SECONDARY school performance in Bury remain better than average, despite continued underfunding by the Government.

The borough is ranked 57th in England, a drop of two places since last year, and is second in Greater Manchester based on exam pass rates at C grade or above.

In Bury, 53.9 per cent of pupils gained five A to C grades just surpassing the national average of 53.7.

Tables for Bury and Bolton

However, the borough is six per cent above the national average when it comes to pupils leaving with more than five A to G range, with a success rate of 94.8 per cent.

That figure also shows a climb of six per cent upon results within the borough last year.

The results, published yesterday by the Department for Education and Skills, also indicate successes in tackling truancy.

Last year, 0.7 per cent of half day absences were unauthorised, compared with 0.5 per cent this year.

The statistics compare favourably with the new national average of 1.2 per cent.

Top place went to Manchester Jewish Grammar temporarily based in Camp Street, Salford, until its new site in Prestwich is completed where 100 per cent of pupils gained at least five higher grades.

An independent school when the exams were taken, the establishment became voluntary aided in November and is now known as Manchester Mesivta High.

Head teacher Mr Phaivish Pink said: We are delighted to now be a part of the family of schools in Bury and we are very thankful for the support we have received from the local education authority.

The way for pupils to get good grades is to work and revise hard, to have teachers that teach well, and to have a little luck.

However, Mr Pink added that results were not everything.

He said: Some pupils struggle to get five GCSEs and work very hard for it. We are just as proud of them as the pupils who get ten.

In Bury itself, Bury CE High showed the best average total point score in the state sector.

Headteacher Phil Grady said: The quality of our teaching is consistently high.

This is a tribute to the efforts of the bulk of the year group, who worked hard.

St Monicas emerged as top state school in the five A to C category, with a pass rate of 78 per cent.

The Bury Old Road school also had the mainstream state sectors highest value added score, a measure of improvements between ages 14 and 16.

Head teacher Frank McCarron said he was delighted with the results, which reflected the hard work of pupils.

He said: We are pleased but were not going to be content until we have 100 per cent of pupils achieving five A to Cs.

The staff and kids continue to put in an extraordinary number of hours to achieve these results, which are a credit to them.

The highest overall value added score belonged to Elms Bank Community High Special School.

At the newly-formed Radcliffe Riverside, created in a merger between Coney Green and Radcliffe High, there was frustration when results for hundreds of pupils were omitted.

A Government mix-up meant that results for Coney Green were not included in the new schools combined figure.

Instead, the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) gave all details for Radcliffe High under the new name Radcliffe Riverside.

Following complaints, officials agreed to withdraw the flawed figures from this years league tables, leaving Riverside with no official results.

Almost all pupils in the borough, 98.3 per cent, left school with a useful qualification for further training or employment.

Mr Harold Williams, Bury Councils director of education and culture, said: The performance across all ability ranges is really pleasing.

It shows that the strategies that our schools have adopted to provide for individuals of all abilities are proving very effective.

Mr Williams added that the results were particularly pleasing in light of continued underfunding.

Despite improvements in recent years, he said, the borough was receiving less than its fair share nationally.