SIR John Deane’s College has ranked first nationally for achievement.

The ranking comes from new tables released by the department of education.

The college secured a score of 96 per cent achievement rate and is now ranked first out of more than 300 colleges nationally.

The achievement rate is one of the purest measures of the success of a college.

It reflects the proportion of students who stay on course, complete their studies and pass their exams.

The college is now 11 per cent above the national average.

Kerry Kirkwood, principal, said: “This is a fantastic achievement, which reflects the enthusiasm, ambition and impressive work ethic of all our students and, of course, our teachers who put learning and the success of students at the heart of everything they do.

“We are an extraordinary community, committed to shaping extraordinary lives and we are absolutely thrilled that we can now say we are the highest achieving college in the country for A level success.”

The college consistently tops league tables for results and has been rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted since 2007.

The tables also showed how students remain successful after college with 95 per cent of former pupils now in higher education or training.

The college also has more than double the national average of former students who are now studying at Russell Group universities.

Charles West, head boy, added: “As a student, I am proud be able to say that I go to Sir John Deane's. It’s fantastic that we have such an outstanding A level focused college in the heart of Cheshire, giving local children the best possible chances.

“As a community, we encourage each other to reach our full potential. Our academic achievements are a reflection of the emotional and extra-curricular support available; Sir John Deane’s students leave the college well educated, not just well-schooled.”

The College welcomes students from right across the region, providing A Level provision in more than 30 subjects.