(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
There have been “rapid and necessary” improvements at a York primary school placed in special measures due to previous poor performance, a watchdog has said.
Ofsted said Carr Infant School remains in special measures following it being rated “inadequate” earlier this year.
But the inspectors said pupil behaviour has “improved significantly” due to work being done by bosses at the school in Ostman Road, Acomb.
Carr Infant School in Acomb (Image: Google Street View)
Matt Oxley, head of Carr Infant School, welcomed Ofsted's findings but said he recognised there is “more work to do” to improve further.
The school has 211 pupils aged between three and seven and is currently working with Excel Learning Trust, with a view to become an academy and joining the trust.
Ofsted said pupils at Carr Infant School benefit from effective pastoral support and school leaders “rigorously check that staff are consistent in their behaviour management”.
Inspectors also found the school has taken “swift action” to ensure that support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective.
Ofsted found that school leaders have improved the curriculum and quality of teaching.
But the watchdog said pupils “continue to make fewer gains in knowledge and skills in other subjects”.
Ofsted also found that school leaders have improved the curriculum to ensure that pupils build their knowledge and skills over time.
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Inspectors did, however, say that in some curriculum subjects, pupils’ experiences in lessons are still focused on task completion rather than building on prior knowledge and developing understanding.
“Staff have received relevant training to improve teaching and learning in reading, writing and mathematics,” Ofsted’s monitoring inspection report said.
“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.”
School 'fully committed' to delivering high standard of education - head
Mr Oxley said the school remains “fully committed to delivering the high standard of education our pupils deserve”.
“Our staff and pupils have worked tirelessly to establish high expectations and embed significant improvements across the school,” the head teacher said, adding that the school was “encouraged by Ofsted’s recognition of our progress in core subjects and behaviour”.
Matthew Oxley, head at Carr Infant School (Image: Supplied)
Mark Hassack, CEO of the Excel Learning Trust, said: “Excel Learning Trust is proud to support the school through this period of improvement.
“The findings from this monitoring visit confirm that the right strategies and targeted plans are in place to deliver lasting, positive change for the whole school community.
"We are excited that Carr Infant School will soon formally join our trust, benefiting further from being part of our family of schools, and we firmly believe that Carr Infant has the potential to become a beacon of excellence for early years.”
Charlie Crabtree, chair of governors at Carr Infant, added: “As a governing body, we are working extremely closely with the trust and school leadership to strengthen our oversight and drive sustainable improvements across every area of the school.
“This monitoring visit confirms that we are moving in the right direction and we remain fully committed to the school as it transitions to join Excel Learning Trust in the near future.”