SCHOOLS in areas recognised as being badly hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis have achieved worse than usual GCSE results, according to performance league tables published today.

The Department for Education and Skills has given some schools the initials FM in its league tables to indicate they are in areas deemed as being most affected by the crisis.

In most cases, these schools have experienced a drop in the numbers of pupils gaining five or more A*-C grades.

Typically in County Durham, Moorside Community College, in Consett, went from a 34 per cent GCSE pass rate last year to 21 per cent this year, resulting in its position within its Local Education Authority (LEA) league table dropping from 26th to 38th.

In North Yorkshire, St Francis Xavier School, Richmond, was also affected - its pass rate for five or more A*-C grades dropping from 68 per cent to 51 per cent, and its position in the LEA table from 25th to 30th.

Teesdale School, in Barnard Castle, Blackfyne Comprehensive, Consett, Staindrop Comprehensive, all County Durham, and Northallerton College, in North Yorkshire, all recorded a similar fall in results.

Elaine Kay, from the North-East regional office of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Some pupils in very rural areas were not able to go to school for quite lengthy periods because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"Any time out of school has a significant effect on education. Some may have also been unable to take the exams, and they would have gone down as 'fails' in the league tables."

However, there was good news for Macmillan College, in Stockton, Teesside, which rose to second place in the table for the most improved specialist school in the country.

Three years ago, the college gained a 48 per cent pass rate for five or more A*-C grades at GCSE. This year, it gained 81 per cent.

Principal Ken Fraser said: "We have worked hard over recent years to ensure the systems are in place to achieve these results."

Nationally, girls once again did better than boys in their exams, with 55.4 per cent of them achieving five or more A*-C grades, compared with 44.8 per cent of boys.

However, the boys at Newcastle Royal Grammar gained better overall results than Central Newcastle High girls school, putting them at the top of the city LEA's league table.

The boys gained a 99 per cent GCSE pass rate, compared with 96 per rate for the girls, virtually reversing last year's achievements.

Hartlepool gained a record pass rate this year, with 40 per cent of GCSE pupils gaining five or more A*-C grades - a four per cent improvement on last year. Chairman of Hartlepool Borough Council's education and childcare board, Councillor Brian Littlefair, said: "The council's long-term commitment to improving standards and investing in schools is clearly paying off.