I am delighted to see that Barnsley students are continuing the trend of improving their GCSE results, year on year.

Not only are we seeing a 5% increase in the numbers of pupils achieving the national standard of five or more A* to C grades, but there is also a noticeable increase in those students attaining the highest grades of A* or A.

I know from the many teachers and students I meet in the Barnsley Central constituency that a huge amount of work has gone into achieving these impressive results. This is testament to the talents of local teachers and the determination and skills of local students. There is much to be proud of in Barnsley’s schools.

In the Barnsley Central constituency, our secondary schools and colleges have achieved the following:

• Darton College: improvement in the proportion of 3 A* to A grades, and a rise from 5% to 15% in EBac qualifications.
• Carlton Community College: best results since the school opened.
• Holy Trinity School: above average proportion of pupils attaining 3 A* to C grades, and above average capped APS. 19.3% of pupils gained EBac qualifications.
• Horizon Community College (which is outside the Barnsley Central constituency but attended by many of its students): significant rise in standards during the school's first year. Results are above national average for 5 A to C grades including English and Mathematics.