HECKMONDWIKE Grammar School has again been judged top of the class in Kirklees schools.

Students today boasted the best results for Key Stage 3 tests in secondary schools.

The tests, which students take in Year 9, when they are around 14 years old, focus on English, maths and science.

Students at the school repeated last year's success and swept the board with 99% achieving the government standard of level five.

The national average is 74% English, 74% maths and 70% science.

Holmfirth High School came second and Shelley College third.

Spen Valley Sports College was named as one of the top 100 most improved schools nationally based on sustained improvements. A total of 25 Kirklees schools are included in the table.

The bottom three were Birkdale High, Rawthorpe High and Westborough High.

Birkdale High, which is currently in special measures and which was threatened with closure several years ago, is also one of two Kirklees schools featured in the national worst 200 schools.

Birkdale is fifth nationally and Rawthorpe High School ranks 56th.

Clr Geoff Alvy, Kirklees Council Cabinet member for children's services, congratulated every child and school for their achievements and urged them to continue the drive towards higher attainment.

"We want all our schools to be delivering to the maximum of their abilities and we ask them to keep up the hard work and keep pushing ahead," he said.

"Both Birkdale and Rawthorpe have had problems in the past but the staff and pupils are pushing ahead.

"They are free of the issues and encumbrances that once affected them and they are now in a stronger position to move forward."

School standards minister Jacqui Smith said: "These results are a testament to the hard work of pupils and the professionalism of teachers and support staff.

"They show that real progress is being made in our ambitions towards ensuring that all people are secure in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

"Teachers, support staff and pupils should take pride in these results."