Carr Infant School

Overview

The report states that the school “requires special measures” because it is “failing to provide an acceptable standard of education” and leaders are not yet demonstrating the capacity to secure necessary improvement. While pupils feel safe and relationships are positive, the curriculum is poorly designed, leading to significant gaps in foundational knowledge across all subjects.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an “open culture” where concerns are actively managed and pupils “feel safe”.
• Pupils are “respectful and proud” to follow rules during social times, forming “positive, warm relationships with staff”.
• Staff feel “positive and supported well by leaders”, who value their workload and wellbeing.
• Pastoral support is “established well”, with pupils valuing the care and knowing who to speak to with worries.
• Leaders have established “higher expectations for pupils’ behaviour” and a consistent approach to management.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must improve how well pupils achieve, particularly in acquiring “foundational knowledge” in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• The curriculum, including in the early years, must be made “ambitious” with clearly defined knowledge to ensure pupils are prepared for their next steps.
• Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils requires strengthening to reduce barriers to learning.

Safeguarding

The report confirms that safeguarding standards are met, noting that leaders have established an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and that “pupils are made safer and feel safe”.