League tables showed New College in Leicester was also fifth from the bottom overall for GCSE results.

Head of the school David Kershaw said his pupils had received "an extremely raw deal" in the league tables.

New College has been in "special measures" for two years and faces the possibility of closure if standards do not improve.

Mr Kershaw acknowledged that the school faced significant problems with behaviour and results but insisted it could be turned around.

"Optimistic future"

He added: "There are a considerable number of young people here who have had an extremely raw deal because they have not had consistent teaching.

"The school has been surviving on supply teachers. Many of them are very good people but in a school as challenging as this, you need consistency."

I sense the beginnings of some optimism Head teacher David Kershaw

Mr Kershaw is the school's fourth head teacher in seven years.

Just one in 10 pupils taking GCSEs at the school last year scored five grade Cs or better while the truancy rate was running at more than 10 times the national average.

The school attracted national attention last year when it emerged that pupils were swapping explicit clips of pornography on their mobile phones.

New College Leicester had a truancy rate of 12.7% of half-day school sessions missed due to "unauthorised absence", while the national rate for secondary schools was 1.3%.

It was also bottom of the "value-added" table, which aims to show how much - or little - schools contribute to improving their pupils' results.

Mr Kershaw insisted he was "cautiously optimistic" that the school could show signs of improvement by Easter.

He said: "I sense the beginnings of some optimism.