A primary school threatened with closure for more than a year has been condemned as failing by Government inspectors.

St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Jermyn Street, near Bradford city centre, has been placed in special measures by an Ofsted team who said standards were "exceptionally low".

But the report says that uncertainty over its future has taken the focus away from raising standards.

Last year there were protests and a petition after education bosses announced plans to close the school because of surplus places and an earlier Ofsted inspection which found serious weaknesses.

The school's owners, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds, had intended to close it in 2006. But the closure plan was then brought forward by Education Bradford, the private firm which runs the district's education services.

However just two months after announcing that the school would close, the firm then said that it was considering combining St Mary's School and St Peter's Catholic primary school in Upper Nidd Street into a federation.

Consultation is now taking place over the federation plan which could see St Mary's stay open.

However the uncertainty over the school's future has contributed to the number of pupils on roll falling by half.

Now Ofsted has placed the school in special measures for failing to provide an acceptable standard of education.

The new report describes both the overall teaching and pupils' achievement as "inadequate" and says standards are exceptionally low in English, maths and science in Year Six.

It also says: "Time and energy have been diverted to dealing with the school's future and insufficient direction has been given to raising standards."

Two thirds of the school's governing body was replaced last year by the diocese and inspectors said the body had not had time to contribute to the school's improvement.

However the report also praised the level of care provided by staff, the behaviour of pupils and the high staff morale and teaching in Year Two and Foundation stage.

Head teacher Jo Woodhead said Ofsted's findings were inevitable because of what the school had been through in the previous year. She said: "We will be working very hard to bring about the improvements needed to take this school out of special measures.

"There has been a lot of uncertainty about the future of the school which has acted as a distraction. However our main aim is to do our best for the children who attend St Mary's now and in future."

She also disputed the report's findings about standards being "exceptionally low."

Results from last year's Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) revealed that 96 per cent of St Mary's 11-year-old pupils reached the expected levels in their English tests.

The pass rate was the sixth-highest in the district, she said.

And Mrs Woodhead said: "Our SATs results speak for themselves and we believe we service the children well."

A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds said it would not comment on St Mary's future before January 18, when the consultation period for the plan to federate St Peter's ends.