PUPILS and staff at Tang Hall Primary School in York were today celebrating their "amazing" results in new Government league tables.

The statistics released today placed the school in the top 50 most improved primary schools in the entire country, based on its Key Stage Two exam scores.

Tang Hall head teacher Ken Taylor, who has only been at the school for three years, spoke of his joy at the news.

He said: "We are absolutely overjoyed - this is just fantastic. Our exam results were even better than we had hoped for, particularly in science.

"There has been a lot of hard work, not only by the staff, but also by the children themselves. The outcome is amazing, but it's impossible to single out one person - everybody has been involved in this. It is nice that for once we can be recognised for academic achievement."

In the overall league tables, Tang Hall Primary school scored 73 per cent in English, 83 per cent in maths and 97 per cent in science. Its combined total, 253 out of 300, represented an improvement of more than 50 per cent since 2001, when it scored just 162. Its consecutive year-on-year success ranked it as the joint 38th most improved primary school in the country.

Over the last year, Mr Taylor has been working with Evening Press publisher, Liz Page, at York & County Press. The two organisations have been involved in a North Yorkshire Business and Enterprise Partnership scheme to share advice and experience.

Mr Taylor said: "The scheme has been absolutely brilliant, a really positive experience for all of us. It's another bit of good news in what has been a great year."

Pupils' impressive results

PUPILS at schools across York, North and East Yorkshire scored impressive results in the latest Key Stage Two test results.

The tests for ten and 11-year-olds in Maths, English and Science taken in May this year are seen as a clear indicator of how well a primary or junior school and its pupils are performing.

The results published today by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), show that North Yorkshire County Council Local Education Authority (LEA) attained an aggregate score of 249, the joint tenth highest score among the 150 LEAs.

City of York Council was close behind with 247, the joint 12th highest score, and East Riding of Yorkshire scored 245, the joint 14th highest score.

Results for individual schools are shown as the percentage of pupils attaining level four - the expected level of achievement for Year Six pupils - in each of the three subjects.

Seven York schools were in the top 25 per cent of schools in the country based on their value added score.

Updated: 10:10 Thursday, December 02, 2004