A school where lessons are “routinely disrupted” and “derogatory language and boisterous behaviour have become normalised” has been branded inadequate in a damning Ofsted report.

The education watchdog said pupils “do not achieve well” at Robertsbridge Community College north of Hastings and this is “particularly true of those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs”.

In the report into the secondary school, Ofsted inspectors said: “Derogatory language and boisterous behaviour have become normalised in the corridors and playground. This behaviour often goes unchallenged by staff.

“Some pupils are concerned about bullying and say that this is not always dealt with effectively. Despite these issues, most pupils say they feel safe in school and they know there is somebody they can talk to if they have a problem.”

The school, which teaches more than 750 pupils aged 11 to 16, was issued a warning notice by East Sussex County Council and in December an interim executive board (IEB) was appointed.

An IEB replaces a school’s governing body when it is experiencing serious problems and needs to improve quickly.

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In the Ofsted report, published on June 3, inspectors also said: “Expectations of pupils’ behaviour are low.

“Lessons are routinely disrupted, and many pupils are concerned that this gets in the way of their learning.

“It is common for pupils to ignore sanctions for misbehaviour because they know that adults in school are unlikely to follow up.”

Chris Ellison, lead inspector, and his team who visited the school in Knelle Road also criticised its leadership.

The report said: “There has been a serious breakdown in this school’s leadership. Leaders lack capacity and have failed to prevent a decline in standards of education and behaviour.

“Parents and staff rightly lack confidence in leaders’ ability to make necessary improvements. Staff morale is low, but they are fully committed to supporting the school.

“They do not feel well supported by leaders, particularly in managing challenging behaviour.”

After the inspection, on April 23 and 24, inspectors said pupils “are taught a suitably broad programme of personal, social, health and economic education”.

The report continued: “This curriculum has been adapted to meet the needs and experiences of the pupils who attend their school. Lesson content is age-appropriate and includes teaching about relationships and sex and health education.

“Pupils know that they have been taught about using inappropriate language, but many remain confused about why ‘banter’ can cause offence. This is not addressed by the school’s wider work, where disrespectful language often goes unchallenged.”

A spokesman for the IEB said: “Whilst we are disappointed by the inadequate rating, work to make the necessary improvements had already started following the introduction of an IEB at the school in December.

“We were pleased that the inspector’s report recognised the positive steps already being taken to address the issues and acknowledged that the IEB had not had sufficient time to have a significant impact before the inspection took place.

“We will continue to work with staff and the school community to ensure that every student has access to the highest quality of education in a safe and happy environment.”