Medway primary schools are among the most improved in the country, according to Ofsted’s annual report, but are still lagging behind most others in the South East.

The latest figures from the education inspection body shows 84% of children in the Towns are now at "good" or "outstanding" primary schools – a 23% improvement since last year and a 30% improvement since 2012 – but that figure still places Medway 14th out of 19 areas in the South East.

Secondary schools are performing better – with 90% of Medway children at a "good" or "outstanding" school – which is a 1% improvement on last year and places Medway fourth of the 19 areas.

Cllr Andrew Mackness, Medway council’s portfolio holder for children’s services, said he wanted to celebrate the achievement of Medway primary schools being the sixteenth most improved nationally, but admitted further improvement was needed.

He said: "I am delighted we can all recognise and celebrate the great progress made in schools. However, there is more to do to sustain this progress and we will continue to support and challenge schools alongside the Regional Schools Commissioner who is responsible for the performance of academies.

"It is also important that schools work even closer together and support each other to provide a higher standard of education in Medway and support young people’s progress from primary to secondary school."

But Cllr Mackness said people needed to begin to realise that, with the rise of academies in the region, the council was less responsible for performance.

He added: "One of the key issues is about the relationship the local authority has with academies - it will be more about challenge, support and working with the regional schools commissioner. People need to understand it’s not the local authority’s direct responsibility."

In the rest of Kent 88% of primary school children were at "good" or "outstanding" schools – up 7% on last year. That placed it 8th out of the 19 areas in the region. For secondary schools, the figure was 86%, placing it 7th in the region and up 2% on 2015.