Carr Infant School

Carr Infant School

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

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Monitoring inspection: 30 June 2026

Urgent improvement This school had a full inspection on 27 January 2026 . We graded some areas as 'urgent improvement' and 'needs attention' from the full inspection. We carried out a monitoring inspection on 30 June 2026.

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Monitoring inspection: 30 June 2026

Inspectors only considered the areas marked as updated. Inspectors focused on the following areas: Achievement, Attendance and behaviour, Curriculum and teaching, Early years, Inclusion, Leadership and governance. To find out more read our monitoring inspection guidance.

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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 Updated Needs attention

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have implemented the new approach to managing pupils' behaviour effectively. As a result, pupils' behaviour has improved significantly. From the early years, staff maintain high expectations for how pupils should behave and for their attitudes in lessons. Leaders have established a culture where pupils are nurtured and valued highly. Pupils benefit from effective pastoral support. Skilled staff, such as in the school’s Maple provision, provide personalised support for identified pupils when necessary. Leaders rigorously check that staff are consistent in their behaviour management. They continue to refine and embed the behaviour policy so that incidents of poor behaviour are further reduced.

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Attendance and behaviour Updated Needs attention

Attendance was not a focus for this inspection but it remains an ongoing priority for leaders. While there are some indications that rates of attendance are starting to improve for some pupils, the full impact of leaders' actions is not yet evident.

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Early years Updated Needs attention

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have revised the curriculum for children in the early years. It sets out clearly the knowledge that children should learn from the Nursery Year to the end of the Reception Year. Staff are clear what children need to learn, why and when. They ensure that children can make connections in their learning and have purposeful opportunities to practise and develop their understanding in suitably designed activities across the provision. Children play and interact happily with each other.

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Early years Updated Needs attention

Staff have received relevant training to help children to develop their learning. They increasingly interact with children skilfully, developing children's language and communication skills. However, while most staff do this well, there remain some inconsistencies in the effectiveness of the support that staff provide for children.

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Early years Updated Needs attention

The opportunities that children have in the learning environment have improved. The provision now covers all aspects of the curriculum. Teachers design activities to support children's play and learning appropriately. Leaders have suitable plans in place to develop the environment further to ensure that all children benefit from high-quality resources and opportunities.

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Early years Updated Needs attention

Children across the early years are immersed in the joy of reading. They learn phonics well. Leaders have rightly placed high priority on developing children's early writing. Staff make sure that children learn to hold their pens and pencils correctly and form letters accurately. Children are increasingly well prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Updated Needs attention

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have taken swift action to ensure that the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Leaders check the impact of this support regularly. Pupils with SEND are now fully included in school life. Staff have received relevant training to understand the best strategies to support pupils' individual needs. Most pupils with SEND access learning alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND are making better progress from their individual starting points. Pupils' behavioural and social, emotional and mental health needs are now met well. However, although staff use their knowledge to identify pupils’ additional needs, they do not consistently reduce barriers to pupils' learning effectively across the curriculum.

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Inclusion Updated Needs attention

Leaders have ensured that additional support to help some pupils to catch up and address gaps in learning is carefully designed and delivered. Leaders monitor this support rigorously. Although in the early stages, the impact of this extra support is increasingly successful, particularly in supporting pupils' early reading and writing skills.

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Inclusion Updated Needs attention

Leaders now identify the barriers to learning and achievement for disadvantaged pupils in receipt of additional funding. They have made sure that support for these pupils is specifically targeted to what they need. Leaders' strategy for the coming academic year is thoughtfully designed to nurture pupils' academic and personal outcomes and raise their aspirations.

