OVER half the schools in East Lancashire made the grade in the Key Stage 3 examination figures released today.

Twenty-one of the 40 secondary schools across the region surpassed the national average pass rate of 68 per cent for English, 70 per cent for maths and 68 per cent for science.

Education bosses today said that while schools should be congratulated on the results, a lot of work still needed to be done.

The KS3 tests are taken by pupils at the age of 14 when they have been at secondary school for three years and prior to them starting their two-year GCSE courses or other vocational qualifications.

They were produced for the first time last year and this year is the first time parents have been able to make year-on-year comparisons.

All schools in the Ribble Valley passed with flying colours -- with Clitheroe Royal Grammar School achieving 100 per cent pass rates in English and Maths and 99 per cent in science.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School also achieved 99 per cent pass rates in English and Maths and 100 per cent in science.

Sally Cryer, headteacher at Towneley High School in Burnley, said her school's results in maths and science had exceeded expectations.

She said: "We are delighted with these results. In maths and science we are well above what was expected and obviously we are looking forward to this year group's GCSE results in two years time."

Only two schools in Blackburn with Darwen LEA - St Bede's RC High School, Blackburn, and St Wilfrid's CE HS and Technology College - surpassed the national average in all three subjects.

Our Lady and St John's Art College, Blackburn, matched the national average for maths - although all schools matched or improved their averages, from the last set of figures released in January, in at least two of the three subjects.

Queen's Park Technology College, Blackburn, trebled its pass rate for English - from 18 per cent to 54 per cent and increased the pass rate for Maths from 36 per cent to 46 per cent and for science from 22 per cent to 43.

Headteacher Ian Bott, said: "We are delighted by the results. This year group did extremely well. The top and the bottom of it is that every year group is not the same.

"This particular group responded to all the additional help that we gave them, such as practice SATS and the results have borne that out."

Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for education, County Coun Alan Whittaker, said: "Lancashire secondary schools continue to achieve excellent Key Stage 3 results.

"Our 14-year-olds gain impressive results compared to many other LEAs."