STAFF and pupils at high schools in the Vale are celebrating after achieving good results in the secondary school league tables.

Evesham High School has improved its year on year performance, with 47% of pupils passing five GCSEs at grades A to C, compared with 43% last year and 42% in 1998.

Prince Henry's High School gained a 66% pass rate at grades A to C, which was slightly below last year's figure of 68% but still way above the national average.

Pershore High School, with 56%, was also above the national average figure.

Michael Krier, the head of Pershore High School, said: "We are very pleased with our results but, more importantly, we always ask the question whether the individual student has reached his or her potential."

David Kelly, from Evesham High School, said: "We are delighted with our results and welcome the Government's decision, in future, to show the progress schools have made, rather than just the bare statistics."

Bernard Roberts, Prince Henry's High School's head teacher, said: "Our GCSE and our A level results have been outstanding. They are bound to fluctuate slightly each year, for a variety of reasons, but the results are very pleasing and reflect the achievements of both pupils and staff."

Despite the school's excellent results, Mr Roberts was keen to point out that when the data from all the schools was put into table form, the figures tended to misrepresent the whole picture.

Children's abilities from intakes each year fluctuated and other factors contrived to give the impression that some schools were doing less well than others, which, often, was not the case.

Mr Roberts said: "All three high schools in the Vale achieve excellent results from dedicated staff, who aim to get the very best they can from the children they teach."

Next year, the Government is aiming to change the format in which the figures are presented, supplying more information to parents to able them to make more informed judgements on schools' performances.