BOYS at a Consett school bucked the national trend when they surpassed female classmates in their GCSE results.

Forty-one per cent of the boys at Blackfyne Comprehensive School hit five or more A-C grades compared with 36 per cent of girls.

John Brierley, headteacher, called it a massive improvement. It follows a report by the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted), criticising the school's success rates in teaching males.

"After our Ofsted inspection in May, one of the issues raised was underachievement of boys," said Mr Brierley. "It is pleasing to see that it was not borne out by the exam results this year."

The success is the result of a major drive at the school to revive male teenagers' interest in their education.

"All departments were asked to address improving boys' performance and we have been successful," said Mr Brierley.

The scheme set out to make the curriculum more boy-friendly. "There is an anti-learning culture among boys and schools have got to find a way of addressing that and make something that boys want to do," he said.

Overall, the school saw a ten-point improvement on last year's pass rate, a rise from 28 to 38 per cent.

Meanwhile, the 97 GCSE students at Moorside Community College, near Consett, doubled their pass rate.

Student pass levels rose from 21 per cent last year to more than 44 per cent.

Headteacher Karen Robson said: "It is down to hard work, dedicated teachers and lots of revision classes. We also have been inculcating a can-do attitude among the students."

It follows praise from Ofsted last year for the way the school was run.

Mrs Robson said: "Our Ofsted report last year looked at good practice and the proof is in these exam results.

"It is a lovely little school and this proves that small is beautiful."