SCHOOLS and colleges in Herefordshire are celebrating after scoring highly in the league tables for GCSE and A-level results.

The average for pupils achieving five or more GCSE A* to C grades, including English and maths – the government benchmark – is high in Herefordshire, with children working hard to make the grades and scoring 56 per cent, three per cent higher than the national average of 53 per cent.

At John Masefield High School in Ledbury, students scored 64 per cent in this category, with 84 per cent hitting five A* to C grades generally.

At Queen Elizabeth Humanities College in Bromyard, the school scored 35 per cent (including English and maths) but reached 98 per cent (five or more).

The average point score for A-level results in Herefordshire was 215.1.

At John Masefield High School in Ledbury, the average point score was 762.1.

For truancy figures, Herefordshire has an average of 4.5 per cent of pupils persistently absent.

Both John Masefield High School and Queen Elizabeth Humanities College in Bromyard fell below this, with four per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively.

A Herefordshire Council spokesman said: “We want every individual pupil in Herefordshire to have the best possible start in life, and these very good GCSE and A-level results will stand them in good stead, helping them access further education and plan for their future careers.

“The council will continue to support schools and colleges through these difficult financial times to make sure they continue to provide the excellent quality education the county’s young people deserve. The Department of Education has published absence rates for individual schools and Herefordshire schools recognise the critical importance that good attendance plays in contributing to improving pupil performance.

“Reducing overall absence will remain a key factor in the council’s plans for continued improvement.

“Unauthorised absence in the county remains below the national average and our schools will continue to work intensively with parents, pupils and the local authority's support services to reduce still further incidences of unexplained absences.”