Secondary schools across Sussex are celebrating their best GCSE results in years.

West Sussex schools topped last year's GCSE results and East Sussex pupils hit a four year high.

In East Sussex 59.9% of leavers achieved five A* to C GCSE grades including English and Maths, up from 58% last year.

The latter achieved the same percentage, also up from 58% in 2012.


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And both exceeded the national average of 59%.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex County Council said: “We congratulate pupils and schools for their hard work and success this year. We are, however, not complacent and will continue to work with schools to drive standards still higher.”

As usual the top of the table in West Sussex was dominated by private schools with Hurstpierpoint College, The Towers Convent School and Upper Beeding (100%) sharing number one spot, with all pupils getting five A* to C grades, including English and Maths.

In third place was the Our Lady of Sion School in Worthing at 97%, followed by Ardingly College at 91% and Shoreham College at 90%.

Millais School in Horsham was the top state school in seventh place with 85% achieving the five A* to C grades, including English and Maths.

Tanbridge House School, Horsham, was the next best state school in ninth with 81% and St Paul's Catholic College in Burgess Hill was11th with 79%.

The top two in East Sussex were private schools, with Battle Abbey School top with 93%, followed by Lewes Old Grammer School with 92%.

Third was faith school St Richard's Catholic College in Bexhill at 82%, followed by private St Leonards-Mayfield School (78%) and state Willingdon Community School in Eastbourne at 78%.

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There was also considerable improvement for many of the county's lower performing colleges.

Under the government's new guidelines - which states schools achieving less than 40% A* - C are deemed as “failing” - five schools in East Sussex and three in West Sussex fell below that benchmark in 2012.

Yesterday's release showed just one school in East and two in West were now in that bracket.

One of the most improved schools is Chatsmore Catholic High School in Worthing, which has gone from 43% in 2012 to 59% last year.

Mike Madden, headteacher, said: “Everyone at the school has worked incredibly hard to get these results. Not just the teachers but the support staff and senior staff, all backed up by the governors.

“We are improving all the time and we predict we could be up to 60% next year.”

Yesterday's release also reveals the county's A-level or equivalent qualification results.

Sixth forms and colleges are ranked by a points system per pupil which takes into account both A-levels and International Baccalaureate results.

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.

Ardingly College topped West Sussex with 967.5 points per pupil with Worth School in Crawley second with 936.9 and Lancing College in third with 933.3.

In East Sussex St Leonards-Mayfield School came out on top with 872.8 points per pupil followed by Moira House Girls' School , Eastbourne with 840 and Eastbourne College 824.8 points per pupil.