A HEADTEACHER, whose school is named today as the region's top performer at GCSE level, last night credited the success to single-sex education.

Central Newcastle High, in Newcastle, is an independent girls school which has a selection policy.

The School Performance Tables showed the school, which has 650 senior students, had a 100 per cent pass rate at GCSE grades A*-C. The school was placed 55th in the country, moving up in ranking from 136th place last year.

Headteacher Lindsey Griffin said: "We are thrilled and delighted to take our very high positions in both the GCSE and A-level tables.

"It confirms our conviction that girls are best educated in girls' schools.

"The girls and staff have worked very hard to achieve these results."

But while the school was naturally thrilled to have done so well, and be ranked so high in the country, Mrs Griffin said she understood the schools were not being compared "like for like".

She said: "When interpreting the league tables, it is only sensible for people to take into account the intake in particular schools.

"We are a selective school and I would expect us to do well. We take bright girls at Central High and work hard to put as much value back as we can. We also have the advantage of continuity of education, taking girls from a very young age, right through to A-level.

"The question of league tables is a very difficult one. Of course we are delighted to have done well, but a selective school is not the same as a school which takes all pupils from its catchment area. It is not comparing like with like."