A damning report has criticised a school for troubled pupils in Worcester.

Ofsted inspectors said Newbridge Short Stay Secondary School required special measures because it was “failing to give its pupils an acceptable level of education”.

The report branded the Midland Road school inadequate in all main aspects, including effectiveness, pupil achievement, quality of teaching, pupil behaviour and leadership and management.

The school caters for vulnerable children and young people with mental health and behavioural needs, pupils excluded from school on a permanent or fixed-term basis and pupils unable to attend for medical reasons.

Inspectors said Worcestershire County Council had reviewed the school’s work in October 2011 and February 2012 and identified significant concerns.

Councillor Jane Potter, the council’s cabinet member for education and skills, said the council was working to continue to put in place a programme of improvements to address the areas where further development is needed.

However, inspectors said support from the council had so far not led to necessary improvements.

The report said pupils’ attainment was low when they joined the school and remained low because they did not make enough progress.

Students do not achieve well in literacy or numeracy, and in English in Key Stage 4, half of the students for which assessment records were available made no progress at all between September 2011 and April 2012.

The quality of teaching was inadequate and had been “over time”.

Most of the teaching observed by inspectors was satisfactory, with some inadequate and none good or outstanding.

Behaviour was inadequate, although during the inspection, when only a small number children attended due to persistent absence, it was largely satisfactory.

Staff told inspectors they were strongly concerned about behaviour and its management while pupils said “everybody disrupts lessons and messes about”.

Consequently, from September 2011 to April 2012, there were 67 fixed-term exclusions totalling 111 days.

Attendance was at 64 per cent and declining.

Leadership and management was also branded inadequate.

A management committee did not challenge and support the school effectively, in part because there was a lack of information about students’ performance.

The school’s self-evaluation was not effective.

At an open afternoon, parents expressed mainly positive views on the school to inspectors and, despite the issues, students said they felt safe and bullying was dealt with effectively.

Outreach support provided to local mainstream secondary schools by the school was highly valued.

Coun Potter said: “The county council and the school are committed to considering all the options to secure sustainable improvement for its pupils, like any school that is in an Ofsted category of concern.

“We’re encouraging schools to work together and manage behaviour problems within the school where possible.”

The school refused to comment, saying it had been told to direct enquiries about the report to County Hall.

No council officer was available for interview yesterday.

Key facts

Newbridge Short Stay Secondary School opened in September 2010, replacing two pupil referral units.

All students have behavioural issues, and very occasionally the school has students with a statement of special educational needs.

The proportion of students known to be eligible for free school meals is high.

What the school must do to improve:

• Improve attendance as a matter of urgency.

• Improve behaviour.

• Raise academic attainment by improving teaching.

• Improve leadership and management.