Weak teaching and turbulent leadership has put a school for children with learning difficulties into special measures.

The Link Secondary School in Beddington has been judged by Ofsted inspectors to have failed in its duty to provide its pupils with an acceptable standard of education, and has not shown the capacity to make needed improvements.

The special school has 41 pupils who have speech and language difficulties or those on the autistic spectrum.

All pupils are on an education, health and care plan, or have a statement of educational needs.

In the effective leadership, quality of teaching, outcomes for pupils and 16 to 19 study programmes categories the school was found to be “inadequate”.

Inspectors said the secondary school had experienced “significant turbulence at senior leadership level” recorded during their visit in November, 2016, led to the school being branded as inadequate.

In a previous Ofsted report, published in 2014, the school was also criticised for having leaders who were not effective in working with new and inexperienced staff and for teaching standards that were ‘not typically good.’

Further issues were raised regarding the school’s assessment system, which the watchdog deemed “not fit for purpose” and the quality of the teaching of pupils aged 16 to 19 that demonstrated the same “weakness in teaching, learning and assessment as others in the school”.

The report, however, said pupils behaved well, safeguarding was effective and that pupils’ personal development was good.

Therapists also provided effective support to pupil’s with communication and language difficulties.

Don Balylock, interim headteacher at The Link, said: “Of course it’s upsetting to be in special measures.

“I presented the report to staff and parents and in many ways stability has been put in place. The parents were very supportive during that meeting.

“There has been a huge changeover in terms governors and staff. We are looking to appoint a suitable head and the process is well under way and could be appointed in April, but they would take up the position in September as they would have to serve their notice period.

“The report also said that teaching was good, but because of the way it is categorised. You can’t get a level four in teaching if you don’t have good assessment as well. There is a knock on effect there.

“A lot of what happened was in the past and you can see there have been a lot of positive things since September, which is when I came in, the school is back on track.”