Rapid improvements, but Barnsley schools are third worst

Secondary school league tables have been published revealing Barnsley Academy is Yorkshire's most improved school.

Last summer 55 per cent of pupils managed five good GCSEs including maths and English, putting the school just a fraction behind the national average of 58 per cent.

The Academy ranked third in Barnsley in terms of last summer's results. Penistone Grammar came top with 65 per cent, and Darton College, where there has also been rapid improvement, came second with 57 per cent - just one per cent below the national average.

Willowgarth and Priory were the two of the worst performing schools scoring 33 and 34 per cent respectively. They have now merged to form Shafton ALC.

Both former schools fell below the government's minimum acceptable standard of 35 per cent.

Dearne ALC was bottom of the league, with 32 per cent. Despite improvements made in many schools, Barnsley as a whole is ranked third-bottom nationally for GCSE results.