Rotherham schools top South Yorkshire league

But despite Year 11 students clocking up record results last summer, the borough is still lagging behind the national average.

The proportion of students passing five GCSEs at A* to C including english and maths was 47.1 per cent—up six per cent on the 2008 figure.

Rotherham’s results put the borough behind the national average of just under 50 per cent but ahead of Doncaster (42.9 per cent), Sheffield (44.5 per cent) and Barnsley (39.3 per cent).

The best performing schools were St Bernard’s School in Herringthorpe and Wickersley School with 62 per cent, while 24 per cent of students at bottom-placed Thrybergh Comprehensive School reached that target.

The publication by the Department for Children, Schools and Families of the revised Key Stage 4 tables on Wednesday also confirmed that 67 per cent of 16-year-olds in Rotherham achieved at least five A* to C grades overall—an eight per cent rise.

The national increases were 4.75 per cent for overall results and 2.2 per cent including English and maths.

A total of 94 per cent of students in Rotherham passed GCSE in at least five subjects at grades A* to G and 98.5 per cent achieved at least one GCSE qualification—both totals amounting to the borough’s best ever.

The results saw Rotherham Borough Council ranked as the 13th most improved local authority in the country on the main GCSE measures.

A spokeswoman said: "This is the seventh consecutive year of improvement at GCSE in Rotherham and by far the strongest increase to date.

"Many secondary schools achieved their best ever results, not only for those students capable of achieving A* to C but across the whole ability range."