A YORK head teacher claims that while Britain may not lead the world in winning gold medals, it has no equal when it comes to knocking success.

Fulford School head Steve Smith was delivering a stinging rebuke for "people who ought to know better", who he claims denigrate pupils' achievements every year when exam results are published.

Writing in the school newsletter, Fulfordian, he said students had achieved "excellent and outstanding" results this year, and claimed that high standards of teaching and hard work by staff had been a major factor in that success.

He said Fulford's average points score at A2 would place it in The Guardian's 25 best performing compre-hensive schools in the country, and The Times' 75 best performing schools (selective and comprehen-sive).

But unfortunately, the national publication of exam results each year tended to be accompanied by comments that this had only been achieved because standards were falling and exams were easier to pass. He said the problem was that like was not being compared with like.

"GCSE and O-level are very different, as is AS/A from A-level," he said. "Certainly, there is much evidence to refute the allegation that standards have fallen."

He claimed:

lQCA - the independent guardian of standards - had concluded there was no data to prove the allegation

lOfsted had reported earlier this year that the standard of teaching in this country had never been higher

lSchools were now data rich

lThe introduction of league tables and Ofsted inspections had ensured that schools worked as hard and as skilfully as they could to ensure that all their students fulfilled their potential.

He continued: "We are not the best nation in the world when it comes to winning gold medals, football tournaments or majors in tennis/golf, but we have no equal when it comes to knocking success.

"So let us reject these comments from people who either ought to know better or are not in a position to comment and instead acknowledge the success and efforts of our teachers and youngsters. We should be proud of what they have achieved. I know that I am."

Updated: 09:39 Wednesday, October 13, 2004