Teachers are working hard to improve students' exam results

Only 31.9% of teenage pupils at the city's schools have secured five grade A* to C GSCE passes in their exams.

Councillor Mary Glew, responsible for education in the city, said schools and pupils were working hard.

And she said although there was "still more to do" teachers and students alike were rising to the challenge and were confident of future success.

Initiatives to raise the standards in the classrooms have been introduced through the Excellence in Cities programme.

Although the city's broad results were disappointing, education chiefs say the number of students who gained seven or more GCSE subject with A-C grades had risen by four per cent.

Learning mentors and special out-of-hours school activities have been introduced to motivate and coach individual pupils.

Helen McMullen, the corporate director of learning and culture in the city said: "Right across the city we recognise there is still significant work to be undertaken to ensure that the achievement levels are much higher".