Heckmondwike Grammar School was one of just two state schools in Yorkshire where all pupils achieved at least five good grades including English and maths.

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And results published today show the Kirklees school achieved better results than any of the region's private schools in last summer's examinations.

Although four private schools also saw 100 per cent of their pupils achieve five A* to C passes, Heckmondwike Grammar finished higher in the league tables because its
pupils' average point score was better.

The school's head teacher Mark Tweedle said: "I am delighted with the students. These results were achieved through a lot of hard work from pupils, excellent teachers and supportive parents. And when you have all three it should and does result in very, very good achievement.

"We have very able pupils and we expect them to achieve good results but we are never complacent."

The majority of pupils at the school took at least 11 GCSEs this summer.

The school has two specialisms, in technology which has been in place for more than a decade, and languages which was achieved last year.

Mr Tweedle said these two areas helped pupils to take subjects such as statistics and languages such as Spanish, French and German alongside the core subjects of English, maths and science. The school also provides GCSEs in community languages including Urdu and Mandarin.

And the school's headteacher said developing international links with other schools a
broad had helped to inspire pupils to become language learners.

Despite being named as the best school in Yorkshire in today's results Mr Tweedle told the Yorkshire Post that league tables should be treated with caution. He said: "They do provide parents with useful information about standards in schools, however they do not always show all of the achievement that goes on within a school."

Skipton Girls' High School was the other state school to achieve a 100 per cent rate of students achieving five good GCSE grades, including English and maths. It finished 19th in a league table of every school in the country.

Although Heckmondwike Grammar and Skipton Girls High are state schools they do select pupils on the basis of their ability.

North Halifax Grammar, another selective state school, also featured in the top 200 schools in the country.

Private schools which featured among the nation's best were Sheffield High, Huddersfield Grammar, Wakefield Girls High, Birkdale School, Queen Margaret's in York and Bradford Grammar.

St Aidan's Church of England High School, in Harrogate, was the highest placed non-selective school in Yorkshire, with 86 per cent of its pupils achieving five A* to C grades including English and maths.