Carr Infant School in Acomb in York in special measures

Carr Infant School, in Ostman Road in Acomb, has 211 pupils aged between three and seven and is currently working with Excel Learning Trust, with a view to academising and joining the trust in the near future.

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Leaders at the school, which was rated ‘good’ at its last inspection in 2022, have responded to the Ofsted inspection report, confirming that decisive action is already underway to address the areas identified for improvement.

Matthew Oxley, interim head of school, said: “We accept the inspectors’ findings, all of which we had already identified and begun to address through the school’s partnership with Excel Learning Trust.

“We are pleased the report recognises the ‘renewed energy’ within our leadership and the commitment of our staff.

“While there is significant work ahead to reach the standards our children deserve, we now have the right plans and the right support in place to drive these improvements rapidly.”

Matthew Oxley interim head at Carr Infant School (Image: Supplied)

The inspection which took place at the end of January and resulted in the school being placed into special measures.

Mr Oxley said that recognising the need for specialised expertise during a period of leadership instability, the governing body proactively sought the expertise of Excel Learning Trust, who started working with the school at the start of January 2026.

Ofsted noted that this strategic change has infused the school with a “renewed sense of energy, vision and drive.”

Crucially, inspectors highlighted that senior leaders had already identified the most urgent priorities and moved decisively to establish effective frameworks to address them.

The report confirmed that the school’s new plans for improvement are “appropriate, precise, and aligned with the school’s needs”.

Inspectors further recognised that staff feel well-supported, understand the need for change and are fully committed to securing further improvements for pupils.

The report also highlighted that “pupils feel safe, settled and happy. They enjoy coming to school and most attend regularly” and “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”.

In order to address the areas for improvement identified by Ofsted, Carr Infant School is embedding a Rapid Improvement Plan that builds on the work which had already started prior to the inspection. Key priorities include strengthening curriculum expertise, raising academic expectations, and improving attendance for all pupil groups.

As part of the Special Measures process, Carr Infant School will receive regular monitoring visits from Ofsted to track progress and provide assurance as improvements continue.

Carr Infant School in Acomb (Image: Google Street View)