Teachers are introducing dramatic measures to turn their school around after a damning Ofsted report.

Trouble-makers face Saturday detentions and the threat of expulsion under the tough new regime at Boundstone Community College, Lancing.

Inspectors slated the school and its leadership, highlighting poor exam results, weak leadership and low staff morale.

Head teacher Glynis Cooke resigned three weeks before the report was made public yesterday.

Richard Evea, drafted in as a temporary "super head," today promised that in 12 months' time students will be "holding their heads up high."

He said: "It's painful to read the report but it's true."

In the past two years, 28 teachers have resigned, with only 20 vacancies filled.

The number of students expelled is described as high - 39 pupils were excluded in the last school year, eight of them permanently.

High numbers of staff resignations and problems in finding replacements is a possible reason given in the report for poor achievement.

The 1,082-pupil school has been placed in special measures as its failings are addressed.

They include:

Lower-than-average results for English, science, maths, geography, history, foreign languages and information technology.

Maths GCSE results in the bottom five per cent nationally.

Test results in English and science for Year 9 pupils in the lowest five per cent bracket.

Only art and music fared well across the board, reflecting the performing arts college status the school was awarded in February.

Standards at the school have fallen dramatically since the last Ofsted inspection in 1998.

Mr Evea was today talking to the education authority to discover how soon the school can start to spend £600,000 set aside for improvements to buildings.

He also discussed the school's special status, put on hold when it went into special measures.

When it is recognised asa flagship school again a quarter of a million pounds can be spent on music and drama.

He said: "There is an understandable temptation for people to appoint blame. I'm trying to focus people away from that.

"The school is not in a really bad state. It has been through a bad patch but people are being optimistic.

"Good things that the school has in its favour are the quality of its children. They are delightful, friendly and welcoming as any children I have worked with before.

"There is a small group who are regularly stopping teachers teaching. I need to get to grips with that.

"I am preparing to have detentions on Saturday mornings. If we have to do fairly dramatic things we are not being bullies, we are dealing with the situation.

"A year will be enough time for me to turn this around."