York Steiner School, York
York Steiner School is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in York. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
York Steiner School in detail
York Steiner School in its own words
In its own words: "This is a place where children are celebrated and expert teachers and specialists deliver exciting, hands-on lessons in imaginative and inspiring ways. We’re part of a family of 27 successful UK and Irish Steiner schools and 1,100 worldwide where, in many countries, Steiner schools are part of state-funded education and considered mainstream."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:50am and after-school care, from £5 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to York Steiner School are OneSchool Global York Campus (0.8 miles), The Mount School (York) (1.1 miles), Bootham School (1.6 miles) and St Peter's School 2-18 (1.7 miles).
OneSchool Global York CampusThe Mount School (York)Bootham SchoolSt Peter's School 2-18
Who goes there
In 2026, 27 pupils (13.7%) received SEN support and 4 (2%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Main Entrance, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Imphal Barracks (opposite), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood York Steiner School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 17 March 2026: The school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
York Steiner School creates a welcoming, inclusive environment where wellbeing is prioritized and pupils feel safe and cared for. The curriculum offers a broad, nature-based approach with plenty of outdoor and practical learning opportunities. Pupils with additional needs are supported in a respectful, collegiate atmosphere where they learn alongside their peers.
Key Strengths
- Pupils feel safe and well cared for with effective safeguarding practices in place
- Inclusive, welcoming environment where pupils with SEND learn alongside peers in a supportive atmosphere
- Robust recruitment procedures and staff training ensure child safety
- Broad curriculum rooted in nature with practical and outdoor learning opportunities
- Clear action plan accepted by the Department for Education with realistic timescales
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum sequences lack coherence in some areas - concepts do not clearly build from early years through upper school
- Staff do not use assessment information consistently well to plan teaching or identify misconceptions
- Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not precise enough, leading to tasks that are too difficult
- Writing instruction needs improvement - pupils lack sufficient independent practice and often form letters incorrectly
- Leadership and teaching remain unstable - staff need further training to implement curriculum consistently
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - pupils feel safe, know who to report concerns to, staff receive regular training and record concerns promptly and accurately.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor learning, practical activities, qualifications in English language and mathematics, combined diploma
York Steiner School is an independent school for ages 3-16 that does not currently meet all independent school standards. While the school has begun addressing previous compliance issues, much of this work remains in early stages and standards remain unmet.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby all-through schools
Latest from York Steiner School
Harvest - observing the gifts of the natural world
30 Sep 2026
Free Family events! For York Environment Month
18 Sep 2026
York Steiner School students take first GCSEs
20 Aug 2026
‘Treasuring Childhood’ - Early Years Campaign
10 Jul 2026
The Gift of Visual Images through Blackboards
3 Jul 2026
Nurturing Lifelong Curiosity
3 Jul 2026
From York Steiner School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with York Steiner School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near York Steiner School.
- Kumon York Fulford Centre810m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in York is 12.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
72%
Available places
197 pupils
275 places
78 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - York
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for York
Across York council
Places available
1,977
Applications
1,772
Got 1st preference
93.7%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across York council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent School standard inspection
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
27
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
15.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
100
Boys
97
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
York Steiner School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about York Steiner School
What is York Steiner School's Ofsted rating?
York Steiner School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
Does York Steiner School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in September 2025, York Steiner School did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in March 2026, the school did not meet all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to York Steiner School?
York Steiner School has around 197 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to York Steiner School?
York Steiner School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
Does York Steiner School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of York Steiner School: Kumon York Fulford Centre (810m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near York Steiner School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in York is 12.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Where is York Steiner School?
York Steiner School is at Danesmead, Fulford Cross, York, North Yorkshire, YO10 4PB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)