The head teacher of a Catholic primary school in Bradford has resigned after it became the fifth in the district to fail its Ofsted inspection.

Poor leadership and unsatisfactory teaching were identified at St Francis RC Primary in Bolton.

Catholic primaries are traditionally good performers, and St Francis is the first Catholic school in the Leeds diocese to be placed in Special Measures.

Inspectors found a school "in decline" and which had failed to address criticisms levelled at it in its last inspection in 1996.

Shocked governors launched an investigation into what had gone wrong at the school but soon afterwards head teacher Frances Glaze resigned.

The school's 454 children have average attainment on entry to the school and are mainly white, with only three per cent coming from minority ethnic groups.

But, by the time they take SATs tests at seven, they have slumped compared with those at other schools - and last year their performance in these tests was below average. Results in Key Stage 2 SATs taken at the age of eleven are also below average.

Ofsted inspectors concluded: "The school is not as effective as it should be. Pupils do not work as well as they should, and many underachieve. A large proportion of the teaching is unsatisfactory."

The report praises some aspects of the school's work. It says standards have improved in ICT, where results have reached national averages, and the foundation stage - classes for three to five year olds - is well led.

But the report is critical of the provision for pupils' cultural development. It says that although visiting speakers are brought in to explain other religions, there is not enough evidence of work in this area.

The head teacher had taken on too many additional responsibilities due to staff shortages, the report found, including teaching three days a week.

Chairman of governors Philip Shackleton said: "As a governing body we were beginning to have concerns, and Ofsted was the culmination. We fully accept the report. The head has resigned and we are accepting it."

Ofsted also said the governing body was not fulfilling its role as a 'critical friend' to the school.

Mr Shackleton, a Keighley maths teacher whose own children were educated at St Francis, said: "The majority of governors are ordinary people and they do rely on the lead professional, the head teacher."

The school is currently being run by acting head Catherine Spillane.