WIRRAL students led by example with results above the national average.
The number of pupils gaining five good GCSEs including maths and English shot up again to 50.2% from 48.3%.
It meant for the first time more than half of students in the borough are meeting the governments benchmark.
It was also good news for the overall five A* to C performance, which went up more than 5% to 65.8%, marginally higher than the 65.3% national average.
Howard Cooper, Wirrals director of childrens services, said: It has been another excellent year for schools in Wirral, where results continue to improve. Congratulations to all those pupils and their teachers who worked so hard to make it happen.
The GCSE triumph came on the back of a third successive year of improvements at post-16 education.
High flyers included Birkenhead high and Calday Grange grammar school, in West Kirby, where 99% of students got five A* to C including English and maths - more than three times the government expectation.
Schools seeing overall improvement included Oldershaw school, in Wallasey, where 45% of students managed five good GCSEs up 2% on last year.
Key: a = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C including Maths and English in 2007; b = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C including Maths and English in 2008, c = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C in any subjects 2007; d = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C in any subject in 2008
| School | Address | A... | B... | C... | D... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bebington High Sports College | Wirral | 30 | 37 | 45 | 53 |
| Birkenhead High School | Prenton | 90 | 96 | 94 | 96 |
| Birkenhead School | Oxton | 97 | 91 | 97 | 95 |
| Calday Grange Grammar School | Wirral | 96 | 98 | 98 | 99 |
| Hilbre High School | Wirral | 41 | 46 | 58 | 73 |
| Kingsmead School | Wirral | 32 | 63 | 40 | 66 |
| The Mosslands School | Wallasey | 34 | 41 | 41 | 51 |
| The Oldershaw School | Wallasey | 28 | 18 | 43 | 45 |
| Park High School | Prenton | 23 | 26 | 41 | 52 |
| Pensby High School for Boys: A Specialist Sports College | Wirral | 26 | 27 | 46 | 56 |
| Pensby High School for Girls | Wirral | 52 | 56 | 72 | 75 |
| Prenton High School for Girls | Birkenhead | 35 | 44 | 50 | 56 |
| Ridgeway High School | Prenton | 27 | 37 | 47 | 53 |
| Rock Ferry High School | Birkenhead | 18 | 23 | 27 | 42 |
| St Anselm's College | Prenton | 89 | 87 | 97 | 95 |
| St John Plessington Catholic College | Wirral | 39 | 47 | 66 | 84 |
| St Mary's Catholic College | Wallasey | 38 | 36 | 56 | 60 |
| South Wirral High School | Wirral | 36 | 41 | 62 | 57 |
| Upton Hall School FCJ | Wirral | 94 | 92 | 96 | 98 |
| Wallasey School | Wirral | 29 | 30 | 37 | 45 |
| Weatherhead High School Media Arts College | Wallasey | 59 | 50 | 71 | 69 |
| West Kirby Grammar School | Wirral | 98 | 97 | 99 | 99 |
| Wirral Grammar School for Boys | Wirral | 99 | 97 | 99 | 97 |
| Wirral Grammar School for Girls | Wirral | 98 | 99 | 98 | 99 |
| Woodchurch High School Engineering College | Wirral | 44 | 45 | 57 | 57 |