THE chairman of the board of governors at St Gregory’s High School said she was ‘shocked to the core’ when Ofsted rated the school as ‘inadequate’.

Despite executive head teacher David Lewis later explaining to parents that in June he called an extraordinary meeting of the full governing body to tell them ‘if Ofsted walked through the doors right now we would be placed in special measures’.

Concerned parents flooded the sports hall of St Gregory’s High School yesterday after the meeting was called by Mr Lewis and chairman Margaret Heelam.

The school on Cromwell Avenue was put in special measures by Ofsted after it was inspected in December, dropping from its previous grading of outstanding from three years ago.

Mr Lewis, who started at the school in April, outlined the school’s development priorities and how the staff are determined to return the school to an outstanding educational institution.

The father of four added: “What I want for my children I want for your children. I personally would be happy to send my children to St Gregory’s.”

Mr Lewis wanted to assure parents that the school is in line for its best results yet.

It was also announced that the school’s federated governing body, which it shares with Cardinal Newman High School, was to be removed and two new governing bodies would be put in its place.

Tim Warren, director of schools for the Archdiocese of Liverpool, said St Gregory’s new governing body would comprise of ‘almost completely new people’.

Parents voiced their concerns at the meeting following the Ofsted report with one parent calling the revelations ‘quite upsetting and depressing’.

When questioned on whether any science teachers had been asked to leave their posts after Ofsted flagged up science lessons as one of the main failings of the school, Mr Lewis replied ‘not yet’.

It was also revealed that the ‘serious incident’, which was mentioned in the report, was a bitter dispute between the council and the school after a pupil was permanently excluded after they brought razor blades into the school to self harm.

The pupil in question has since been allowed to return to the school.