A SQUAD of superheads has been credited for turning around the academic performance of Salford teenagers.

The city's schools had been branded among the worst in England, but yesterday's GCSE results showed an incredible improvement.

One of the biggest improvements was at Harrop Fold School in Little Hulton, which two years ago was described by government officials as "the most challenging school in the country".

The number of students to get grade C or better has more than doubled - from 21 per cent to 45 per cent over the last year.

Executive headteacher Anthony Edkins was drafted in to improve the school after transforming another failing secondary in Brighton. He said: "Our results for pupils getting good marks have never gone anywhere but below the mid-twenties, so this is a real tribute to our pupils this year and the work of staff. We need to keep carrying on in the right direction."

At Swinton High School, where headteacher John Biddleston took over four years ago, more than 65 per cent of pupils got at least five A*-C grades. Last year only 38 per cent of students did as well.

St Patrick's Arts College in Eccles, where headteacher Barbara Rogers has been in charge for a year, saw the percentage of students getting good grades rise from 58 per cent to 79 per cent. And at Albion High, near Peel Park, where headteacher Steve Aveyard has been in post for a year, 28 per cent of students got good grades - up seven per cent.

Other regions also reported record results. Oldham council said pupils at 15 secondary schools had their best year, with an average of 55 per cent getting good grades.

At Levenshulme High School for Girls, in Manchester, 49 per cent of students got at least five good results, an improvement of 10 per cent on last year.

GCSEs were introduced in 1986 and results have steadily improved, leading too criticism they are becoming too easy. This year, nearly a fifth of all grades awarded were A or A*. There were also increases in the numbers of children getting good results in English and maths. Tweet