Turbulent past of troubled school

Pupils at The Ridings have been allocated places at other schools

The Ridings School in Halifax came to prominence in 1996 when it temporarily closed amid claims many of its pupils were "unteachable".

Eleven years on and the doors of the West Yorkshire school, which was once dubbed the worst in Britain, have closed for the final time.

The school gained notoriety when staff said 60 pupils were so disruptive they could not be taught.

Teaching was suspended after reports of bullying, vandalism and truancy.

In the years that followed, new head teachers were brought in and millions of pounds spent on improving the image and results of the school.

It was reported that children who achieved 100% attendance in all three of the school terms were given a £50 reward by way of an incentive.

'Turning point'

By 2001, The Ridings was among the 200 most improved schools in the country and showed a 10% improvement in its GCSE results.

But in January 2003 league tables revealed the comprehensive had some some of the poorest results in England.

The school's closure was announced in 2007

Figures showed the number of pupils gaining five GSCE grades A-C in 2002 was 7%, earning The Ridings a place as the eighth worst school in the country.

Calderdale Council came to the school's defence, saying achievements had been made since the results were recorded.

This was apparent in August when the school celebrated a leap in results, with the number of pupils achieving five GSCE grades A-C increasing to 25%.

The school's then head teacher, Anna White, said the results marked a "long-awaited turning point".

But The Ridings was back in the media spotlight in 2005 when Ofsted inspectors said it was "performing less well than could be expected".

'Short-sighted'

Two years later it was put in special measures after a damning report by the education watchdog and, after more than a decade of rescue attempts, it was announced in October 2007 that the school would close on 15 July 2009.

A decision that was attacked by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) for being "short-sighted".

Pupils have been allocated places at other schools in the area but 35 staff, including teachers, were made redundant.

And as the gates were locked for the final time, arguments have broken out over what will happen to the bricks and mortar of The Ridings School.

The council is considering several options, including demolishing the building.

This proposal has been described by the NUT as "a disgrace".