A head teacher says she wants less of an emphasis on test results, even though her Bristol-based junior school finished on top of this year's performance tables.

All 97 of the Year 6 pupils at Henleaze Juniors reached at least the required standard in their English, maths and science national curriculum tests in May.

Pupils at 177 other schools did just as well as Henleaze - achieving the maximum possible score of 300 - but it comes top in having had the largest number taking the tests.

Tying for second place were St George's RC primary in the north London borough of Enfield and Hook-with-Warsash Church of England primary in Southampton, both of which had 61 pupils taking the tests.

Nationally, the government missed its English and maths primary test results target.

There are too many schools where weak leadership is hampering progress Education minister Stephen Twigg

In maths, 75% of 11 year olds were supposed to reach the required standard but despite a 2% improvement this year, the target was missed by two points.

In English, the proportion stayed static at 75% - against the target of 80% - for the second year running.

That overview was published in September. What the league tables show is the performance of every single school, allowing for comparisons between them.

As they were published the government said head teachers and deputies at up to 5,000 schools were to have extra training in an effort to improve the test scores.

Teachers will get more training in phonics - the way letter sounds are grouped to form words - which the school inspectorate, Ofsted, has said is not taught well enough.

Leadership qualities

The education minister Stephen Twigg said standards had been raised in recent years.

"We know strong leadership is essential to a school's success but there are too many schools where weak leadership is hampering progress.

"That is why we are running a major new leadership programme for up to 5,000 primary schools next year."

"Strong, enthusiastic and sensitive leadership" was something praised by Ofsted at the top-placed Bristol school - led by Clayton Kendall until a heart attack in August forced him to take a break.

Well-to-do area

Acting head, Kathy Ellis, attributed the school's success to a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

It was not just about getting good exam results, she stressed, but about creating a "happy" atmosphere.

Many of Henleaze's pupils go on to private schools and Miss Ellis said local parents had been campaigning for 15 years for a new state secondary school.

All we try and do is have a good, happy, thriving school Kathy Ellis

She said she believed 11 was "rather too young" to be testing children and said she would prefer "less emphasis" on league tables.

"We test children in order that we can find out their weaknesses and give them help and support, but we are not so keen on tests for tests' sake," she said.

"All our teachers have used tests since the year dot but for helpful reasons, not because we wish to try and beat our neighbouring school.

"All we try and do in this school is have a good, happy, thriving school where children are encouraged to reach their full potential, but in other areas as well as academic work."

Soaring scores

The school heading the list of "most improved" schools was officially deemed to be failing until March 2001.

The proportion of pupils who reached the required standard in English, maths and science has risen for four years running at St Barnabas' C of E primary in Manchester - from an aggregate score of 64 to 264.

The head, Su Eastwood, said she had spent money recruiting good teachers, whose hard work she praised.

Sorting out the curriculum and pupils' behaviour had also been crucial - along with winning over parents.

"Parents had had a poor deal from the education of their children and, to some extent, they had bad experiences themselves of education," she said.

"That's turned around now, we have a thriving parent group and it is very supportive of our school."

'Give them up'

The Liberal Democrats' education spokesman, Phil Willis, said the government's approach to raising standards through a combination of centrally-driven targets and league tables had failed to deliver the universal improvement ministers claimed.

"League table positions have a hugely demoralising effect and they fail to show the true worth of schools; it is time they were abandoned," he said.