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Students across Leicester have recorded their best-ever GCSE results. Provisional results show that the number of students achieving 5 A*-Cs has risen from 45.6% in 2005 to 49% this year - an increase of 3.4%.

The city's highest-performing school this year is City of Leicester, where students achieved 65% - an increase of 6% on last year's figures and 3% above the national average announced today.

New College, located in New Parks, is also celebrating after its students achieved 26%, a massive 16% rise on last year.

Cllr Hussein Suleman, the city council's Cabinet member for children and young people's services said, "Students and schools have put in a massive amount of work over the past year. The council has worked hard to target schools most in in need of support to improve and this has definitely paid off."

"Improving educational attainment in the city continues to be a priority for us, and the forthcoming multi-million pound investment in our secondary schools through the Building Schools for the Future programme will help us to do this."

Provisional results published today for Key Stage One and Two exams show the percentage of 11-year olds in Leicester achieving level 4 has increased by 4% to 71%.

Mathematics' results have also increased by 2% to 68%.