Secondary school league tables: Mixed results in Staffordshire

Across the county, 56.1 per cent of pupils gained the Government's benchmark of five or more GCSEs at A* to C, including English and maths.

The figures see Staffordshire rise seven places in the national tables to 94th out of 152 local authorities.

But the new Department for Education (DfE) figures show the county slipped seven positions down the table for A-level results.

• Click here to download the full local league tables

Councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for learning at Staffordshire County Council, said: "This year we have really improved on our GCSE results, meaning Staffordshire students are achieving better than the national average.

"Getting the right mix of skills is important for any future career, so today's results are an important step in making sure that pupils in Staffordshire are equipped to progress into further education, university, training or apprenticeships.

"However, whilst improvements have been made at A-level, it is clear that more needs to be done.

"We want people in Staffordshire to have the best possible chances of a fulfilling career, so it's vital that our colleges and training providers offer a choice of high quality academic, professional and technical courses."

He added: "It's essential that students in Staffordshire who want to go on to university, apprenticeships, or take advantage of the skilled jobs being created on their doorstep in engineering, science, technology and health sciences can learn the necessary skills and achieve their potential.

"We will continue to work with sixth forms, colleges and training providers to ensure we can continue to improve A-level results ensure students can go on to a rewarding and fulfilling career."

The top school in the county for GCSEs was Chase Grammar School in Cannock, which saw all 17 of its pupils gain five or more A* to C GCSEs including English and maths.

Principal designate Paul Silverwood said: "We are very pleased with this fantastic news. The results are a reward for the hard work of our teachers and students.

"Hopefully our pupils can go on and do just as well in the future."

St Dominic's High School for Girls in Brewood saw 91 per cent of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs, an improvement on last year's figure of 85 per cent.

Headteacher Pete McNabb said he was proud of how the school's pupils had performed in GCSEs, A-levels and GCSE English baccalaureate exams. "It is the high level of individual care and meticulous attention to detail that allows our students to reach their potential," he said.

"We obtained the highest GCSE English baccalaureate result across the whole of Staffordshire last year for any school and this year our result is even higher."