ALMOST all of Wyre Forest's state schools boosted aspects of their performances in the last round of GCSE or A-level exams, according to official figures published today.

Kidderminster's Baxter College and Stourport High School made the biggest improvement strides in the final league tables for 2005, released by the Government.

The once failing former Harry Cheshire High School - now Baxter College - increased the number of pupils achieving five or more GCSE grade A* to C to 35 per cent.

That result, which is a record for the Habberley Road establishment, represented a massive increase of almost 170 per cent in two years. Its average GCSE point score per pupil also leapt, from 223.6 in 2004 to 288.5.

Stourport High School was given reason for cheer after it was announced the number of students obtaining five or more GCSE A* to C grades rose from 43 per cent to 56 per cent.

Staff and students at the Minster Road school also helped to improve performance in the two A level average point score indicators.

King Charles I School suffered a slight drop in its GCSE scores but did enjoy an increase in its post 16 achievements.

Wolverley High School's efforts resulted in a five point increase in its average GCSE point score per pupil. Its A level figures dipped, compared to the year before.

The tables show Bewdley High School was the only district state school that did not improve on any of its results made available in 2004.

Independent Kidderminster Girls' school, Holy Trinity, saw 97 per cent of its pupils walk away with five or more GCSE grade A* to C, while the average A-level point score increased from 297.1 to 435.5.

The tables did show a rise in the percentage of unauthorised absence within Wyre Forest's state schools.

Of the five, only Wolverley High School's figure remained below both the Worcestershire and national averages.

l The value added measure score in the table shows how well each school has brought children forward in their education from Key Stage Three, when they are 14, to when pupils take their GCSEs. They are intended to allow fairer comparisons between schools with different intakes.

Where there are 200 or more pupils in the value added calculation, broadly average scores range from 985.9 to 1004.8. That figure lowers to 982.0 to 1008.7 when 100 or more students are counted. For schools where more than 50 pupils are taken into account, the average range drops to 976.5 to 1014.2.