LEAGUE tables published yesterday show Oxfordshire children are continuing to make progress at GCSE - beating the national average for the second year running.

Figures show that 47.5 per cent of the county's students achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and maths, compared with 45.8 per cent nationally.

The tables also compare A-Level results, truancy figures and - for the first time - a 'contextual value-added score' (CVA score) which measures the progress pupils have made between 11 and 16. It also takes into account factors influencing results including pupils' gender, age and social and ethnic backgrounds.

Topping the county's GCSE rankings is the School of St Helen and St Katharine in Abingdon, which achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at GCSE.

Schools were ranked according to the proportion of pupils getting five Cs in GCSE subjects, including English and maths.

Other high achievers were Magdalen College School, Oxford, Tudor Hall School, Banbury, Our Lady's Convent Senior School, Abingdon and Wychwood School, Oxford. They all achieved 100 per cent pass rates.

The top-performing state school in the county was Chiltern Edge School, in Sonning Common.

Schools making significant improvements in 2006 included Carterton Community College, Chiltern Edge School, Oxford Community School and St Birinus School in Didcot. All of these schools raised their grades by at least ten percentage points or more.

Steve Lunt, headteacher at Oxford Community School, said: "We are very pleased, particularly with Key Stage 4 results where we significantly raised the bar, not only with our A* to C results, which nearly doubled the previous year, but also in terms of the number of students passing.

"We put in place an awful lot of work to ensure students were prepared, ranging from revision sessions to mentoring. That has all obviously paid dividends."

Chris Bryan, headteacher at St Birinus School, said: "We have made a determined effort to improve the quality of teaching and learning and that has brought about a 20 per cent improvement in our GCSE results over the past four years."

Schools at the foot of the table included Peers School, Oxford, which recently came out of special measures, Bicester Community College and Drayton School, Banbury.

Thirteen Oxfordshire schools gained places in the top 25 per cent nationally under the new CVA scoring system.

Oxford's Cherwell School, Matthew Arnold School in Cumnor, Oxford, Blessed George Napier in Banbury and Carterton Community College were all among top achievers.

A-Level results show The Cherwell School and Faringdon Community College outperforming all others in the county.

The county's average point score at A-Level was 712.2 compared with the national figure of 709 for comprehensives and 721 for all schools and colleges.

Councillor Michael Waine, the county council's cabinet member for school improvement, said: "It is good to see that Oxfordshire schools have moved forward again at GCSE and A-Level. There are some great individual successes and pupils and teachers deserve credit for all their work.

"The overall picture is very promising and we look forward to building on the progress made to raise standards still further."

  • Oxford High School - usually one of the city's high-flying schools - is shown in the table as having a zero per cent pass rate at GCSE. This is because pupils at the school sit international maths at GCSE rather than maths and this exam is not recognised by the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority).

Tables show percentage of A* to C GCSE grades for schools, where figures are available, followed by the value added score

Abingdon School 96% 1001.3Banbury School 29% 994.9Bartholomew School, Eynsham 62% 1011.9Bicester Community College 21% 977.8Blessed George Napier School, Banbury 53% 1021.0Bloxham School 81% n/aBurford School 61% 992.6Carterton Community College 50% 1011.7Cheney School, Oxford 48% 1011The Cherwell School, Oxford 58% 1023.5Chipping Norton School 59% 1000.3Cokethorpe School, Witney 75% n/aCooper School, Bicester 41% 995.6Cranford House School, Wallingford 94% n/aDidcot Girls' School 60% 988.8Drayton School, Banbury 23% 985.3Faringdon Community College 53% 998.5Fitzharrys School, Abingdon 41% 983.3Gillotts School, Henley 62% 1002.2Gosford Hill School, Kidlington 47% 1006.9Headington School, Oxford 99% n/aHenry Box School, Witney 48% 1003.9Icknield Community College, Watlington 58% 994.4John Mason School, Abingdon 44% 985.5King Alfred's College, Wantage 48% 1012.3The King's School, Witney 84% n/aKingham Hill School, Chipping Norton 52% n/aLarkmead School, Abingdon 32% 1007.2Lord Williams's School, Thame 59% 1000.2Magdalen College School, Oxford 100% n/aThe Marlborough School, Woodstock 56% 1006.0Matthew Arnold School, Oxford 62% 1019.4Our Lady's Convent School, Abingdon 100% n/aOxford Community School 26% 991.1Peers School, Oxford 19% 1000.9Radley College 99% n/aRye St Antony School, Oxford 78% n/aSt Birinus School, Didcot 53% 1011.6St Edward's School, Oxford 95% n/aSt Gregory the Great, Oxford 36% 1014.5St Mary's School, Wantage 97% n/aSt Helen and St Katharine, Abingdon 100% n/aShiplake College, Henley 54% n/aSibford School, Banbury 55% n/aTudor Hall School, Banbury 100% n/aWallingford School 56% 1018.3Warriner School, Bloxham 58% 1012.0Wheatley Park School 42% 985.5Wood Green School, Witney 49% 1000.4Wychwood School, Oxford 100% n/ad'Overbroeck's College, Oxford 86% n/a