The upward trend of GCSE results in Brighton and Hove’s schools has been confirmed after official figures were released last night.

The number of students achieving the Government benchmark of five A* to C GCSE grades including maths and English is on the rise across all of the state schools in the city apart from one.

Top of the pile once again is Brighton College, which has retained its flawless record of 100% of students attaining the benchmark for the third year in a row.

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Headteacher Richard Cairns said: “I firmly believe that happy children are successful children.

“These terrific results reflect huge amounts of hard work and commitment on the part of pupils and teachers alike.

“But, year after year, while achieving of their very best , the boys and girls here never lose their enthusiasm for life outside the classroom.

“They are the busiest, liveliest, most well-balanced young people one could hope to meet and I am, as ever, humbled by all they achieve.”

Brighton and Hove High School was second highest in the city with 94% of students attaining the benchmark.

The biggest climber in the city was Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA), which has gone from 39% to 60% in just a year under new headteacher James Fox.

He said: “I am delighted that 60% of our students gained the Governments benchmark of five A* to C grades including English and Maths representing a 21% increase on the previous year.

“As long as I am principal we will always have the highest aspirations for the young people in our care.

“We have people’s children in our hands and their potential life chances which we take very seriously at PACA.

“This year we are aiming even higher and are on course to outperformlast year’s best ever set of results.”

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The second-highest improver was Blatchington Mill School, which broke 70% in the benchmark compared to 61% in 2012.

Cardinal Newman is also in the 70s at 73%, up four per cent, and Dorothy Stringer at 72%, up five per cent on the previous year.

Derek Trimmer’s Hove Park also saw a four per cent rise as his GCSE students achieved 65%.

Sixty-four per cent of Varndean School students grabbed five or more A* to C grades, up seven per cent on 2012, while Longhill’s students were up five per cent to 50%.

PACA’s sister school Brighton Aldridge Community Academy pulled itself up from 40% to 46%.

But not every school received good news, with Patcham High down from 57% to 55% and Roedean falling from 89% to 77%.

Yesterday’s release also reveals the city’s A-level or equivalent qualification result.

Sixth forms and colleges are ranked by the average point score per pupil.

The point system takes into account students not only taking A-levels but also the International Baccalaureate.

For example, a student securing three A*s at A-level would get 810 points. A fellow pupil receiving three Cs at A-level would get 630 while a student with three Ds would get 540.

Topping the table in Brighton and Hove is Bellerbys College with 1061 points for each student on average, the equivalent ofeach student receiving four As.

Second is Brighton College with 1011.7 with Roedean School in third with 1007.1.

Brighton and Hove High School was next with 838.9, followed by BHASVIC with 798.2, Varndean College with 744 and Blatchington Mill with 691.2.

The bottom three were Cardinal Newman with 689.7, Hove Park with 664.9 and Portslade Aldridge Community Academy with 664.

See the full table for Brighton and Hove Key Stage 4 and 5.

Don’t miss The Argus tomorrow for West Sussex and East Sussex figures.