CHRISTLETON High School tops the league tables when it comes to GCSE results.

Tables published by the Department for Education (DfE) last week state that 84% of pupils in last year’s Year 11, who sat their GCSE examinations in the summer, achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and maths.

Headteacher Tony Lamberton said: “We are delighted with the attainment of our students last year. “These are our first results as a new academy, and have been achieved through the hard work of students, teachers and parents working together to ensure every student achieved their personal best.

“We wish all our students from last year every success with their future studies.”

In the same table, Bishop Heber High School in Malpas achieved 73%, Tarporley High 72%, Bishops’ Blue Coat CE High 68%, Upton-by-Chester High 65%, Neston High 64%, Helsby High 61%, Chester Catholic High School 60%, Queen’s Park High School 54% and Blacon High School 42%. The national average for secondary schools in England is 58.9%.

In the independent sector, The King’s School achieved 86%, Abbey Gate College 85%, The Queen’s School 64% and The Hammond School 61%. Headteachers of both The King’s School and The Queen’s School claim that their figures have not been registered correctly and are actually 99% or 100%.

Queen’s School head Sarah Clark said: “For years the DfE has not recognised the IGCSE (International GCSE) qualification which we offer at Queen’s and we therefore ended up scoring 0% in league tables. This year they have included IGCSE results for maths but seem not to have included those students in our top maths set who sat the examination earlier than last summer. We have received a verbal confirmation that our figures will be corrected in six weeks.”

The King’s School headteacher Chris Ramsey added: “Fifteen of our 100 pupils sat their maths GCSE in Year 10 and we believe that they have not been added to our figures.”

At 34%, Bishop Heber High School tops the Government’s English Baccalaureate league table for state schools which measures the percentage of pupils achieving above grade C in core subjects : English, maths, two sciences, a foreign language and a humanity (history of geography).

Helsby High School is second with 29%, followed by Bishops’ Blue Coat and Tarporley both achieving 28%.