diff --git a/python/python/lance/dataset.py b/python/python/lance/dataset.py
index 0dd3e73876..8dc27ee8ea 100644
--- a/python/python/lance/dataset.py
+++ b/python/python/lance/dataset.py
@@ -3846,15 +3846,24 @@ def _validate_metadata(metadata: dict):
 class VectorIndexReader:
     def __init__(self, dataset: LanceDataset, index_name: str):
         stats = dataset.stats.index_stats(index_name)
-
         self.dataset = dataset
         self.index_name = index_name
         self.stats = stats
+        try:
+            self.num_partitions()
+        except KeyError:
+            raise ValueError(f"Index {index_name} is not vector index")
 
     def num_partitions(self) -> int:
         """
-        Returns the number of partitions in the index
+        Returns the number of partitions in the dataset.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        int
+            The number of partitions.
         """
+
         return self.stats["indices"][0]["num_partitions"]
 
     def centroids(self) -> np.ndarray:
@@ -3873,11 +3882,11 @@ def centroids(self) -> np.ndarray:
             self.dataset._ds.get_index_centroids(self.stats["indices"][0]["centroids"])
         )
 
-    def partition_reader(
+    def read_partition(
         self, partition_id: int, *, with_vector: bool = False
-    ) -> pa.RecordBatchReader:
+    ) -> pa.Table:
         """
-        Returns a reader for the given IVF partition
+        Returns a pyarrow table for the given IVF partition
 
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -3889,10 +3898,17 @@ def partition_reader(
 
         Returns
         -------
-        pa.RecordBatchReader
-            A record batch reader for the given partition
+        pa.Table
+            A pyarrow table for the given partition,
+            containing the row IDs, and quantized vectors (if with_vector is True).
         """
 
+        if partition_id < 0 or partition_id >= self.num_partitions():
+            raise IndexError(
+                f"Partition id {partition_id} is out of range, "
+                f"expected 0 <= partition_id < {self.num_partitions()}"
+            )
+
         return self.dataset._ds.read_index_partition(
             self.index_name, partition_id, with_vector
-        )
+        ).read_all()
diff --git a/python/python/tests/test_vector_index.py b/python/python/tests/test_vector_index.py
index d6e337de23..12df65da3d 100644
--- a/python/python/tests/test_vector_index.py
+++ b/python/python/tests/test_vector_index.py
@@ -1139,18 +1139,24 @@ def test_read_partition(indexed_dataset):
     num_rows = indexed_dataset.count_rows()
     row_sum = 0
     for part_id in range(reader.num_partitions()):
-        part_reader = reader.partition_reader(part_id)
-        for batch in part_reader:
-            row_sum += batch.num_rows
-            assert "_rowid" in batch.column_names
+        res = reader.read_partition(part_id)
+        row_sum += res.num_rows
+        assert "_rowid" in res.column_names
     assert row_sum == num_rows
 
     row_sum = 0
     for part_id in range(reader.num_partitions()):
-        part_reader = reader.partition_reader(part_id, with_vector=True)
-        for batch in part_reader:
-            row_sum += batch.num_rows
-            pq_column = batch["__pq_code"]
-            assert "_rowid" in batch.column_names
-            assert pq_column.type == pa.list_(pa.uint8(), 16)
+        res = reader.read_partition(part_id, with_vector=True)
+        row_sum += res.num_rows
+        pq_column = res["__pq_code"]
+        assert "_rowid" in res.column_names
+        assert pq_column.type == pa.list_(pa.uint8(), 16)
     assert row_sum == num_rows
+
+    # error tests
+    with pytest.raises(IndexError, match="out of range"):
+        reader.read_partition(reader.num_partitions() + 1)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="not vector index"):
+        indexed_dataset.create_scalar_index("id", index_type="BTREE")
+        VectorIndexReader(indexed_dataset, "id_idx")