A report has found that Middlesbrough has one of the lowest GCSE pass rates in the country.

A report by learning platform Snappy Words found that the local authority had the lowest percentage of pupils achieving a Grade 5 or higher over the last five years.

It noted the North East ranked as the third worst region in England for GCSE attainment levels – with the West Midlands and the North West taking the other two spots.

Middlesbrough registered a pass rate of 38.46 per cent and ranked 145th out of 152 local authorities included in the study.

A spokesperson from Snappy Words said: “Considering the significant disruption these youngsters have faced as a result of the pandemic, their exam results show a significant increase in the 2022-23 academic year compared to 2018-19.

“As we move back to pre-pandemic grading standards, today’s data continues to show regional disparities in attainment.

“Despite a noticeable improvement in the North West compared to 2019, it is still the region with the lowest proportion of top grades and London continues to outperform the rest of the country.”

Stockton was the highest-ranked North East local authority – achieving a pass rate of 50.3%.

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Meanwhile, North Tyneside placed in 56th (49.46%), Gateshead ranked in 60th (49.16%), North Yorkshire in 63rd (48.74%), and Darlington 76th ( 47.56%).

The best-performing local authority was Sutton which achieved a GCSE pass rate of 67.78 per cent.

The best region was London which achieved a rate of 54.79 per cent.