NEW school league tables based on local authorities show big differences between different parts of the region.

The new league table launched by Ofsted ranks local authorities according to inspectors rating of schools.

Primary schools in Northumberland, Middlesbrough, Darlington and Hartlepool feature in the top category of local authority areas where pupils are most likely to attend good or outstanding schools.

But as far as secondary schools are concerned, no North-East local authority areas feature in the top category.

Only Durham and York schools feature in the second-tier category of areas where pupils are likely to attend a good or outstanding secondary school.

Schools in Darlington, Gateshead, Newcastle North Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland are categorised as being in areas where pupils have a fair chance of attending a good or outstanding secondary schools.

Teesside and Wearside fair badly in the secondary school league tables with Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Sunderland all in the areas where pupils are least likely to attend a good or outstanding school.

Areas where pupils are likely to attend a good or outstanding primary school include Gateshead, North Tyneside, Stockton, Durham, Newcastle, Redcar and Cleveland and North Yorkshire.

But York, South Tyneside and Sunderland are classed as areas where pupils are less likely to attend good or outstanding primary schools.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilson, said that it is "completely unacceptable" that some children have a 90 per cent chance of attending a decent school, while others have half that chance.

The inequities are stark, said Sir Michael.

He added: "Why is it that a child living in Derby or Doncaster local authority areas has only half the chance of attending a good or better primary or secondary school compared with a child living in Wigan or Darlington?"

Ofsted has also announced that it is to have its own regional director to push up standards and improve the quality of education, learning and skills in the North-East, Yorkshire and Humber.

Nick Hudson, currently corporate director for children's and adult services at Wigan Council will take up his new post from January.

Mr Hudson will lead a team of inspectors whose main aim is to support underperforming schools and colleges and help them to improve more quickly.

Councillor Cyndi Hughes, cabinet member for children and young people at Labour-controlled Darlington Borough Council, argued that the success of the towns schools was more about partnership and collaboration than the "climate of competition and uncertainty" promulgated by the Government.