EDUCATION chiefs are congratulating Leigh schools for improved results in this year's league tables.

Local education leader Brian Wilson, Wigan's cabinet member with responsibility for lifelong learning, is happy with the performance of local schools in the listings just published.

"Overall we feel we are continuing to improve and the results are due reward. Teachers and pupils have worked very hard and that has shone through. It is well deserved," said Cllr Wilson.

But he warned: "People should treat league tables with a degree of caution. They don't tell the full story of how a school has added value.

"Generally schools at the top have the best ability intakes, those at the bottom the lowest ability intakes."

Cllr Wilson's comments came after teachers accused the government of sowing divisions between schools.

They claim league tables showed those which get extra cash are pulling ahead.

So-called "specialist" schools outshone their mainstream comprehensive counterparts, as did many inner city institutions benefiting from the multi-million pound Excellence in Cities programme.

Education Secretary David Blunkett hailed their achievement, but one union leader said it was like comparing Manchester United with Oldham Athletic.

The 2000 tables, based on data from more than 5,000 schools, confirmed England's young people raised their game once again at both GCSE and A-level.

The proportion of pupils getting five good GCSE passes - A* to Cs - rose from 47.9% to 49.2% this year.

The national average of pupils gaining five A-C grades was 49.2% -- up 4.2% from last year.

Wigan showed a slight increase to 45.7% after averaging the benchmark 45% last year.

The points average racked up by sixth formers doing two or more A-levels also rose, from 18.2 to 18.5, according to the system endorsed by universities where an A-grade is worth 10.

Once again, independent and grammar schools dominated the tables, now in their ninth year.

Most of the top places in terms of GCSE achievement were taken by selective or independent schools.

Fee-paying schools ruled the A-level roost, taking the first six places in the top 200 performers table.

Five of them, led by Withington Girls' School in Manchester, were girls' schools, underlining female dominance of the gold standard exam.

Schools are ranked according to the percentage of pupils gaining five or more GCSE/GNVQ grade A to C in 2000. Figures for previous years are also shown. The first column indicates the percentage of pupils gaining five or more A to G grades this year. St Mary's Catholic High School, Astley 95% 51% 54% 57% 56%

Fred Longworth High School, Tyldesley 94% 50% 55% 57% 55%

Lowton Community High School 95% 52% 58% 56% 53%

Hesketh Fletcher CofE High, Atherton 86% 39% 24% 40% 46%

Golborne High School 90% 38% 38% 32% 41%

Bedford High School, Leigh 87% 37% 35% 41% 38%

Mornington High School, Hindley 90% 27% 27% 23% 34%

Westleigh High School, Leigh 94% 29% 15% 21% 18%