THE 2004 GCSE school performance tables have been published - showing great improvements for many schools in the area.

In Redditch, the figures show for the first time the progress of children who were educated up to GCSE entirely at their present school - unaffected by the upheaval of the Redditch Review, which closed Bridley Moor High School.

The table shows data for the percentage of pupils gaining at least five GCSEs passes (A*-C) as well as the average A-Level points score last year.

Once again, a "value added" score depicts the improvement the particular year group in question has made since Key Stage 3 at the age of 14 up to GCSE.

The score is based around 1,000 - anything above representing students making more progress on average than similar students nationally.

Scores below 1,000 represent schools where students made less progress.

But in general a value added score of between 977.2 and 1001.2 is regarded as "broadly average" for schools with a cohort of more than 100 pupils.

For schools with between 50 and 100 pupils, a score of 972.2 to 1006.2 is broadly average.

One school which was celebrating last week following the publication was Trinity High School in Easemore Road.

Headteacher Marian Barton said: "Our value added figures are really impressive. We were fifth in the county for Key Stage 3 to GCSE.

"We are delighted with that because it shows tremendous progress for our pupils between the ages of 14 and 16.

"But overall, our results have really improved, bearing in mind we are 18 per cent up on our LEA target of 42 per cent for five A*-C passes. The pupils are a credit to themselves and the teachers.

"It's been a great year for us and the challenge now is to keep up that progress."