GCSE marks in Manchester are among the poorest in the UK, according to government data just released.

The city’s exam scores come just weeks after it was revealed that truancy levels in Manchester are higher than anywhere else in the country.

And five months after the departure of former chief education officer Mick Waters the city has failed to appoint a permanent replacement.

On the surface the future looks bleak for Manchester schoolchildren, but headteachers say exam results are improving fast and that the city’s schools are performing better than ever before.

Today MEN education reporter Deborah Haile looks at the city’s GCSE record, what the future holds for children in Manchester schools and why the city is finding it so difficult to find a new chief education officer.

Click here to read the full in-depth article.