In this summer’s exams, 88.5% of Medway pupils achieved the target of five A* to C grades or equivalent at GCSE, compared to 83.3% last year and 77% in 2010. This is also higher than this year's national average of 82.7%.

The results are the first overall figures to be released for students who took their exams this summer and include Medway’s academies as well as local authority maintained schools. A more detailed break down by schools is expected to be released early next year.

The provisional results reveal that more Medway students have gained five or more GCSE (or equivalent) A* to C grades than ever before - and if the validated results remain similar to these provisional, it will place Medway in the top 20 per cent nationally.

Medway schools have celebrated their best ever GCSE and A-level results for another year, according to results released by the Department for Education (DfE).

The number of students gaining five or more A* to C grades including English and Mathematics was, at 60.2%, also an improvement on last year’s results of 55.7 % and again higher than 2010’s score of 53.6%. This places Medway in the top half of authorities in the country, again beating this year’s national average of 58.4 %.

And in post 16 (A level) results, Medway’s students are continuing to perform above national level in both the average points per student and the number of those gaining two or more A levels.

This year, 98.1% of Medway students gained two or more A levels, compared to 97.6% nationally and the average points score in Medway was 808.4 per student, while it was 776.8 nationally.

"Our schools have a strong record of improvement, and as we celebrate another year of encouraging results, I believe they will continue to improve so that all of our young people can fulfil their potential."

Cllr Les Wicks, pictured right, who is in charge of children’s services including education, said: "I’d like to congratulate all the young people and teaching staff who have worked so hard to achieve these results and I am glad to see their time and effort has paid off.