Children from low income families are performing well in Sutton.

They are likely to get better GCSE results than children in most other areas, according to a new report.

The study, by think tank CentreForum, looked at pupils’ achievement by considering factors such as poverty, ethnicity, a child’s first language and gender, which can skew exam performance.

It was estimated that 54 per cent of pupils would achieve five or more A*-C grades at GCSE including English and maths.

Last year 65 per cent made the grade, which is 11 per cent more than expected, placing Sutton at eighth in the country.

Councillor Kirsty Jerome, executive member for education and schools at Sutton Council, said: “Narrowing the gap between the achievements of young people from different economic backgrounds has been a priority for us for a long time, so I’m delighted our schools’ success has been recognised nationally.

“We have some of the best state schools in the country which means young people in Sutton can enjoy a first class education no matter what their background.

“We’re determined that this will continue for future generations, so we’re continuing to expand our primary schools and lobbying the Government for more funding for education in Sutton.”