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Achievement Updated Urgent improvement

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have improved the curriculum and quality of teaching to ensure that pupils, including children in the early years, develop important knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. This includes for pupils who face barriers to learning, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have received appropriate training to develop their knowledge and expertise to help pupils to learn and achieve well. Leaders provide extra targeted support for pupils when necessary. Despite these improvements being in their infancy, more pupils are beginning to secure the detailed knowledge they need in reading, writing and mathematics. This is reflected in children's improving progress from their starting points by the end of the Reception Year and in pupils' increased achievement in the Year 1 phonics screening check. However, pupils continue to make fewer gains in knowledge and skills in other subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Since the previous full inspection, leaders have improved the curriculum to ensure that pupils build their knowledge and skills securely over time. The knowledge that pupils must learn at each stage is clearly defined. However, in some curriculum subjects, pupils’ experiences in lessons are still focused on task completion rather than building on prior knowledge and developing understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Staff have received relevant training to improve teaching and learning in reading, writing and mathematics. In other curriculum subjects, pupils do not learn the knowledge that they need to prepare them for their next steps in education. Although expectations of what pupils can learn and do have been raised, teachers do not ensure that pupils learn equally well in all subjects. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall important knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Updated Urgent improvement

Teachers have begun to make purposeful adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Learning for these pupils is now more precisely matched to their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. However, teachers do not make appropriate adaptations to teaching and learning in other subjects.

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Leadership and governance Updated Urgent improvement

The school currently relies on external support from the Excel Learning Trust to lead the school. Since the previous full inspection, leaders, with the help of the external support of the trust, have made rapid and necessary improvements to the school. They have rightly prioritised improvements in pupils' behaviour, curriculum and teaching in the early years and in reading, writing and mathematics across the school. Leaders' actions are beginning to establish successful changes. For example, the school now has an inclusive culture.

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Leadership and governance Updated Urgent improvement

Leaders, supported by the external trust, are implementing plans for improvement that are well considered and accurately targeted. They rigorously monitor the impact of their actions to ensure they are effective and can be sustained. Leaders are taking the right steps and have an accurate understanding of what needs developing further so that pupils experience a better quality of education.

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Leadership and governance Updated Urgent improvement

The governing body is working closely with the external trust to improve its oversight of the school. Leaders and governors have ensured that the school's strategy for the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is appropriately focused and considers pupils' individual barriers and how to address them.

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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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Monitoring inspection : 30 June 2026

Since the previous full inspection, the quality of education has improved in reading, writing and mathematics. In these subjects, the needs of most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils, are met with increased precision. However, although the school is supporting pupils more effectively to catch up, gaps in some pupils' learning persist. Pupils in Year 2 are not as well prepared for their next stage in education as they should be. Pupils' learning of wider curriculum subjects is variable. Teachers do not make effective adaptations to support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils to learn these subjects well.

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Monitoring inspection : 30 June 2026

Changes to the curriculum, teaching and provision for children in the early years have supported children to develop important foundations of knowledge with increasing success. However, these changes are recent and some inconsistencies in support and the quality of provision remain.

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Monitoring inspection : 30 June 2026

Leaders have established high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils' behaviour and attitudes towards learning have improved significantly. The school is a mostly calm environment. Pupils generally concentrate in lessons. They enjoy demonstrating 'good sitting' and achieving recognition for their behaviour and hard work. As a result, pupils, including children in the early years, are ready to learn and are eager to do their best.

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Full inspection : 27 January 2026

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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Full inspection : 27 January 2026

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.

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Full inspection : 27 January 2026

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 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

Leaders should continue to develop the school's approach to behaviour management to ensure that all staff consistently reinforce high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Leaders should further develop the new approaches to curriculum and teaching in the early years and continue to improve the effectiveness of staff to ensure that children develop secure foundations for future learning.

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Lead inspector:

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should ensure that teachers use appropriate and consistent strategies to address barriers to learning across the curriculum effectively. 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 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 need to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should maintain a sharp focus on improving attendance and reducing persistent absence, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

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About this inspection

The inspectors conducted this monitoring inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005. It was carried out to evaluate the progress leaders have made in improving the evaluation areas graded as ‘Urgent improvement’ and ‘Needs attention’ at the previous full inspection.

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About this inspection

This was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the full inspection that took place in January 2026.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was to identify and report on the school’s progress in addressing the priorities for improvement set out in the report card from the full inspection. Inspectors may change a grade for one or more evaluation area determined at the full inspection based on evidence gathered during the monitoring inspection.

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About this inspection

The school is receiving ongoing external support from the Excel Learning Trust.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Matthew Oxley This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 27 January 2026

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What does this mean?

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 6 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 needs support 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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