CLASSROOM standards at secondary schools in Kent continued to improve last year, according to the latest set of league tables published by the government.

In Kent, the number of pupils at Kent schools passing five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C in all subjects rose by 1.6 per cent to 61.4 per cent, above the national average of 59.2 per cent.

That gave it an average point score of 376.8, ten points higher than 2005.

County education chiefs praised the achievements of pupils and schools but stressed they were not complacent.

As in previous years, selective grammars and independent schools dominated the top of the table but there were also notable improvements elsewhere, with five non-selective schools recording increases of between ten and 15 per cent in their GCSE pass rate.

These were: The Channel School, Folkestone; Northfleet Technology College, Gravesend; Astor College of The Arts, Dover; Canterbury High School and Northfleet School for Girls.

Kent County Council said it now had just two schools which did not achieve the government’s minimum targets for GCSE passes last year, compared to eight in 2005. They are Oldborough Manor in Maidstone, which was ranked bottom of this year’s table, and Minster College in Sheppey.

There was a more mixed picture when it came to the government’s new "gold standard" indicator, showing the number of pupils whose five GCSE passes at grades A* to C included maths and English.

That is the new benchmark indicator, introduced following concerns that schools were not focusing on core skills.

Across Kent, the percentage of pupils whose five passes included maths and English at grade C or above was 46.8 per cent, marginally above the national rate of 45.8 per cent.

Cllr Susan Carey (Con) KCC’s lead member for education, said the achievements of pupils deserved to be celebrated.

"We have done very well in Kent and we congratulate everyone involved. There is a gap with maths and English but we are working hard to close it. These subjects are important but we must not talk down vocational courses, especially in terms of preparing children for work."

Schools also did well when it came to the value added measure that is incorporated into the tables, designed to show how much progress pupils make from the time they enter school to when they sit the tests.

Castle Community College in Deal headed Kent schools on that front.

In Medway, 56.4 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grade GCSEs in all subjects, with 44 per cent passing five or more that included maths and English.

Check how local schools fared in this week's Kent Messenger, Medway Messenger, Kentish Express and Kentish Gazette. The tables are also available via the Department for Education website www.dfes.gov.uk