Schools across Medway are celebrating their best ever GCSE exam results.

The latest figures, published yesterday by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), reveal that a greater number of Medway students gained five or more GCSE or equivalent passes at A* to C grades than ever before and in doing so have exceeded the national average.In the exams taken last summer, 66 per cent of Medway pupils achieved the target of five A* to C grades or equivalent at GCSE, compared to 64 per cent the previous year.

Medway’s schools have also matched the national average of 48 per cent in the number of students achieving five or more GCSE or equivalent grades at A* to C including English and mathematics.

In addition, Medway’s schools continue to do better than the national average in the number of students achieving five or more GCSE or equivalent passes at A* to G grades. At 93 per cent, this compares to the national average of 92 per cent.In June 2008, the government introduced a new national strategy to provide extra support for individual schools where fewer than 30 per cent of pupils achieve five or more GCSEs at A* to C including English and mathematics or are at risk of falling below this total.

Last year, seven schools in Medway fell below the 30 per cent figure. But this year five of those schools have improved including Greenacre School in Walderslade which saw its results for five or more GCSE A* to C or equivalent rise by 28 per cent to 86 per cent. Forty two per cent of pupils also achieved five or more GCSE grade A* to C or equivalent, including English and mathematics - an increase of 15 per cent on 2007.

Medway’s post-16 results continued to improve this year. Overall achievement is measured by a points system, which gives more points for higher grades. On the measure of the average total points scored by each student, Medway’s performance has improved this year. But on the measure of the average points scored on each examination entry, last year’s figure was maintained this year.Figures also show that the number of students continuing to choose to stay in learning and enhance their qualifications is below the national average.