Carcroft Primary School

Carcroft Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' grade across all inspected areas. The school provides a nurturing environment where positive relationships between staff and pupils are emphasized, fostering a sense of belonging and care. The curriculum is designed to engage pupils, combining early reading initiatives with creative learning approaches across a range of subjects. Despite these strengths, past outcomes have not reflected the quality of education currently being delivered, indicating a need for improved support and identification for older pupils at risk of falling behind in their reading skills.

Strengths

• Nurturing environment with strong positive relationships among staff and pupils.
• Well-organized phonics program supporting effective early reading development.
• Effective curriculum design, particularly in core subjects and broader subject areas.
• Strong support systems for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Consistent behaviour management leading to a calm classroom atmosphere.
• Engaging approach to personal development and wider student experiences.

Areas for Improvement

• Older pupils at risk of falling behind in reading are not identified or supported swiftly enough.
• Inconsistencies in addressing basic skills errors in writing across year groups.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Carcroft Primary School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 9.2% of pupils at Carcroft Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Carcroft Primary School had 14.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 36.4% of pupils at Carcroft Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Carcroft Primary School received £9,248 and spent £8,836 for each of its 251 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £96,000 (£384 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Xp School Trust Limited, income was £7,611 and spending £7,203 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Carcroft Primary School is part of Xp School Trust Limited, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Norton Junior School Doncaster
• Norton Infant School Doncaster
• Plover Primary School Doncaster
• XP School Doncaster
• XP East Doncaster
• Green Top Doncaster
• XP Gateshead Felling

What is Carcroft Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Carcroft Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Carcroft Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Carcroft Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Carcroft Primary School have?

Carcroft Primary School has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does Carcroft Primary School cover?

Carcroft Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Carcroft Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Carcroft Primary School?

Carcroft Primary School is at Owston Road, Carcroft, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN6 8DR.