SECONDARY schools in and around Haslemere performed above the national average, according to last week’s league tables for 2017.

But more than one-in-eight in England fell below the standard deemed acceptable by ministers last year which was the first time pupils sat new, tougher GCSEs in English and maths.

Rather than measuring a school’s success by the number of pupils gaining five good GCSEs, they are now judged using a measure called progress eight.

It looks at the progress a pupil has made between the end of primary school and the end of secondary, based on their results across eight GCSEs (called attainment eight) in comparison with the achievement of other pupils of similar ability.

Overall, Surrey schools scored above average with Notre Dame Senior School, Cobham, top scoring 66.3 in the latter category. Closer to home, Woolmer Hill, Haslemere, scored 48.5 and Rodborough School, Milford, scored 48.1.

Midhurst Rother College, West Sussex, scored 49.6 and Liphook’s Bohunt, in Hampshire, scored 51.9.

Bohunt officially opened its new sixth form at the start of the current academic year.

Responding to the league tables, East Hampshire MP and Education Secretary Damian Hinds tweeted: “The great work and dedication of teachers, and our reforms, are helping children from all backgrounds to fulfil their potential.

“The attainment gap index between disadvantaged secondary school pupils and their peers has narrowed by 10 per cent since 2011.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the secondary school performance tables could not be compared with previous years because the government had “once again moved the goalposts.”