WHARFEDALE and Aireborough schools have proven themselves to be amongst the top performers in Leeds yet again.

New Key Stage 4 performance tables, showing how schools across the country did at GCSE and A Level last year, were published on Thursday, January 19.

Until now secondary school performance has been measured mainly by what proportion of students achieve five GCSEs, including English and Maths, at A* to C level.

This year, though, the Government has introduced two new 'headline' measures - Attainment 8 and Progress 8 - to judge if schools are performing satisfactorily.

Despite the shake-up, local schools have maintained their position at or near the top of the rankings.

St Mary's, Menston is celebrating being ranked first among all state-funded schools in Leeds in the Attainment 8 measurement.

The school is also ranked seventh for achieving the English Baccalaureate, and 11th in the Progress 8 and overall categories.

Headteacher Darren Beardsley said: "The achievement at all levels continues to delight us at St Mary's, with students achieving their aspirational targets at both GCSE and A-level.

"The majority of the GCSE pupils are now studying in our Sixth Form and the early indications are that they will continue to achieve incredible success.

"The academic performance at A-level last year was also strong with a high proportion of students moving onto their first choice university.

"I would like to congratulate all students involved and to thank staff and parents for their continued support of the school."

The Progress 8 measurement aims to show the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary school to the end of secondary, while Attainment 8 measures a student's average grade across eight subjects – the same ones used in Progress 8.

Those subjects consist of English and Maths, three from the English Baccalaureate (core academic subjects) and any other three from an approved list of qualifications.

Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley also excelled under the new system, taking third place in the Attainment 8 results, second in Leeds for pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate and eighth overall.

Headteacher Janet Sheriff said: "This is a fantastic success for our students and staff.

"Their hard work has really paid off, achieving results which place us so high among the schools in Leeds for attainment for both GCSE and A Levels.

"The results also show that our students make more progress than many others across the country, which is a testament to their commitment to learning and the dedication of their teachers.

"We have a really strong base to continue to build on in to the future - a real success story."

Guiseley School was ranked fourth in Leeds for achievement in the English Baccalaureate, eighth in the Attainment 8 rating and 15th in Progress 8/overall.

Horsforth School, meanwhile, achieved a 14th overall/Progress 8 ranking and was rated sixth in Leeds at Attainment 8 and 12th in the Baccalaureate.

Benton Park School at Rawdon was ranked 14th for its Attainment 8 performance, 19th in overall/Progress 8, and 17th for achievement in the Baccalaureate.