WEST Somerset middle schools are celebrating some of their best results in national tests at key stage two.

Results of the 2013 SATs - Standard Assessment Tests - show that pupils from Dulverton, Danesfield and Minehead performed well.

Dulverton Middle headteacher Jerry Weedon said the school was celebrating an improvement in SATs for the third year running, with 96 per cent of pupils attaining level four and above in maths and 88 per cent in English.

"We believe our results are the highest of any middle school in Somerset," he said.

"Combined with the confirmation from Ofsted that our year eight children leave us above national expected standards having made more progress than most children in the UK, this shows the high academic standard children achieve at Dulverton Middle."

At Minehead Middle, 86 per cent of pupils achieved level four and above in reading, with 37 per cent gaining level five and above.

In English grammar, punctuation and spelling, 76 per cent achieved level four and above, with 49 per cent making level five and above.

And in maths, 71 per cent were judged to be level four and above, with 17 per cent at level five and above.

Headteacher Paul Rushforth said the school was delighted with the way the year six children had tackled the new element of the tests this year - grammar, punctuation and spelling.

But he said the tests were just a small snapshot taken during the middle of the school year.

"Whilst they are important, they are only one element of the fully rounded education that we offer," he said.

"Our children continue to make outstanding progress during their four years with us.

"We are delighted that West Somerset schools have performed well again in the tests this year."

A Danesfield spokesman said the 2013 results had shown an improvement in every single area and in many areas were the best results ever.

Particular highlights were in writing, with an 11 per cent increase on last year's results with 82 per cent at level four and above, 32 per cent level five and just over one per cent reaching level six.

Meanwhile, in the new spelling and grammar paper taken for the first time, 69 per cent of pupils gained level four or above and 43 per cent level five.

In reading, 83 per cent achieved level four or above and 34 per cent level five and in maths, just over 73 per cent reached level four, 38 per cent level five and just over five per cent level six.

The spokesman said it was at level five and six that Danesfield's results were particularly strong, with nearly four out of ten children gaining the top levels in all areas.

He said expected progress nationally from key stage one to key stage two was two full national curriculum levels.

"A staggering 93.5 per cent achieved the national benchmark in writing, with 90 per cent in reading and 80 per cent in maths."

Chairman of governors Cerys Randell said she was absolutely delighted with the results achieved by our keep stage two pupils.

"They have been very positive in their approach to learning and staff have worked extremely hard, sometimes in quite difficult circumstances to support pupil achievement.

"It is an outstanding year's work."