Two Keighley schools which saw marked improvements in GCSE results last year have had their achievement recognised in national league tables.

The good news for Parkside and Greenhead schools appears in the tables for school performances in 2005.

The tables take into account both GCSE and A-level results.

They show that last year, The Holy Family Catholic School had the highest proportion of pupils in the Keighley district with five or more A - C grades.

Fifty-seven per cent of students who took GCSEs at the school reached the benchmark Level 2 standard.

Parkside School in Cullingworth recorded 56 per cent of its GCSE pupils attaining five or more A - C grades.

This compared with 42 per cent in 2004 - a rise of 14 per cent.

Parkside's head teacher Dr Tony Rickwood said: "We have had a notable improvement. It's very pleasing and reflects a lot of hard work from staff and students."

He added the fact that nearly a third of pupils at Parkside had recognised special learning needs showed the school had risen to the challenge.

"We've provided an environment in which these pupils can believe they will succeed," he said.

South Craven School in North Yorkshire achieved a 50 per cent Level 2 pass rate, while 43 per cent of pupils gained this at Oakbank School.

At Greenhead High School, 37 per cent of students attained five or more A - C grades.

The figure compared with only 22 per cent in 2004. The school's head teacher Tricia McCarthy said: "We are over the moon about the progress we have made."

She said truancy levels at Greenhead were falling, saying: "At one stage we couldn't remember the last time we had over 90 per cent attendance.

"We've achieved that now and want to get over 95 per cent."

A total of 5.5 per cent of half days were missed at the school last year due to truancy.

Barbara Lawrie, Education Bradford's Principal Education Social Worker, said the high truancy figures at schools such as Greenhead were due to "rigorous" recording methods. She said: "Bradford has a zero tolerance of school absence in order to improve overall levels of attendance.

"Education Bradford's social workers are imposing fixed penalty notices on parents whose children persistently play truant from school."

Spokesmen for Bradford LEA stressed the overall GCSE results had placed the authority 129th out of 149 LEAs nationally, compared with 140th in 2004.

John Gaskin, Education Bradford's managing director, said: "This is an outstanding performance and the young people who sat the exams, head teachers, teachers and governors, should be proud of their achievement."

For A-level and AS level results, Greenhead High School came 22nd out of 38 LEA schools. This ranking was based on A-level points scored per pupil.

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Tables at a glance

Keighley College was awarded a ranking of 26th.

The district's highest placed entrant was The Holy Family Catholic School, which came eighth in the LEA for A-level results.

Parkside and Oakbank were placed 11th and 15th respectively, while in North Yorkshire, South Craven school was ranked 25th out of 57 schools in the LEA.