The 'most improved' schools

The head of this year's "most improved" primary school in England would rather the league tables did not exist.

"Three years ago we were on the bottom. That was really hurtful," said Nicola Roth.

"I would hate for any other school to have to go through that."

But her school, Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, almost trebled the proportion of its Year 6 pupils achieving the expected level in English, maths and science between 2002 and 2005.

That sustained improvement puts it at the top of the list of 102 schools issued by the Department for Education and Skills.

Poor backgrounds

"Lots of other schools have worked really, really hard and will not get the acknowledgement they deserve," she said.

"It would be better if league tables did not exist. Parents often get a false impression of what the school is about."

Eastborough's pupils come mainly from Pakistani families, many of them poor.

For most, English is not the language spoken at home. Getting parents involved has been a key driver of success.

But the pupils are what matters most.

"Children are happy to come to school. If you get children who are happy to come to school you are nearly there, aren't you?" Ms Roth said.

The table below shows the whole list.

The columns of figures show the aggregate score out of 300 for the years 2002 - 2005, and the overall increase.

The key to inclusion is consistency: a school's results have to have improved each year (or at least stayed the same). Other schools might have had a greater absolute rise but with a dip along the way.

Click the name of any school for its page in the main tables, with details of its performance.

Click here for a fuller explanation of the figures.

