THE Department for Education has defended changes to the way it ranks GCSE results after one of Bradford's top schools found itself near the bottom of the latest league table.

Bradford Grammar School headmaster Kevin Riley criticised Government policy after the school fell from being ranked second best in Bradford in last year's tables, to 31st this year.

It is the first year that some qualifications have not been counted by the DofE, including the international GCSEs that are regularly taken by pupils at Bradford Grammar School.

It meant that although 99 per cent of students at the school achieved five or more GCSEs between A* and C, including English and maths, in 2013, last year the school's official result fell to 31 per cent due to some exams not being recognised.

The school league tables were published on Thursday and Mr Riley called the changes "a new low for government policy".

He said the tables were no longer an academic reflection of academic achievement.

But the DfE maintains it was right to ignore what it called "qualifications that were of little value."

In response to Mr Riley's comments, a spokesman said: "As part of our plan for education we are making GCSEs more ambitious and putting them on a par with the best in the world, to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

"We have made important changes to a system that rewarded the wrong outcomes. We have stripped out qualifications that were of little value and are making sure pupils take exams when they are ready, not before.

"The changes may result in some variation across all types of schools, ensuring they are held to account for the right outcomes. We issued guidance to all schools on this.

"Young people can only succeed in life, and fulfil their potential, if they are given the tools to do so."

The latest tables also only include students' first attempts at GCSEs - not re sits.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for Children's Services on Bradford Council, said Mr Riley "had a point" adding: "There are also qualifications that are better suited to vocational students that have been taken out."

He also questioned the value of removing of re-sits from the tables.

"Employers look for qualifications, they don't ask how many times an individual sat the exam. I think some schools have been unfairly punished for using proven approaches to getting young people ready for exams.

"However my priority is that however the tables are constructed, we have to be rising up them. However they mark success, we have to be raising standards," he said.