Oxfordshire pupils are continuing to outperform the national average at 14, according to Government figures.

Provisional results, published three months late, show that 73 per cent of pupils achieved level five or above in their Key Stage Three English tests this year, compared with 71 per cent nationally.

The figure represents an increase of one per cent on last year's results, which were also above average.

There was also a one per cent increase in the number of pupils obtaining level six or above in English to 37 per cent, which is two per cent above the national figure.

Results for maths and science were published in August, but this summer's English test was "plagued with a myriad of issues and errors", according to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

Despite the delays and setbacks experienced by schools, including the late delivery of English exam materials, the QCA said it was confident the results were accurate.

The results bode well for Oxfordshire's prospects at GCSE in the future, following on from next year's candidates, who are expected to reverse the county's poor record for the first time in three years.

Just 50.8 per cent of pupils achieved the benchmark five GCSEs at grades A* to C this year, compared with a national average of 51.1 per cent.

The county continues to lag behind neighbouring authorities at both GCSE and Key Stage Three.

Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, West Berkshire and Wiltshire all performed well above Oxfordshire in each of the three tests. Oxfordshire County Council executive member for schools Tony Crabbe said: "In 2003, there was a substantial improvement of six per cent in the number of pupils obtaining level five or above in English.

"This level of achievement has been maintained this year, which is pleasing and gives us a good base on which to build."

Mark Forder, Oxfordshire branch secretary of the National Union of Teachers, warned that the test results were not necessarily a reliable measure of standards in schools.

He said: "Results can go up or down like the stock market. Of course we would like to see signs of improvement, but it's foolish to read a lot into the results and to conclude from them that Oxfordshire schools are better or worse than those in other areas.

"Teachers are not sure they trust these results very much."

School standards minister David Miliband welcomed the rise and backed the QCA's advice.