Provisional data highlighting the performance of every mainstream secondary school based on GCSE results has been published by the department for education -marking a return of the controversial school league tables.

The Key Stage 4 data, which is subject to change, shows how well each high school in Bolton performed in this year's GCSEs.

The table shows the percentage of pupils achieving standard - 9-4 grades- in English and maths, together with stronger results of 9-5, in English and maths.

The percentage of pupils achieving the benchmark of five or more good GCSEs including English and maths has also been published.

The Bolton News: Provisional GCSE results

Four of the top five schools based on pupils achieving five or more good GCSEs were faith schools. Top performing was Bolton Muslim Girls School, with 88 per cent of pupils leaving with the benchmark qualifications.

Sharples School retains its title as the best performing non-selective school.

School league tables were last published in early 2020, before Covid struck, which led to the cancellation of exams.

GCSE exams were taken by the pupils in the summer.

The verified results are due to be released next year - and parents are asked to check with schools for the most up to date data - until the publication of the results in 2023.

Schools were also measured against the number of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate.

Secondary schools are measured on the number of pupils that take GCSEs in  core subjects. Schools are also measured on how well their pupils do in these subjects.

The EBacc is used by the department for education to demonstrate the wide range of academic subjects studied by a pupil.

It is made up of English language and literature, maths, sciences, geography or history and a language.

The table shows the percentage of pupils achieving the qualification.

We have ordered the table in the numbers of pupils achieving the standard 9-4 in five or more GCSEs including English and maths.

Nationally, 38.7 per cent of pupils were entered into the full EBacc; 49.6 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or higher in both English and maths.

The department for education, which released the data, warned that given the unprecedented change in the way GCSE results were awarded in the summers of 2020 and 2021, as well as the changes to methods of assessment for 2021/22, people need to exercise caution when considering comparisons over time, as they may not reflect changes in pupil performance alone.