THE principal of Liverpool Community College today insisted it was moving in the right direction after inspectors delivered a damning report on its failings.

Elaine Bowker said yesterday’s verdict from Ofsted, which gave the college the lowest possible rating, also showed it had a bright future.

Inspectors found standards of teaching and assessment, outcomes for learners and the effectiveness of management were all inadequate.

Poor attendance figures, frequent lateness and the lack of corrections to basic grammar and spelling mistakes by students were among the areas to come under fire.

Ofsted said too many learners were leaving the college, which has nearly 17,000 students at sites across the city, without finishing their qualifications.

But they pointed out improvements were being made under Mrs Bowker’s stewardship, praising the new management team for its "open and critical approach" to identifying the college’s problems and tackling them in future.

The previous inspection four years ago found the college was outstanding and gave it top marks, but standards dropped significantly in 2010-11.

Among areas judged to be inadequate at the college, which is in the process of changing its name to the City of Liverpool College, were business studies and humanities.