Parents across Essex were studying secondary school league tables today.

Doing well - Gilberd School headteacher Valerie Cresswell celebrates the league table results with pupils Martin Southgate, Chris Cordell and Chris Trudgen. (40447-2)

And supporters of the grammar school system declared its success as "value added" results showed their pupils had improved more than comprehensive school pupils over their school life.

Nationally, teenagers in comprehensive schools averaged a value-added score of 984, while in grammar schools the figure was 1,021.

The figure compares how pupils fare between key stage two, at age 11, and when they sit their GCSEs. The figure of 1,000 represents the national average.

The overall national pass rate for grades A-C at GCSE and equivalent went up by 0.8 per cent in 2004, while A-level passes also increased.

Full league tables are available here

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Published Thursday, January 13, 2005

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