Furious parents have removed their children from a failing primary school after losing faith in the way it is run.

One mother has even decided to give up work and educate her daughter at home rather than send her back to St Catherine's Catholic Primary in Highdown Road, Littlehampton.

Paula Merridue, from Jasmine Close, Littlehampton, said: "I've given them chances over and over again but I'm at the end of my tether now. I'd rather my daughter was at school but I'm just not prepared to take her back there."

Mrs Merridue, 38, is among several parents who said they had been unhappy with the school for some time, especially after it was placed into special measures following an Ofsted inspection in September.

The final straw came two weeks ago when West Sussex County Council announced that headteacher Adam Lenkiewicz, who parents blamed for falling standards, would be returning from long-term sick leave.

Days later, amid threats of a parents' demonstration at the school gates, the council released another statement saying Mr Lenkiewicz would not return as planned this week. He had been due to start work again on Tuesday.

The school had been rated among the best in West Sussex as recently as 2000 but was ranked 152nd in the county in this year's tables.

The council and the school both refused to comment yesterday.

Three children have so far been removed from the school and more are expected to follow. Several parents have placed their children on waiting lists for places at other schools.

Mrs Merridue's daughter Robyn, eight, will go the school for the last time on Friday before she begins home-schooling her. She wants to find her a place at another school but has resorted to doing the job herself in the meantime.

Mrs Merridue's older children Amy, 14, and Spencer, 16, both also attended St Catherine's.

She said she had spent more than £600 so far paying for private tuition for Robyn because her exam results at St Catherine's had been so poor.

She said: "I have supported the school on so many occasions over the past seven years but feel recent events leave me with little choice."

Catherine Kelly, from Rustington and a former school governor, moved her children Rebecca, eight, and Lara, five, to another school on Monday. She wanted them to be taught at another Catholic school and now has to spend an hour and a half each day on the school run.

She said: "It beggars belief that the council was going to reinstate the leader of the school when Ofsted inspectors had criticised leadership and management at the school, calling it "inadequate" for the three years prior to the inspection.

"We still do not know what is happening in the longer-term and many parents are worried the lack of consultation by the council will continue and there will be no real dialogue with parents. The school and the governing body are doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances but the local authority is really not engaging with parents."

Other parents of children at the school have defended Mr Lenkiewicz and spoken of their disappointment he has not returned to the school.

Jane Young, from Bognor, described him as a terrific headteacher who had been missed by the children.