SCHOOL, LEA	02	03	04	05	02-05
Eastborough Junior Infant and Nursery School, Kirklees	85	133	213	247	162
Chafford Hundred Campus - Primary School, Thurrock	150	203	248	297	147
Burnt Tree Junior and Infant School, Sandwell	130	193	231	276	146
St Mark's CofE Primary School, Surrey	116	148	156	261	145
Crane Park Primary School, Hounslow	122	127	187	259	137
Marion Richardson Primary School, Tower Hamlets	155	244	258	284	129
Rack House Primary School, Manchester	131	152	257	258	127
The Smallberry Green Primary School, Hounslow	152	210	240	278	126
Croft Community Primary School, Walsall	67	74	119	192	125
Breckfield Primary School, Liverpool	149	214	234	274	125
Lewis Street Primary School, Salford	145	193	215	270	125
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire	179	227	242	300	121
Gainsborough Primary School, Newham	124	174	231	242	118
Ackton Pastures Primary School, Wakefield	117	162	174	235	118
Wilcombe Primary School, Devon	125	143	186	243	118
St Raphael's Catholic Primary School, Tameside	173	248	248	291	118
Ferham Primary School, Rotherham	96	191	200	213	117
St Johns Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne	39	86	143	155	116
Abbeys Primary School, Milton Keynes	141	212	221	255	114
Tow Law Millennium Primary School, Durham	133	162	180	246	113
Cavendish Primary School, Hounslow	171	268	275	282	111
Malcolm Primary School, Bromley	113	175	192	223	110
Tollgate Primary School, Newham	145	206	253	255	110
Hollyhedge Primary School, Sandwell	157	202	253	267	110
St Edmund Roman Catholic School, Tower Hamlets	171	228	250	281	110
Scunthorpe CofE Primary School, North Lincolnshire	147	214	230	257	110
Noak Bridge Primary School, Essex	158	187	188	267	109
Linacre Primary School, Sefton	110	200	209	217	107
Acre Hall Primary School, Trafford	112	187	200	219	107
Chorley All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery Unit, Lancashire	132	157	211	238	106
Joseph Lancaster Primary School, Southwark	126	127	127	231	105
St Mary and All Saints CofE Primary School, Buckinghamshire	195	214	276	300	105
Hart Hill Primary School, Luton	133	138	181	237	104
St Catherine's CofE Primary and Nursery School, Devon	162	169	189	265	103
Coopersale and Theydon Garnon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Essex	180	221	271	283	103
Birkwood Primary School, Barnsley	134	155	228	236	102
Gulval Community Primary School, Cornwall	181	212	229	283	102
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Coventry	170	223	250	271	101
Edgar Stammers Junior School, Walsall	113	168	173	213	100
Rawmarsh Ashwood Junior and Infant School, Rotherham	194	200	292	294	100
Burton Pidsea Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire	179	236	238	279	100
Darenth Community Primary School, Kent	113	144	200	213	100
Stretton Church of England Primary School, Coventry	142	196	233	242	100
Alexandra Primary School, Haringey	120	155	157	219	99
Ossett Gawthorpe Junior and Infant School, Wakefield	197	230	274	295	98
Jarvis Brook Primary School, East Sussex	181	250	250	279	98
Oakfield Primary School, Warwickshire	137	196	204	235	98
Matthew Arnold Primary School, Liverpool	156	177	238	253	97
Alton Park Junior School, Essex	168	211	240	265	97
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Balderstone, Rochdale	152	228	234	248	96
Guston Church of England Primary School, Kent	117	150	171	213	96
Hall Green Primary School, Sandwell	107	173	191	202	95
Abbey Primary School, Walsall	180	200	214	275	95
Park Primary School, Hampshire	130	169	188	225	95
The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School, Halton	195	208	217	290	95
George Palmer Primary School, Reading	104	119	188	198	94
Bishopton Primary School, Warwickshire	173	194	247	267	94
Adelaide Primary School, Kingston Upon Hull, City of	146	175	204	239	93
Lukes Lane Community School, South Tyneside	103	171	190	195	92
St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior Infant and Nursery School, Kirklees	191	214	250	283	92
Folkestone, St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Kent	129	188	188	221	92
Guildford Grove Primary School, Surrey	107	173	197	198	91
Willowbank Primary School, Devon	159	197	214	249	90
Fagley Primary School, Bradford	94	148	173	183	89
St Michael's Primary School, Reading	163	230	237	252	89
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Dorset	183	267	267	271	88
Porchester Junior School, Nottinghamshire	197	229	235	284	87
Salisbury Road Junior School, Plymouth	196	200	264	282	86
Ranelagh Primary School, Suffolk	168	204	243	254	86
Kirkbymoorside Community Primary School, North Yorkshire	185	243	253	270	85
The Priory Parish CofE Primary School, Wirral	203	217	252	288	85
Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Lancashire	185	200	238	270	85
Cromwell Junior and Infant School and Nursery Class, Birmingham	123	123	146	207	84
Barlby Bridge Community Primary School, North Yorkshire	208	224	241	292	84
St John Fisher RC Primary School, Manchester	155	205	231	239	84
Avonmouth Church of England Primary School, Bristol, City of	127	178	187	211	84
Holy Trinity CofE (C) Primary School, Staffordshire	192	200	257	276	84
Malmesbury Park Primary School, Bournemouth	189	223	236	272	83
Rodmersham School, Kent	217	267	267	300	83
Welbeck Primary School, Nottingham	167	200	228	250	83
St John's Walworth Church of England Primary School, Southwark	192	253	253	275	83
New Road Primary School, Calderdale	143	188	213	225	82
Reigate Primary School, Derby	169	213	230	251	82
Slater Primary School, Leicester	183	206	217	265	82
Hanbury's Farm Community Primary School, Staffordshire	131	188	211	213	82
Leighton Primary School, Cheshire	211	267	286	293	82
Eastwood Junior School, Nottinghamshire	148	174	213	230	82
Beech Street Community Primary School, Salford	189	207	250	270	81
Cummersdale School, Cumbria	181	233	254	262	81
St Joseph's RC Primary School, Salford	162	206	211	243	81
Mossfield Primary School, Salford	188	206	250	267	79
Church Vale Primary School and Foundation Unit, Nottinghamshire	179	223	241	258	79
Great Hockham Primary School, Norfolk	150	162	211	229	79
Sutton Oak CofE Primary School, St. Helens	188	203	256	267	79
Denbigh Community Primary School, North Tyneside	156	212	227	234	78
Eldon Lane Primary School, Durham	207	218	238	285	78
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Southwark	215	265	280	293	78
Royston Meadstead Primary School, Barnsley	153	175	188	230	77
Southwick Primary School, Sunderland	163	164	185	240	77
Mill Lane Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees	148	175	182	224	76
Brotherton and Byram Community Primary School, North Yorkshire	204	245	263	280	76