SCHOOLS in Bolton performed well nationally as well as locally.

Mount St Josephs in Farnworth and Bolton School girls division were included in a list of the UK’s top 200 schools.

Bolton School boys and girls and Canon Slade School were recognised for their A-level results.

Mount St Josephs in Farnworth was one of only two schools in the borough to show year-on-year improvement in the number of pupils gaining five or more A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths. It was also one of the 200 most-improved state schools in the country.

Head Paul Roach said: “We are delighted with the results and the whole school is very pleased with the achievements of our young people over the past three years.

“The school will continue to work to ensure the potential of all our pupils is reached and high standards achieved. The results bode well for their future.”

A total of 47 per cent of pupils achieved the benchmark in their GCSEs last summer, up from 41 per cent in 2007.

Bolton School girls division also received top marks in this year’s GCSE league tables after it was named as one of the top 200 schools nationally, also coming top of the local table.

Headteacher Gill Richards said: “A school is so much more than its league position.”

The girls and boys division were in the top 200 schools for their A-levels results, along with Canon Slade.