ST AUGUSTINE'S High School has been placed into special measures after inspectors ranked it as "inadequate".

In an Ofsted report, published on Tuesday (March 27), the school was given the lowest possible rating in each of the four categories for leadership; teaching; personal development and outcomes for pupils.

The Catholic secondary school on Boardmans Lane, Parr, had previously been given a rating of 'Good', the second highest grade in 2015.

The inadequate rating comes as a fresh blow to the borough's secondary education scene which has been under fire, with St Helens placed 148th out of 152 local authorities on progress 8 data for progress between the end of primary school and GCSEs.

St Augustine's progress in Key Stage 4 for English, maths and science was branded "among the worst seen across the whole country" with leadership of the school described as "fragile".

After making their inspection on February 7, the watchdog said leaders and governors have overseen a "significant decline" in the school's education and have "unwittingly created a climate of low aspirations and expectations".

It was noted that head teacher Mark Hagan, who has been in post for two years, has not been able to address areas which need improvement as quickly as he might "because of weaknesses in senior and middle leadership, as well as in governance".

It was said senior leaders have "lower aspirations for the attendance of disadvantaged pupils" which "does not promote equality of opportunity".

Ofsted inspectors also found leaders "do not measure and evaluate the effectiveness of their actions" and therefore "do not understand whether their actions have made a difference".

It was pointed out a number of new appointments have been made at middle leadership level but middle leaders are "inexperienced" and "do not have the leadership role models or the necessary skills that they need to improve teaching in their own subjects".

Pupils were found to have learning disrupted "because teachers do not use the school's behaviour policy well" and a "significant minority of pupils deliberately disrupt the learning of others".

Inspectors said pupils "do not understand how to be successful learners".

It was noted around one-fifth of pupils are "regularly absent".

Quality of teaching was branded as having "declined significantly" and is not allowing pupils to progress with the exceptions of history, art and food technology.

Inspectors did note progress is improving in English and maths but "not rapidly enough".

It was said that the head teacher has "an accurate view of what needs to be done" and that the school provides "strong pastoral support" and that staff and pupils "do not tolerate bullying".