ACHIEVEMENTS by A-level students in Kirklees are the third best in the country.

League tables published by the Government today show that the average A-level points score per candidate in Kirklees was 298.6 - beaten only by Darlington and Bournemouth.

The table plots the results of 150 councils in 2003.

But GCSE results are not quite as impressive.

Kirklees comes 91st in the table, which looks at the average percentage of schools' candidates getting at least five A* to C grades or the vocational equivalent.

Education chiefs today congratulated secondary school staff and pupils on their results.

Clr John Smithson, Kirklees Council's deputy leader, said: "Not only do I want to congratulate the students on attaining these results, I also want to thank teachers and parents for all their hard work and support.

"The proportion of pupils attaining the 5+A* to C benchmark remains lower than the national average. But a higher proportion of pupils attained 5+A* to G grades and a higher proportion of students left Kirklees high schools with at least one GCSE pass."

He continued: "Raising standards across an LEA, improving a school's performance or achieving the best GCSEs for an individual student, all centre around collaborative working.

"Today's results reflect the common commitment of everybody involved, working together to do the best for all our pupils."

Gavin Tonkin, Kirklees Council's director for lifelong learning said: "We applaud these results and praise the candidates and teachers who worked so hard to achieve them.

" I offer my personal congratulations to all our schools and pupils today for these results.

"They reflect a great deal of hard work, commitment and effort."

In respect to the proportion of pupils who leave secondary school with 5+A* to C, Kirklees sits second in the five councils that make up the West Yorkshire Learning Skills Partnership.

In terms of the value added between Key Stage 3 and GCSE, Kirklees is fifth out of the 15 councils that make up the Yorkshire and Humber region and has an LEA average which is above the regional norm.