Almost two thirds of Dartford and Gravesham’s schools are below the average for the rest of Kent.

GCSE school league tables have been released today by the Department for Education.

The national average for the number of pupils achieving five or more A* – C grades, including English and maths, was 53.8%.

As usual Kent performed better than the rest of the country, with 57.3% achieving this benchmark.

While more than half of the schools in the north west of the county met the national figure, only a third excelled to be at or above Kent’s score.

It was only Dartford Grammar and the girls schools, Wilmington Grammar School for Girls and the boys school, Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend Grammar School and Cobham Hall which out performed Kent.

Dartford Grammar school for boys topped the table with 100% achieving the benchmark.

Private school Cobham Hall achieved 60% while Meopham School and The Leigh Academy came bottom with 41% and 43% respectively.

For a picture of how schools did across the county as a whole, see our Kent-wide GCSE league tables story.

For more details and reaction to the figures, see next week's Dartford and Gravesend Messengers.