly and sensibly. Pupils feel safe, settled and happy. They enjoy coming to school and most attend regularly. However, disadvantaged pupils miss too much school. Pupils form positive, warm relationships with staff. They know who they can speak to if they have any worries or concerns. They say that there is no bullying here. The school has not considered the broader offer in place to support pupils’ personal development carefully enough. While external visits do take place, these do not enhance important knowledge that pupils need to learn. The curriculum for personal, social and

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

health education is not taught consistently well. Pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn important knowledge, for example, about diversity, relationships and keeping healthy. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to take part in a range of additional clubs.

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Next steps

• Governors must ensure that they develop the skills and expertise needed to enable them to hold leaders to account effectively across all areas of the school’s work. • Leaders should continue to improve how well pupils achieve, particularly in acquiring the foundational knowledge they need in communication, reading, writing and mathematics. • Leaders should strengthen curriculum delivery by ensuring that staff have the expertise and high expectations needed so that pupils secure the key knowledge and skills required to be fully prepared for their next steps. • Leaders should improve the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils to reduce barriers to their learning and wellbeing, in order for them to receive an effective education. • Leaders should ensure that all pupils in school, including those with SEND, receive a personal development programme that provides wider experiences and the knowledge they

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Next steps

need to keep themselves safe and healthy. • Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in the early years is ambitious and designed to clearly identify the key knowledge children should learn at each stage. • Leaders should ensure that staff in early years have the expertise to secure high-quality interactions to help all children develop the necessary foundational knowledge for their future learning. • Leaders should maintain a sharp focus on improving attendance and reducing persistent absence, especially for disadvantaged pupils. • Leaders should improve pupils' behaviour in lessons so that their learning is not impeded by low-level disruption.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Charlotte Crabtree

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the deputy headteacher and the staff. They spoke with the governing body, including the chair of

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Team inspectors:

Helen Hussey, Ofsted Inspector David Roundtree, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

governors, as well as a representative from the local authority.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

The current interim head of school took his post on 5 January 2026.

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What does this mean?

The school currently does not use any alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does this mean?

The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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What does this mean?

Interim Head of School : Matthew Oxley The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 5.2% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.6% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.7% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 15.4% 13.3% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 15.7% 14.6% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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