TWO schools in the North-East and North Yorkshire made it into the national top 200 for GCSE results as Government’s league tables showed that more secondary schools are meeting baseline targets for 16 year olds.

Skipton Girls High School, a state-funded academy where 100 per cent of candidates obtained five good GCSE passes including maths and English, appeared among the top 200 performing schools.

The only other North-East school to feature in this elite grouping was the independent Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, where 99 per cent of candidates obtained five good GCSE passes.

Three independent schools from the region - Queen Ethelburga’s College from York, Yarm School, from Stockton and Bootham School, from York, appeared in the top 100 schools for A Level results and other advanced academic qualifications.

In a new category which recognises advanced vocational exams, state schools including Archbishop Holgate’s School, in York, St John’s School and Sixth Form College in Bishop Auckland, Carmel College in Darlington and St Bede’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Peterlee were among schools featured in the top 100.

Matt Dunn, director of sixth form at St John’s, described his school’s position as 17th in the country for advanced vocational exams as “outstanding".

In relation to GCSEs the top performing school in Darlington was Carmel College (90 per cent of candidates obtained five good GCSE passes including maths and English), the top performing state school in County Durham was The Hermitage Academy in Chester-le-Street (82), the top performing state school in Middesbrough was the Macmillan Academy, the top performing state school in Stockton was All Saints C of E School and the top performing state school in Hartlepool was the English Martyrs School (83). Nunthorpe Academy was the top performing state school in Redcar and Cleveland (72).

In a separate development the headmaster of Yarm School, David Dunn, is writing to Education Secretary Michael Gove asking him to recognise the value of IGCSEs - a tougher, international version of GCSEs – in Yarm School’s entrance in the official league tables.

Although the “vast majority” of Yarm School pupils take IGCSE in English “the Government league tables show the result as a fail,” said Mr Dunn.

He said top performing schools are “feeling aggrieved that their excellent IGCSE results are not being included in the league tables.”

A number of North-East schools featured among the 97 state-funded secondaries with the lowest GCSE results.

They included: the now closed Oakfields Community College in Middlesbrough (32), Risedale Sports and Community College in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire (32) and the now closed Grangefield School and Technology College in Stockton.