Beckfoot School in Bingley was named as one of the most improved schools in the country in yesterday’s league tables.

Since 2010 its results have improved by 12 per cent, rising from 60 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE, including English and maths, in 2010 to 72 per cent last year.

This was good enough for the Department for Education to class it as one of the 200 most improved secondary schools in England.

Headteacher David Horn said: “In 2008, we were only at 42 per cent, so it has been a steep journey.

“We are very proud of our students. We are proud to be a comprehensive school in Bradford, but we believe all our kids have talent and we will never give up on them.

“We also have fantastic staff that put so much time into the school. I think we’ve improved because there is a very positive culture.

"We make pupils feel valued and if we keep letting them know ‘you can do it’ then their confidence will grow.”