A college for special needs and disabled students has been condemned with the worst rating inspectors can give.

Previous Ofsted reports for Livability Nash College in Hayes rated it as good but its latest one following an inspection in November last year has it as inadequate.

The college has promised "immediate action" after the quality of teaching and the development of students was criticised in the report, which was made public yesterday.

The report says: "Too few students achieve their personal targets and not enough students take part in work experience placements; as a result, the proportion who go into supported employment or voluntary work is very low.

"Lecturers do not use a wide enough range of ways to communicate with students, and do not teach students adequately to use assistive technologies in the classroom."

The college was set up in 1980 and provides education for young people with complex learning needs.

Since its 2016 inspection, the leadership team has been revamped and 31 new staff have been hired in the last six months.

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Inspectors said the college has "declined significantly in all areas" of leadership.

Staff are not confident in helping students understand the dangers of extremism and radicalisation, according to inspectors, who did say the safeguarding polices were effective.

A key concern was staff not using technology to assist with learning, leaving students unprepared for the next stage of their working life.

Students were described as well behaved and polite towards the staff, but inspectors feared they were not progressing enough academically.

The report added: "Leaders and managers do not monitor the progress of different groups of students.

"As a result, they do not have enough information about how well different groups of students make progress and achieve."

Helen England, CEO of Livability, the Christian charity which manages the college, said immediate action would be taken.

She added: "I want to provide my personal assurance that as the new CEO for Livability, I am totally committed to supporting the Nash College leadership team to rapidly improve the quality of provision.

"I have full confidence our acting head of college Zara Tippey who brings very considerable experience of education leadership and school/college improvement to Nash.

"She joined us in September and has been an integral part of the new leadership and governance arrangements which Ofsted noted and which we believe will be a vital part of the future success of the college."