THE latest education figures from the Government, released this week, have shown a mixed performance from Bromsgrove and Droitwich schools for key stage four and A Level results.

All of the area’s schools performed above the minimum Government standard expected of 40 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades, including maths and English.

Dodderhill School in Droitwich was named as the best performing school in the county for GCSE results despite a fall in its performance, with 92 per cent of pupils achieving five grades A*-C including maths and English, compared to 97 per cent last year.

This year the Government changed the way results are recorded for schools, removing pupils’ results from second attempts at GCSE exams as well as some unregulated versions of qualifications, such as IGCSEs.

Nationally the changes have led to a dip in results, and while North Bromsgrove saw its results dip from 70 per cent of pupils achieving five grades A*-C including maths and English last year, to only 60 per cent this year, and South Bromsgrove seeing a similar fall from 69 per cent achieving five grades A*-C including maths and English last year to 64 per cent this year.

Droitwich Spa High School and Waseley Hills High School in Rubery were two of only eight high schools across the county which managed to buck the trend with pass rates for pupils achieving five grades A*-C including maths and English going up by one percentage point at the former and four per cent at the latter.

Bromsgrove School no longer has its GCSE results recorded, but was placed second in the county for A Level results with 90 per cent of students entered achieving at least three A Levels at grades A*-E, while North Bromsgrove and South Bromsgrove High School also recorded high results in the same field of 81 per cent and 87 per cent respectively.

Across Worcestershire, 58.5 per cent of county students achieved five or more A* - C grades, including English and maths.

Nationally the average of students achieving these same results was 53.4 per cent - so county schools exceeded the national average by five per cent.

Councillor Liz Eyre, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for children and families, said: "As we saw in the summer, GCSE students have done themselves proud and achieved a range of top marks.

"Today's figures have allowed us to compare ourselves to other authorities across the country and prove that Worcestershire schools are achieving great results for their students."