EDUCATION chiefs at Kirklees Council today welcomed publication of performance tables for 14-year-olds.

It is the first time the government has published separately the test results in English, maths and science for key stage three pupils.

The tables also show how much - or how little - progress has been made by children since they were 11 at key stage two.

This is known as the value added score and it has been published in response to complaints by teachers that the league tables do not take into account the improvement made by pupils.

Any score above 100 indicates above-average progress.

Nationally grammar schools dominated the top of league tables and this trend is matched in Kirklees, where Heckmondwike Grammar School scored virtually 100% in the test- based results.

The score is based on the proportion of pupils who have reached the Government's required standard in English, maths and science - known as level five.

Heckmondwike headteacher Mr Mark Tweedle said the results were what were expected of a selective school.

"But I think it would be more helpful to parents if they were given an overall picture of a school's results rather than broken down into key stage 3, 4 and A level," he added.

"I have no problem with publishing the information because it provides valuable information for parents."

All of the students gained a level five or above in maths and science and 99% of those who sat the English exam achieved a level five or above.

But the calculation by the government does not take into account the fact that a child may be absent from the test which some teachers say gives a distorted picture of the school's achievement.

Heckmondwike Grammar School recorded a 1% absence from the English test because one pupil was absent.

A total of 25 schools in Kirklees are included in the table.

The second best performing school in Kirklees is Castle Hall School, Mirfield, follow- ed by Shelley High School.

The bottom three schools are Westborough High School, in Dewsbury, Rawthorpe High School and Birkdale High School, in Dewsbury.

Kirklees came 97th in the list of local education authorities for its results.

Clr John Smithson, Kirklees Council's deputy leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Recreation, and Gavin Tonkin, Director of Lifelong learning, welcomed publication of the tables and congratulated Kirklees secondary schools, teachers and pupils on their results.

Clr Smithson said:

"Raising standards across the LEA, improving a school's results or achieving the best Key Stage 3 results for an individual student all result from successful collaborative working.

"Today's results reflect the common commitment of everybody involved."