North Yorkshire schools continue to lead the way regionally in the league tables for English, maths and science.

National tests taken by pupils aged 11 last summer reveal that, overall, children in North Yorkshire schools are producing higher results in the three disciplines than Leeds, Calderdale, Kirklees and Bradford.

In North Yorkshire, 73.7 per cent of 11-year-olds gained level four or above in the National Curriculum, compared to Bradford, who bring up the rear, with 54.5 per cent of pupils reaching the required standard.

Yet Bradford is higher up in the tables as the most improved district, increasing its results by an average of 8.4 per cent on the previous year.

Although all districts in the area are improving, many are falling the wrong side of the national averages.

Kirklees and Bradford fall short of the national averages in every subject, while Calderdale was below in English and science but in line with the average in maths.

Only four out of 125 authorities had better results than North Yorkshire.

Leeds, however, can boast four schools in the top 200 in the country as well as a host of good performances from schools in Horsforth, Pudsey, Rawdon and Otley.

Hawksworth CE Primary gained outstanding results with one-hundred per cent of pupils gaining level four in English, and 92 per cent in maths and science. But Leeds also had the highest number of schools in England's bottom 200 with five.

Schools in Batley had mixed results with St Patrick's turning in the best performance.

But the Kirklees district had four schools in the bottom 200, including Leeside Junior in Heckmondwike and Park Road Junior and Fieldhead Junior in Batley.

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