A WORCESTER high school has been put into special measures after a scathing Ofsted report in which inspectors say results are inadequate and pupils are significantly underachieving.

Ofsted inspectors say Bishop Perowne CE College, in Merrimans Hill Road, needs help to improve and the school is now likely to be sponsored by a multi-academy trust.

Headteacher, Mark Pollard, says discussions are already underway with the Department for Education to find a suitable partner.

While he "accepts" the findings of the report he says improvements already made have not been given credit – and that parents and students "do not recognise the school they know in the report".

Inspectors, who visited the school in February, said GCSE results had been inadequate for two years and they saw only marginal improvements in recent progress.

Governors were said to have described 2016 results as 'diabolical' and expressed disappointment.

Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes were described as "exceptionally poor".

The poor progress they made in 2016 overall and in English and maths put the school in the lowest 10 per cent of schools in the country.

Pupils who were disabled or had special educational needs also made very slow progress in 2015 and 2016 and achieved, on average, a grade less than the national average.

Most-able pupils also underachieved, achieving just under half a grade less than they should have done, while the proportion of pupils gaining the top grades was smaller than nationally.

Inspectors blamed poor standards on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment being too variable.

They said leaders were not self-critical enough and governors did not offer enough challenge.

The report quoted a governor as saying the school did 'a robust job with a difficult population' and inspectors said this attitude blamed pupils and their backgrounds for bad results.

However, Mr Pollard called that "inflammatory" and a "complete misinterpretation" of one comment.

Inspectors labelled attendance below average, but noted a trend of improvement.

Behaviour of pupils requires improvement, but the inspectors also said most behave well in lessons and respect the school environment.

Inspectors found pupils were safe and felt safe and enjoyed a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Most pupils left the school to move on to education, employment or training and there is an effective, independent careers advice and guidance programme.

Mr Pollard, who took over at the school two years ago, said: "We accept the judgements in the report.

"GCSE outcomes for the last three years, although improving, have not been good enough.

"However we do not feel that the changes for the good that have been implemented over the last year or so have been recognised sufficiently.

"Parents and students have commented that they do not recognise the school they know in the report. We have had many messages of support from students and parents alike.

"Outcomes for the school we know are not yet good.

"Standards have never slipped below the national floor, however, which is the minimum expectation.

"Our focus has been relentless this year and staff and students have worked so hard so that this year’s results will improve."

Mr Pollard says he has a "robust action plan" and will continue to strengthen the senior leadership of the school and use the support and challenge from outside.

The school has taken on a new experienced second deputy headteacher and is currently supported by Haybridge High School.

Mr Pollard says he is supportive of the school joining a multi-academy trust and will inform parents as soon as a partner was found.