LEAGUE tables show parents how their child's school is faring.

The data is based on pupils' performance in the Key Stage Two exams, which all pupils took in May.

Each school is ranked according to a score out of 300. This is arrived at by adding up the percentage of pupils who achieve the recommended level four in English, Maths and Science.

Standards in Swindon have improved, but the town is still lagging behind the rest of Wiltshire and England. Nevertheless five schools Abbey Meads, Ashton Keynes, which topped the tables last year, Haydonleigh, King William Street, Moredon, Nythe and Wanborough all scored 100 per cent in science.

But like last year, there remains a significant gap between the best and worse achievers.

While Lethbridge Primary School appears to be flourishing after recording the top score of 287, others such as Penhill Primary School with a score of just 120 have been marked as going backwards.

To put that in perspective, of all those who took the tests at Penhill Primary, just 36 per cent attained level four in English, 39 per cent in maths and 46 per cent in science.

But headteacher Linda Rankin says progress is still being made despite the score dropping 11 points from last year's 131.

She said: "At the moment we are living and breathing Ofsted.

"We had an Ofsted inspection in March, which found that things are getting better.

"The report said all pupils including those with special needs are making progress."

Mrs Rankin added that the tables do not take into account extenuating circumstances that many pupils encounter.

"We know that questions will be asked about our performance, but some of the time there are extenuating circumstances that we have no control over for example a child might have a crisis in the family," she said.

"We realise that we are below average, but the SATs are only one aspect of school life.

"We were praised by inspectors for having a mature Year 6."