IPSWICH High School for Girls was top of its class for performance in this year's A-level results, it has been revealed.The Woolverstone-based school recorded the highest score in Suffolk with an average score of 342 UCAS points for combined A-level and AS-level students.

IPSWICH High School for Girls was top of its class for performance in this year's A-level results, it has been revealed.

The Woolverstone-based school recorded the highest score in Suffolk with an average score of 342 UCAS points for combined A-level and AS-level students.

Tables ranking independent schools across the UK were published this week, based on data from the Independent Schools Council Information Service.

The points system is calculated by awarding 120 UCAS points for an A grade, 100 for a B, 80 for a C, 60 for a D and 40 for an E.

Students at Ipswich High School outperformed those at Framlingham College, Ipswich School, Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, Culford School and Woodbridge School.

Speaking as the results were revealed last week, headmistress Valerie MacCuish said it was the school's best performance for six years, with 75% of grades at A or B.

"This represents a great deal of hard work and high motivation both on the part of the students and their teachers, sustained over the two years of the new modular-style A levels," she added.

Framlingham College and Ipswich School also recorded high-ranking performances, as did Felsted School in Essex.

Gwen Randall, head of Framlingham College, said: "I am absolutely thrilled with the performance of our Year 13 students.

"I am particularly pleased for those many students who continued so successfully with four subjects at A-level rather than the traditional three, proving that it's possible to combine breadth with excellence."

There were just 13 N grades – where students failed an exam – across the eight schools at the top of the tables in Suffolk and three in the two independent schools in north Essex.

PERFORMANCE TABLE - SUFFOLK

The table shows the name of the school and the combined average A- and AS-level UCAS score per candidate, then a further eight columns.

These are, reading left to right: the number of candidates sitting A-level the average A level UCAS points score; and the number of entries scoring each grade A, B, C, D, E and N (N denotes that a candidate just failed to gain an A-level).

NB: Schools with fewer than 30 candidates have NOT been included.

In the following schools, there is a discrepancy between the number of candidates sitting A-levels (2nd numerical column) and the total number of candidates sitting both regular and vocational A- and

AS-levels. This has arisen due to the numbers of candidates sitting vocational A-levels alone not being available.

Ipswich High School 342 50 306 64 49 27 7 3 0

Framlingham College 334 77 302 79 75 53 23 16 6

Ipswich School 326 94 290 112 73 46 36 18 2

Royal Hospital School 302 79 272 55 79 61 30 8 0

Culford School 300 60 275 49 48 40 29 22 5

Woodbridge School 294 88 259 59 73 61 48 17 0

ESSEX

Felsted School 334 97 309 120 71 62 40 27 0

New Hall School 309 40 288 48 29 21 15 7 3