PUPILS deserve better at a Bolton school which has needed improvement for the past three years, inspectors have ruled in a damning report.

School chiefs are failing to take effective action to raise standards at Bolton St Catherine's Academy, which is among the 10 per cent worst schools in the country for pupil progress, the national education watchdog has ruled.

Now Ofsted inspectors say an "enormous task lies ahead" and significant changes need to be made after latest GCSE results were even worse than the disappointing results of the previous year.

Inspector Jonathan Jones said: "The pupils in this school deserve better. Leaders acknowledge that excuses and ‘business as usual’ can no longer be tolerated."

A new headteacher will be in post from September.

The school admitted, in a letter to parents, it recognised that the academy "has not made the necessary improvements required since opening to be recognised as good" but added that the school was pleased that the report recognised progress is being made and that a "significant number of changes have taken place, which have steered the school on to a new course".

The school was ranked "requires improvement" in 2014. In May last year it failed to have the label lifted.

The latest report follows Ofsted's first monitoring inspection a year later and inspectors stated: "Senior leaders, governors and the trust are not taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection, in order to become a good school."

Mr Jones said that following last year's inspection, the achievement of pupils at the end of Year 11 was worse than the "highly disappointing" results of the preceding year, with fewer than one fifth of pupils attaining a good pass in English and maths GCSE.

The report stated: "The progress made by all pupils was in the lowest 10 per cent of schools nationally. The results were not anticipated and came as a devastating blow to the school community.

"It was after these results that leaders and governors undertook serious soul-searching and strengthened their resolve to take action."

The report added: "The tardy pace to tackle improvements is not limited to the period following the results in 2016. In the past five years, the school has been judged to require improvement on three occasions.

"Significant and sustainable changes need to be made. Governance has been reviewed and new appointments to leadership have taken place, although many of these do not take effect until September, 2017."

Ofsted added that since January this year a number of changes have taken place, but have not been enough to bring about necessary improvements.

Mr Jones said that actions taken by the school had not focused enough on raising the quality of learning and teaching resulting in "too much precious time" being lost.

But he described the improving rates of attendance as a success and that pupils had said that behaviour in the classrooms had improved "considerably".

The primary sector of the academy was described as a strength.

In a letter sent home to parents following the findings of the inspection report, the school said it was working with Tania Lewyckyj, head of St James' CE High School and that a seven-week action plan had been put in place this term to "accelerate" the progress of students.

Plans to link the school with St James CE High School in Farnworth and Canon Slade in Bradshaw — two of Bolton outstanding schools — under a Multi Academy Trust are also progressing. This, said bosses, will "accelerate" the pace of change.

A spokesman for the school said: "With progress which has been made since January with the assistance of Ms Lewyckyj plus the formation of the Bishop Fraser Multi Academy Trust including BSCA and lead by Ms Lewyckyj and the appointment of Rachael Lucas — our new permanent headteacher from September — the academy is already well aware of what it needs to do and is well on with the task of improving education for its students."

Bolton St Catherine's Academy opened in 2009 when Withins School closed under a flagship academy programme, which cut ties with the local education authority, to raise standards in historically poorly performing schools.

It opened in a storm of protest sponsored by the Church of England Diocese of Manchester, and Airtours entrepreneurs David and Anne Crossland.

It moved into a £36 million state-of-the-art building in 2012.