Liverpool pupils are celebrating a record-breaking year for GCSE results.

Provisional figures show the number of pupils gaining five or more A*-C grades in the city has increased by 7.6%, with 73.7% of pupils achieving the grades.

With the number of pupils nationally achieving A*-C reported to be 67.1% this year - up from 65.7% in 2008 - Liverpool is projected to be more than 6% above the national average.

Liverpool surpassed the national GCSE average for the first time last year and the city's pass rate is currently improving at three times the national average.

The number of young people in the city achieving five or more A*- C grades including English and Maths also looks to have increased, with a projected jump from 41.2% in 2008 to 45.6% this year. Last year's national average was 47.6 per cent.

Councillor Keith Turner, Lib Dem executive member for children's services, said: "I'm absolutely delighted with these results. It's a fantastic achievement and reflects the huge investment going into developing a first class education service in Liverpool.

"I would like to congratulate our young people, along with teachers and parents, for their hard work and dedication.

"Last year's GCSE results saw us exceed the national average for the first time, and to further improve on that proves that education here really is going from strength to strength. It's also excellent news that the rate of improvement for A*- C grades including English and Maths continues to escalate.

"There's lots of work still to do, but we have plenty of reason to feel optimistic about the future of our young people. Our £500 million Building Schools for the Future programme will create the environment for us to further drive up educational achievement."

Successful schools include Alsop High in Walton, which has seen a 14.7% increase in pupils achieving A*-C grades, up to 73.7%, and Parklands School in Speke, which increased its overall A*-C rate from 38% to 52%.

Further success stories include Archbishop Beck School in Walton, which saw its A*-C grades including English and Maths jump from 33% to 49.4%; and St Hilda's Girls School in Croxteth, which has seen a 15.8% increase in A*-C grades including English and Maths, up to 84.8%

Education in Liverpool has come a very long way in recent years and these results are testament to the fantastic progress being made.

After surpassing the national average last year, just matching that this year would have been a great achievement. But to reach a level where we are now six per cent above the national average is really tremendous.

We would like to thank students, staff, parents and governors for their hard work. To achieve our best ever GCSE results - and to improve so dramatically on the national average is a special achievement. This is great news for our young people, and bodes well for the future of Liverpool.