The number of secondary schools being failed by Ofsted is continuing to rise, according to new figures published yesterday.

There were 96 on the education watchdog's "special measures" list at the end of the Easter term, up two compared with the end of December.

But the number of failing primaries fell from 180 to 156 over the same period.

It has also emerged that Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough had become the first of the government’s flagship schools to be failed.

The £18m academy has been warned that it must go on to the "special measures" list after a critical report by inspectors.