Which North Kirklees schools have been named among the region’s best?

Both Heckmondwike Grammar and Hopton primary schools have been named among the top 10 schools in the north for the secondary and primary categories respectively.

Despite being in special measures less than a decade ago, Hopton Primary School has made it into the list of top 10 state primary schools in the north of England in the list that was published on Sunday.

Hopton came 10th on the list, with 76 percent of pupils getting a level five at Key Stage two maths.

Headteacher Andy Blakeley believes the key to improving results is to inspire a culture of learning at the school, as well as teaching.

He said: “We have been very fortunate over the last few years that things have improved so much, and this is a reflection on the hard work the whole community – not just the teachers and pupils – have put into it.

“The focus over the past few years has been encouraging the children to learn for themselves – and making them want to learn.”

Since the school came out of special measures, Mr Blakeley said the number of pupils has increased by “around 40 per cent”, as the school has become a more sought-after destination for parents.

But Mr Blakeley paid tribute to Mirfield as a whole, describing it as a haven for quality primary teaching.

He said: “Parents in Mirfield are very lucky that they have five very strong primary schools in the area.”

Heckmondwike Grammar finished seventh place in its category, with more than 60 percent of its students receiving three A*-B A-Levels and 64 percent receiving at least one A at GCSE.

Heckmondwike Grammar School’s headteacher Mike Cook said: “I am always very cautious about tables like this, because there is so much data these days, you can tell almost any story you want with it.

“Having said that, no matter what data is used, Heckmondwike Grammar always tends to come towards the top of the list of state schools.

“This is a testament to the hard work we put in here – both staff and students. We are extremely proud of the students and they deserve the recognition more than anybody.”

Each of the schools were the only ones in Kirklees on their respective lists.