THERE were mixed results for Kent secondary schools in the latest set of league tables for tests taken by 14-year-olds in English, maths and science.

The publication of the Key Stage Three results for 2006 show there was overall a slight improvement in the average point score across schools in the county, but a dip in the number of pupils reaching the expected standard in English.

According to the tables, 72 per cent of pupils taking the tests reached Level Five - the expected standard - in English, compared to 73 per cent nationally.

In maths, 76 per cent of pupils reached Level Five, a rise of one per cent on 2005 and just short of the national average of 77 per cent.

In science, there was a one per cent rise in the number of pupils achieving the Level Five to 72 per cent, in line with the national average.

That gave Kent schools an average point score per pupil of 35.3 compared to the national average of 35. The tables have become accepted as an indicator of how well pupils are likely to do when it comes to the GCSE exams.

Education chiefs say they are pleased by the progress being made by schools.

Cllr John Simmonds (Con), KCC cabinet member for education, said: "There are some very good success stories among individual schools and we are above the national average in the core subjects.

"We have also done well in the numbers achieving Level Six [above the nationally-expected target of Level Five]. However, there are some areas where we do want to take a closer look at what is happening."

The gap between the county’s selective grammar schools and non-selective schools was marked.

The county’s 33 grammar schools dominated the top of the tables, recording both the highest point scores and showing that they were better at adding value to pupils’ progress between the age of 11 and 14. Twenty nine secondary schools - including some non-selective ones - were among those ranked as some of the best in the county based on value added scores.

At the other end of the spectrum, nearly 30 schools failed to achieve a 50 per cent pass rate at Level Five in one or more of the core subjects while the value added scores for six placed them among the 25 per cent of the country’s poorest performing.

The Government has set a target for all schools to achieve a 50 per cent pass rate at Level Five in all three subjects by 2008.