THE death of a teenager found hanged in Breightmet has brought teachers and pupils at her school together in "sadness and distress", an inquest heard.

Some teachers at Bolton St Catherine's Academy would have been too upset to give evidence in the inquest of Aleysha McLoughlin, the school's head Lee Harris told the Bolton Coroners Court.

Mr Harris explained how Aleysha's behaviour had deteriorated in the months leading to her death, causing her to study some subjects away from the classroom.

On March 6 last year, less than a month before her body was found by foster mum Beverley Sharples at their home in Crossdale Road, Aleysha was excluded from school for disruptive behaviour.

She had stopped attending French lessons and was ignoring teachers and failing to engage with lessons in other subjects, including English, the hearing was told.

In lessons that she enjoyed, such as engineering, Aleysha was more responsive.

Aleysha, who also used the surname Rothwell, died on April 3 last year.

Coroner Jennifer Leeming said she was concerned that the school appeared to have no record of Aleysha's two overdoses.

When the school was informed of Aleysha and sister Karly's threat to jump from the St Peter's Way Bridge on February 8 last year, they should have known it was her third major self-harming episode.

Mr Hariss said it would not have changed the school's approach to dealing with Aleysha.

Mr Harris said in a report to the coroner: "The tragedy of Aleysha's death has impacted on the whole school community.

"Staff and students have been distressed and are struggling to come to terms with Aleysha's death.

"The grieving process has caused much sadness, anger and distress but it has also seen people supporting each other in a community effort to ensure Aleysha is remembered."

Aleysha joined St Catherine's in January, 2013 and used PE lessons to catch up on academic work she was behind with having studied different courses at her previous school.

She caught up quickly, Mr Harris said, because she was a bright girl, and her attendance in her first two months was 100 per cent.

He added: "I have a been a headteacher for more than 20 years. Unfortunately I have seen some tragedies happen in different schools.

"But this is the one that has impacted the most on a community and several of my colleagues would have struggled to be in my position here today."

The also inquest heard from Dr Lisa McGullion, a paediatrician at Royal Bolton Hospital, who dealt with Aleysha after she was admitted following an overdose on June 26, 2013.

She said paramedics told her that Aleysha may have taken up to 16 aspirin tablets and 24 paracetamol tablets.

The court earlier heard how Aleysha was admitted to A&E the day before her death after self-harming at school.

Later that night, she cried and said sorry for being a pain to Mrs Sharples.

The hearing continues.