York Steiner School, York
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
York Steiner School creates a warm, caring environment where pupils are happy and develop strong relationships with staff. The school's holistic Steiner approach encourages practical learning alongside academic knowledge, and excellent early years provision sets children up well. The school excels at developing well-rounded citizens through community service, creativity and responsibility roles, with strong support for mental health and well-being.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are polite, happy and have strong relationships with staff, reflecting the caring Steiner ethos
- Excellent early years provision (Kindergarten) with well-balanced self-initiated play and adult-led activities
- High-quality spiritual, moral, social and cultural development with emphasis on creativity, responsibility and community service
- Well-considered careers provision helping pupils explore their strengths and interests
- Staff are supported effectively in their development and well-being
Areas for Improvement
- Phonics teaching is not implemented consistently - staff lack sufficient training and reading books are not well-matched to pupils' phonic knowledge
- Curriculum sequencing is weak in some subjects, limiting pupils' ability to develop knowledge and skills effectively over time
- Support for pupils with SEND is not rigorous enough and their needs are not met consistently well
- New subject leaders lack professional development opportunities to strengthen curriculum oversight
- Some curriculum aspects do not enable pupils to access a coherent sequence of learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear policies and processes in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Annual class plays, project work following pupils' own interests, buddy system, carol singing, community litter picking, modern foreign languages, music
York Steiner School requires improvement overall. The school follows the Steiner Waldorf curriculum and has strong relationships and positive behaviour, but weaknesses in phonics teaching and SEND support mean it does not meet some independent school standards.
Fees (2025)
Day fee
£3,481/term
£10,444/yr
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
72%
Available places
197 pupils
275 capacity
78 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - York
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for York
Admissions Demand - York
Places available
1,977
Applications
1,865
Got 1st preference
93.7%
Got preferred school
98.7%
Secondary admissions across York (2025/26)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
York Steiner School
St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Knavesmire Primary School
St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy
Fishergate Primary School
St Lawrence's Church of England Primary School
Scarcroft Primary School
St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Dringhouses Primary School
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy
Lord Deramore's Primary School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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