Figures show there has been a big drop in the number of schools below the floor target of getting at least 30 per cent of their pupils to the bench mark of five higher level (A*-C) GCSEs or equivalent (including English and mathematics.) The figures are down from over half of all schools in 1997 to one in five but Jim Knight has reiterated the Government's commitment to reduce this to zero by 2012.

The headline figures show:

• 60.8% of 15-year-olds achieved five higher level GCSEs or equivalent meeting the target a year early 
• 46% of 15-year-olds achieved five higher level GCSEs or equivalent including English and maths (up 0.7 percentage points on last year and 10.4 percentage points since 1997) 
• a significant drop in the proportion of schools with less than 30% of their pupils getting five higher level GCSEs or equivalent including English and maths (down to 639 from 1610 in 1997 and 789 last year).

You can access the performance tables  and the DCSF press notice.