The school faces a huge clean-up operation

Newman Catholic School is facing an estimated �4m clean-up bill after the flooding which hit the city last month.

It has now been placed in special measures after its Ofsted inspection.

Headteacher John O'Neill and the education authority say the issues in the report are already being addressed and they expect a rapid improvement.

Inspectors visited the school in November. In their report they said the school was failing to provide an adequate education for its students.

It said standards were too low by the end of year nine and in GCSE, the quality of teaching was unsatisfactory for students up to 16 and improvements had not been secured since the last inspection.

'Same spirit'

But it said students in the sixth form do well with good quality teaching.

Mr O'Neill said: "Staff, students, parents and governors have shown their huge commitment to the school and how well they can work together in the face of the devastation caused by the recent flooding.

"I have every confidence that they will respond to this report in the same spirit.

"Together I expect we will secure a rapid improvement in the standards achieved by our students."

Cumbria County Council corporate director education Victoria Ashfield said she was confident the school can improve.

Students are currently being taught at two sites in the city and some are due to start returning after Easter.