SCHOOLS in the North-East and North Yorkshire belonging to the Independent Schools Council (ISC) achieved a near-perfect A-level pass rate.

Provisional A-level results for all schools have been released by the ISC information service.

Schools, which include Barnard Castle School, in County Durham, and Ampleforth College, in York, have set new standards this year.

The results show that 99.1 per cent of all entries received passes at A to E grade, of which 43 per cent gained an A grade.

When A-level and AS-level achievements are combined, the results show that ISC candidates scored a 98.7 per cent pass rate, with 40.9 per cent at A grade.

A comparison with national figures released last week shows that results from ISC schools accounted for more than a quarter of all A grades and 13 per cent of all entries at A-level.

For information on results of individual schools, visit the organisation's website at www.bewick.org/iscis/exams