A teaching unit which provides education for vulnerable children with behavioural problems has failed an inspection by the national educational watchdog.

The Pupil Referral Unit, which is split between a primary school in Muswell Hill and a secondary school in Wood Green, was judged inadequate by Ofsted last month.

The unit aims to support pupils and get them back into mainstream school, further training or employment, depending on the age of the child.

The report, first published on July 22, said that pupils did not make progress quickly enough, particularly in English and maths and teachers did not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve.

It added that leaders had not ensured the unit improved quickly enough since the previous inspection and had not led to sustained improvement in pupils’ achievement.

Haringey Borough Council was also criticised in the unit’s inspection report for allowing the school’s management and leadership to decline at secondary level.

It said: “Little progress has been made in tackling the major problems at the secondary site that have been evident for at least a year.

“Teaching remains inadequate, attendance is very low and pupils continue to underachieve.

“Although the local authority now fully recognises the seriousness of the situation, it has also been slow to act.”

According to the report, after problems were identified, the council waited two months before conducting a full review of the provision in July 2012.

It responded by appointing an interim executive board in place of the management committee, but a year on from the review, serious problems remained.

Opposition councillors have criticised the authority for failing to act quickly enough to turn around the referral unit.

Councillor Katherine Reece, Liberal Democrat spokesman for education, said: “It is very disappointing that this unit, which helps some of the most deprived and vulnerable children in the borough, has been found to be inadequate.

“However it is hardly a surprise given what we have heard about the need for improvement in schools, graphically highlighted in the council’s own report.

“There is a lot more improvement needed in Haringey to bring the education system up to an excellent standard for all children.”

All secondary schools in the borough are rated either good or outstanding by Ofsted but the Pupil Referral Unit is not classed as a school in its own right.

The Haringey Independent has asked the council for a comment.