A head teacher brought in to turn round a troubled Bradford comprehensive has quit after it was branded a failing school.

Bob O'Hagan resigned after Rhodesway School in Allerton was criticised by Ofsted inspectors for not improving fast enough.

Oftsed - the Government's education watchdog - also said a third of the teaching was still unsatisfactory.

Now the school has been put in 'special measures' and it will be constantly monitored by inspectors who will visit every term.

The huge comprehensive, the third biggest in Bradford with 1,700 pupils, has been dogged for years by reports of poor discipline and disorder, at times between Asian and white students.

Government inspectors did not find evidence of racial problems, but they did criticise pupils' attitudes to their work and truancy rates.

Head teacher Bob O'Hagan's drastic solution was to split the huge school into three units from September.

After one term, Ofsted's verdict is that improvements are taking too long and a gap has opened between the school's new policies and its actual practice.

The school has suffered enormous upheaval since Mr O'Hagan arrived in January, with 50 staff leaving and having to be replaced.

In just the third month in his post, his Audi car, parked in the school car park, was destroyed in an arson attack. Exclusion rates reached record levels, although they have been lower this term.

Mr O'Hagan, who said quitting left him with feelings of "sadness and relief", said: "It's not vision the school needs now, but a tactical and technical approach. I know there are people more skilled in this tactical style than I will ever be."

He insisted that he "did not feel a failure" and said his work had laid the foundations of a good school.

Kath Line, chairman of governors, said: "Mr O'Hagan has done a brilliant job in the short time he has been here. He cares passionately for the kids and has worked tirelessly to give them the chance they deserve. We are all sorry to see him leave, but his work will go on."

A 'trouble-shooter' head from another education authority is now in talks with Education Bradford about taking over in January.

Mark Pattison, managing director at Education Bradford, said: "For many months we have been providing regular and quality support to Bob O'Hagan and his staff. We are disappointed the recent inspection said special measures were needed to bring the school up to standard and that Bob has found it necessary to resign as a result. We are currently in negotiation with a successful head in another authority."

Bruce Berry, head teacher at Belle Vue Boys' and convenor of the Bradford Upper School Heads Association, said: "Any school in special measures needs a very, very strong leadership team, not just a strong head. It takes three or four years to turn a school round and you need to get the relationships right."

But one former member of staff, who did not want to be named, claimed: "A total of 64 staff left, some had been there 20 years. They were replaced in some cases by newly qualified teachers."

Rhodesway becomes the ninth school in Bradford to be placed in special measures since the education authority was privatised.