A SCHOOL that was recently crowned one of the most improved in the country is celebrating after topping the performance tables.

Sedgefield Community College in County Durham came out top of its class in the Similar Schools Measure performance tables, which rank schools with near identical intakes of children.

The result is the latest in a string of achievements for the school, which was named the 35th most improved school in England in January.

Headteacher David Davies said: “The staff and pupils are doing an amazing job and the achievement is all the greater when you consider how far we have come.

“In 2009 we were at a very low point. The school was not performing well and behaviour was not as it should be.

“Now pupil behaviour has been described by Ofsted inspectors as 'outstanding' and our GCSE results were among the best in the county.”

The Simple School Measure works by dividing schools into groups based on the prior academic achievements of youngsters on entry.

Each school is then ranked against similar establishments on the basis of results achieved in 11-year-olds' tests for primary schools, and in GCSEs for secondary schools.

In a letter to Mr Davies, the minister of state for education, David Laws MP, said: “This is a fantastic achievement you should be very proud of.”

Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson added: “This is my old school and it is wonderful to see it going from strength to strength.”