PRIMARY schools in Worcestershire are the best in the West Midlands, according to the latest figures.

Ofsted's annual report has revealed that 89 per cent of primary school pupils in the county attend either good or outstanding establishments.

This is a rise of six per cent in the past year and sees the county rated five per cent better than the second best local authority in the region, Solihull.

In terms of secondary education, Worcestershire is ranked second in the West Midlands - with 83 per cent of students at good or outstanding schools showing a rise of two per cent in the past 12 months.

County Councillor Liz Eyre, cabinet member with responsibility for children and families, said: "This is fantastic news. I have to thank the head teachers for their leadership and the staff at all levels for their achievements for children and young people, despite the challenges of funding.

"I would also like to thank the local authority for its support for the schools that needed support at the right times."

The county's primary schools are ranked 24th best in the country, while its secondaries are 46th in the national rankings.

Despite the improvements in the county, Ofsted's chief inspector has raised concerns about the future of England's secondary education system.

Sir Michael Wilshaw suggested that standards are stalling and there is a growing divide between primaries and secondaries.

Almost half a million children are being taught at secondary schools suffering from poor behaviour, while many bright teenagers are losing out because of a "demotivating" culture, he warned.

Too many secondaries are not challenging their most able pupils, his report found.

"The nation should be worried about a growing divide between primary and secondary schools," Sir Michael said.

"In too many cases, pupils are leaving their primary schools with good literacy and numeracy skills, confident and eager to learn.

"But the culture they encounter at too many secondary schools often demotivates and discourages them."

A Department for Education spokesman said: "We now have more than one million more children being taught in good or outstanding schools since 2010.

"This has been accomplished by acting swiftly on underperformance, encouraging high quality schools to open and unleashing a wave of teaching talent across the country through our excellent teaching schools."