SECONDARY school league tables have ranked the county's schools as some of the best and worst in the country. The league tables published by the Government show the average results for 2002 remain broadly the same as for the previous year.

As usual, Kent's selective grammar schools were the best of all the county's 107 secondary schools although several non-selective high schools also performed well. A number of independent schools also feature at the top of the tables.

Across Kent, 53.9 per cent of pupils passed five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C in 2002, placing the authority 38th out of all 150 education authorities in the country.

In the neighbouring authority of Medway, 49 per cent of pupils passed five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, placing it 77th of all education authorities.

For the first time, the league tables also include the results of statutory Key Stage 3 tests taken by 14-year-olds in maths, English and science. As with the GCSE results, these saw grammar schools top of the tables.

County education chiefs have welcomed the results, describing them as good. Cllr Paul Carter, KCC's cabinet member for education, said:

"If you look at the rate of improvement over the last seven to eight years, our schools have far outstripped the rate of national improvement and it shows that we have excellent high schools with excellent selective schools."

He said KCC was committed to lifting standards across all schools. "We have a number of high schools which are underpeforming and one or two grammars which are underperforming. That is where our focus will be."

The top school in the county was Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School. The best non-selective school in the county was Hillview School for Girls in Tonbridge, followed by two Maidstone schools: St Simon Stock and Cornwallis.

At the other end, The Ramsgate School in Thanet was again ranked as the county's poorest school. KCC recently announced plans to transform the school into Kent's first specialist academy.

*The league tables do not include the A level results. The publication of these has been delayed because of the inquiry into marking last year.