Camden, Barnet and Haringey schools have smashed national benchmark rates for “good” GCSE results, according to official government figures released yesterday.

Nationally, 53.4 per cent of pupils achieved the government standard of five or more A* to C GCSE grades in 2014.

It compares with 60.5pc in Camden, 67.5pc in Barnet and 59.1pc in Haringey.

The national figure was released for the first time on Thursday by the Department for Education (DfE).

Cllr Angela Mason, Camden’s cabinet member for children, said: “I am delighted that we’ve maintained progress and achieved above the national average when it comes to A* to C GCSE results, including English and maths, despite significant changes in the way exams are taken.

“There has been some extremely strong performance - and this is a tribute to our teachers, governors and, of course, the students themselves.”

There were fears that tough government reforms in effect for the first time last year would cause a national decline in grades as resits were scrapped, meaning students took all exams at the end of their two-year course.

Camden has seen a 0.1pc increase in “good” GCSE grades from 2013 while Barnet and Haringey both recorded falls, from 63.5pc in Haringey and from 71.5pc in Barnet.

The borough’s benchmark figures have all fallen since being initially released in August after being verified by the DfE.

Prestigious grammar school Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead Garden Suburb and four independent schools in Hampstead and Highgate are classed among the best 100 schools in the country for GCSE and A-level results, according to the data.

Henrietta Barnett, in Central Square, topped the league tables for another year after 100 per cent of its pupils achieved the government benchmark of five or more A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics.

The result ranked them 8th in the country.

The selective all-girls school also came 14th in England for its A-level results, after pupils achieved an average point score of 271.1 per A-level entry.

Other schools to rank in the top 100 were University College School in Frognal, Hampstead, South Hampstead High School in Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, Channing School, in The Bank, Highgate, and Highgate School in North Road, Highgate.

North Bridge House School in Hampstead is applying to the DfE to have its official GCSE results figure changed after a number of remarks pushed their percentage of “good” GCSE grades from 75pc to 80pc.