A SCATHING Ofsted inspection has slammed St Chad’s Catholic and Church of England High School in Runcorn.

Inspectors have put the Grangeway school into special measures after branding its leadership and management, quality of teaching and achievement of pupils as ‘inadequate’ awarding it the bottom grade.

The education watchdog says sixth form provision also ‘requires improvement’.

Ofsted says students’ progress at GCSE has been ‘significantly below average in a range of subjects’ for the last three years.

Lead inspector Charles Lowry said: “The quality of teaching over time has not been good enough across a range of subjects.

“As a consequence, students do not make sufficient progress.

“Teaching too frequently fails to challenge students sufficiently.

“Leaders, managers and governors have been unsuccessful in reversing the decline in students’ achievement over the last three years.

“Teachers’ performance management has not been rigorous enough.

“Systems to monitor students’ progress against their targets are inconsistent.

“Teachers do not communicate consistently high expectations.”

The education watchdog said the achievement of all students had fallen significantly.

Mr Lowry said: “All groups of students, including the most able girls and boys and students with special educational needs made significantly below average progress.

“This was particularly the case in 2013 in English, mathematics, science, history and geography.”

Ofsted said tuition for 16-18-year-olds also requires improvement.

Mr Lowry added: “The quality of teaching in the sixth form as in the rest of the school is inconsistent.

“Inspectors saw evidence of work that was not challenging enough, so students’ progress slowed.”

Behaviour and safety of pupils was deemed good.

Mr Lowry said: “Students have positive attitudes to learning and are well-motivated, even when teaching is less than inspiring and fails to challenge them sufficiently.

“Students behave well at all times of the day and have pride in their school.

“Members of the school community are bound by the common thread of shared Christian values encapsulated in the school’s motto: ‘faith in ability, faith in each other’.

“The students are shining lights for this philosophy in their interactions with each other, their teachers and visitors.”

St Chad’s was previously rated ‘good’ at its last inspection in 2011.

Head teacher Andrew Keeley was unavailable for comment today.

The school has 1,090 pupils

Halton Council says they have been working with St Chad’s since the Ofsted inspection in September.

An action plan is being drawn up.

A meeting will be held to discuss the Ofsted report with parents and carers and explain what steps need to be taken.

The school will be regularly monitored by Ofsted visits during the next two years.

Halton Clr Ged Philbin, board member for Children, Young People and Families, said: "The school immediately took action to start the process of moving the school out of special measures and is confident of doing so."

The school’s two dioceses have appointed Tony Billings, a national leader in education and head teacher of All Hallows College in Macclesfield, to offer additional support to St Chad’s two days a week until Christmas.