Carr Infant School, York

Ofsted's report card from its inspection grades Carr Infant School on 7 areas: 3 needs attention and 4 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Since the previous full inspection, leaders have implemented the new approach to managing pupils' behaviour effectively."

Early years - Needs attention. "Since the previous full inspection, leaders have revised the curriculum for children in the early years."

Inclusion - 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."

Achievement - 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."

Curriculum and teaching - Urgent improvement. "Since the previous full inspection, leaders have improved the curriculum to ensure that pupils build their knowledge and skills securely over time."

Leadership and governance - Urgent improvement. "The school currently relies on external support from the Excel Learning Trust to lead the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Urgent improvement. "The development and success of current curriculum for personal, social and health education is at an early stage."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "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"; "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"; "Leaders should maintain a sharp focus on improving attendance and reducing persistent absence, especially for disadvantaged pupils".

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include gymnastics, basketball, multi-sports, yoga, dance, Lego, STEM and cooking.

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.

Coming up: an open day on Thursday 5 November 2026, an admissions event on Monday 9 November 2026, an open day on Friday 13 November 2026 and an admissions event on Thursday 26 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

For September 2026 entry, 56 families put Carr Infant School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Carr Infant School are Carr Infant School (under 0.1 miles); Carr Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 71% reading, 81% maths); Poppleton Road Primary School (0.6 miles, 76% reading, 71% maths); and Acomb Primary School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, 64% reading, 70% maths).

32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Carr Infant School (as of April 2026): 91% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

12.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Carr Infant School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Poppleton Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Almsford Road (westbound), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Carr Infant School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Carr Infant School issued 5 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Carr Infant School are Manor Church of England Academy (0.8 miles), York High School (1 mile) and Vale of York Academy (1.4 miles).