The people who are responsible for this school have failed its pupils for far too long. Leaders have not ensured that the school is a safe and happy place in which pupils can flourish. The school environment is not calm and orderly. During social times, a significant number of pupils behave in an unruly way. Pupils that we spoke to said that fights are not uncommon. Homophobic language is commonplace. There are also incidents of racist behaviour. Pupils say that bullying is a problem in school and is often not dealt with well by staff. For too long, leaders have not had high enough expectations for pupils and the standard of education that they receive. The frequent leadership changes over many years have made the situation worse. Until this year, pupils have not had stability. This has changed with the arrival of the new headteacher. Pupils told us that they feel valued by him. They appreciate the genuine commitment that he has shown to the school. With the exception of English, pupils do not learn well enough in almost every other subject. Consequently, they do not achieve well by the end of Year 11.