STAFF at a Bromsgrove school are celebrating after they came out top in the A-level tables.

South Bromsgrove High School, on Charford Road, is the best state school for A-levels in the whole of Worcestershire.

South was sixth in the county's A-level league table and was only beaten by private schools.

Fee-paying Bromsgrove School, on Worcester Road, came third in the county.

Phil McTague, South's head, said: "We are thrilled to bits with the results. It is recognition of all the hard work by the staff and the students. We feel very pleased for the achievements we have made."

Mr McTague puts the success down to the school's access to wireless learning programmes, with laptops available to all students. He also says that increasing the focus on independent learning helps boost results.

South Bromsgrove also came top out of the state schools in the district for GCSE results.

North Bromsgrove High School, which is currently in special measures, showed signs of starting to turn a corner. When ranked on GCSE results, the school was 24th out of 37 in the county, followed by Waseley Hills High School at 25th.

Nick Browne, headteacher of the School Drive school, said: "We are pleased. We have a way to go but there was a significant increase in results in the summer. It was a major step forward."

But David Thurbon, headteacher of Waseley Hills High, on School Road, Rubery, pondered the worth of league tables.

"League tables give an indication of schools progress, however many other factors need to be considered when assessing a school's success."

kate.hughes@midlands.

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