Schools in Buckinghamshire are among the best performing in the whole country according to the latest government figures.

Statistics released to the end of December last year show 27 per cent of the 232 Bucks schools were rated ‘outstanding’ - second only to Slough in the south east and well above the national average of 13 per cent.

And 84 per cent are considered by Ofsted to be either ‘outstanding’ or good’ with only eight schools judged ‘inadequate’ - half the UK norm of six per cent for 2014/15.

In the south east, only Slough can boast more outstanding schools than Bucks with its impressive 37 per cent hit rate, though the Department for Education figures exclude London.

The results show a slight improvement on 2013, with three fewer schools in the bottom bracket and a two per cent increase in schools judged as outstanding or good.

Bucks currently has eight schools rated as inadequate, and only three in special measures crisis management.

And 29 of the county’s nursery, primary and secondary establishments sit in the ‘requires improvement’ category - renamed from ‘satisfactory’ in 2012.

Nationally, the number of schools requiring improvement has dropped steadily year on year, down from 37 per cent in 2009/10 to 30 per cent for the last school year.

The change has seen those schools largely move into the ‘good’ category.