A troubled Bradford school today suffered a new blow after inspectors condemned its teaching and criticised the behaviour of unruly pupils.

Ofsted inspectors have now failed the school twice - the latest coming in a hard-hitting report painting an abysmal picture of Bradford Cathedral Community College.

Ofsted found half the lessons were unsatisfactory or poor, behaviour was unacceptable and truancy levels high.

In one class, only a third of pupils had bothered to turn up to the college in Lister Avenue, East Bowling. Only five per cent of GCSE students gained five A-C grades last year - the worst results in Bradford and fourth worst in the country.

Today school head David Kershaw, who was brought in as a consultant with Education Bradford after turning round a failing school in Coventry, said they were determined to save the school.

Mr Kershaw, who took up his post just weeks before the Ofsted inspection, said: "We have a year to show we can do the business, and we will. Little things are happening already to improve the morale of youngsters and staff."

The full inspection was ordered after schools inspectors who visited the school in December were appalled at what they found. Assaults on teachers were commonplace and the school could not recruit staff.

The new report says discipline has improved since the appointment in January of Mr Kershaw and two deputies. It says "in the main", children now remove their earpieces for personal stereos at the start of a lesson.

But it reveals:

Half of the 47 lessons observed were unsatisfactory or poor

In a third of lessons, pupils' behaviour was unsatisfactory

Attendance rates were only 82 per cent overall. In one Year 8 class, two out of three pupils were missing

Some teachers had too low expectations of pupils, giving them undemanding tasks such as colouring-in

Graffiti, mis-spellings and errors in children's exercise books were not picked up when they were marked by staff

Poor financial practice - staffing budget was underspent by £200,000; unclear how external funding had been used

Boisterous behaviour around school endangering pupils in wheelchairs

"Since the last visit by HMI in December, there have been significant improvements in the college," the report says.

Management systems, behaviour and attitudes were getting better, but: "There is continuing inconsistency in the way insolence and defiance are challenged." The school is now in Special Measures which means it faces visits every term from inspectors. Schools that do not demonstrate improvements within 18 months to two years face closure. Mr Kershaw, 59, will stay at the school until September.

Debbie Child, senior executive officer for schools at Bradford Diocese, said: "David Kershaw and his colleagues have made amazing progress in the short time they have been working together."

A spokesman for Ofsted said there have only ever been ten instances of schools being put into Special Measures for a second time.