PUPILS at Canon Slade School were cheering a double dose of exam success on Thursday.

It was the best performing state school in Bolton for both GCSE and A-Level results in 2003.

2003 Second School Performance Tables

An impressive 81 per cent of pupils gained five or more GCSE grades A* to C, while the average A-Level point score for each student was 345.9 - a figure hugely above the national 257.8 point average.

The school was also named as one of the top 200 state schools in the country for A-levels, based on points per candidate.

The Rev Peter Shepherd, headmaster, said: "Once again we are absolutely delighted with the school's achievements, particularly with respect to the so called value added tables which show our pupils do considerably better than their prior performance might predict."

"We commend our hard working pupils and their teachers and we must not forget the important role played by parents in supporting their children."

He added: "Canon Slade School is a vibrant and high achieving community, not only academically, but in sport and the arts as well, as has been recognised by our designation by the Department for Education and Skills as a Leading Edge school."

The school has been invited by the National College of Gifted and Talented Youth, based at the University of Warwick, to be one of 11 Ambassador Schools in the country.

Rev Shepherd has been invited to Omsk in Russia to investigate how gifted and talented youngsters are educated there.