THE majority of education authorities (LEAs) in the region are celebrating improved performances in the latest Government league tables.

Pupils sitting GCSEs helped 11 of the 14 councils in the North-East and North Yorkshire score higher marks - and nine moved up the national rankings.

Ten LEAs recorded improved results thanks to A-level students, but that translated into only four climbing up the table.

Gateshead is again the region's best-performing LEA for GCSEs (10th, compared to 18th last year), while Middlesbrough is again the worst, despite a small improvement from 139th to 137th.

The biggest improvements in terms of league placings were North Tyneside, up from 88th to 67th, Newcastle, from 130th to 112th, and Hartlepool, from 105th to 91st.

North Yorkshire (15th), City of York (35th) Northumberland (38th) joined North Tyneside in the top half of the 150-place table.

Redcar and Cleveland was 88th, up from 92nd in 2003, Darlington was down 19 places to 89th, and County Durham was up eight to 103rd.

For A-levels, Darlington slipped from second place to sixth, but remained the region's best-performing LEA, ahead of North Yorkshire in 13th, the City of York, 17th.

Redcar and Cleveland dropped ten places to 46th, Hartlepool fell two to 64th, and Stockton slipped 24 places to 67th.

County Durham improved by one place to 97th, while Middlesbrough's A-level performance mirrored its GCSE result and provided a two-place move to 137th.

Councillor Paul Thompson, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for education, said: "GCSE results in Middlesbrough are getting better year on year and improving faster than the national average - the percentage of pupils achieving A*-C grades has gone up five per cent in three years.

"We know we have further to go and are continuing to support schools to make sure children achieve their best."

Durham County Council's director of education, Keith Mitchell, said: "Secondary schools in County Durham have had their best year ever. The percentage gaining five or more A*-C grades in 2004 was 46.6 per cent, an improvement of three per cent on the previous year. Sixteen of the county's schools achieved their best ever results."

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said: "2003 was our best ever year and performance has dipped slightly this year. However, most schools have improved on 2003, and two, Eastbourne and Hurworth, experienced record results.

"We remain in the top ten nationally for A-level results and, overall, we are still the Tees Valley region's top-performing education authority."

The region's best-performing centres for A-levels were independent schools for girls, The Mount, in York, and Central Newcastle High School, followed by Harrogate Ladies College.

In the state sector, Ripon Grammar, Harrogate Grammar, and Huntingdon and Fulford schools, both in York, as well as Stokesley School and Durham Johnston Comprehensive, made the top 200.

At GCSE, the only state schools in the top 200 were Emmanuel College, Gates-head, and Ripon Grammar School, while Teesside High School, near Stockton, and Dame Allan's Girls' School, Newcastle, both recorded 100 per cent success rates.