The annual league tables for GCSE and post-16 examinations were released this week revealing that Gloucestershire pupils are enjoying a first class education. There was also much to shout about for Five Valleys schools. James Davis reports.

SCHOOL libraries in the Five Valleys must be popular places - as this year proved to be a bumper one for exam results.

More than 69 percent of pupils in our schools achieved five GCSEs between grades A* and C.

This figure makes excellent reading compared with the 63 percent for Gloucestershire as a whole - which is now in the top 10 percent of education authorities in the country.

Building on last year's strong results, Marling School excelled in both the GCSE and post-16 performance tables.

"We are delighted with the results," said head Roger Lock.

"As a selective school we expect our students to do well and every year it is our duty to build on each pupil's results."

It was also another top year for Stroud High, which built on the excellent record established in recent years.

And it was not just the district's grammar schools that had reason to celebrate.

Both Thomas Keble in Eastcombe and Archway in Stroud showed a marked improvement over the past 12-months.

And Thomas Keble head Chris Steer said the progress was far from over yet.

"We are very pleased as the results confirm the school is doing well," he said.

"But we are determined to expand on this base," he added.

And although Archway performed below the average for Gloucestershire, it managed to improve its GCSE and post-16 results considerably.

The number of pupils attaining five grade A* to C grades grew by 10 percent while the average points score of 227.2 for sixth-form students was up on last year's 193.7.

Archway head Katie Harwood said: "The staff and students have worked very hard and are thrilled by the improvement in results."