Shropshire schools were today riding high in GCSE performance league tables which reveal that more pupils than ever achieved the benchmark five top grades.

But the tables also show that, nationally, more than 300,000 teenagers left school last year without a good grounding in reading, writing and maths, the so-called three Rs.

One in five secondary schools is failing to make sure at least 30 per cent of their pupils hit the key standard of at least five C grades in GCSE subjects including English and maths.

The number of state school pupils in the Shropshire county education area achieving this particular target is the best ever at 53.3 per cent.

The top state sector performance has come from the Marches School and Technology College at Oswestry with a figure of 70 per cent.

Also on this standard, two state schools from Telford & Wrekin – Newport Girls High and Adams Grammar – along with independents Shrewsbury Girls High and Shrewsbury School, are listed among the top 200 nationally in the table covering all types of school.

Newport Girls High is ranked third in England. It is also in the top 200 A-level performers with Adams Grammar, Thomas Telford and Concord College near Shrewsbury.

One of Shropshire’s smallest comprehensives, Lacon Childe at Cleobury Mortimer, is recognised as one of the “most improved” nationally according to the proportion of pupils who have gained five A*-C grades, including English and maths.

It is listed among the 200 most improved state secondary schools in England.

The table shows the schools that improved consecutively each year from 2004 to 2007 and reveals that at Lacon Childe the percentage of pupils obtaining high grades rose from 38 to 55.Headteacher Allan Gilhooley said: “I think it is remarkable achievement.”

He praised his “dedicated staff” but also the partnership working with parents and the “vital support” they gave to the school.

“We are a truly comprehensive school and every child’s results count,” he added.

By Education Correspondent Dave Morris