Oxfordshire's youngsters yesterday showed they are on track for success in the classroom, outperforming the national average in Key Stage Three tests.

The county's girls also came out on top in comparison with the boys, especially in English, reading and writing.

The tests are taken by all 14-year-olds in English, maths and science with pupils expected to reach level five.

In Oxfordshire, 78 per cent of pupils reached this benchmark in English with the national average being 73 per cent.

In maths, 78 per cent of county pupils achieved level five, compared to a national average of 75 per cent, while in science, 77 per cent of Oxfordshire's youngsters gained level five. The national average was 72 per cent.

And it is the girls in Oxfordshire who have even more to celebrate today.

Reading tests showed 81 per cent of girls achieved level five compared to 68 per cent of boys reaching the expected standard. The results were similar in writing tests too with 85 per cent of girls gaining level five compared to 73 per cent of boys. In English tests, 84 per cent of girls gained level five while 72 per cent of boys did.

This year, maths was the only subject in which boys' results were better than girls with 79 per cent hitting the level five target compared to 77 per cent of girls.

In science, there was little difference between the sexes with 76 per cent of boys achieving level five compared to 77 per cent of girls doing so.

These differences are similar to last year's results, when girls outperformed boys in English, reading and writing but achieved identical results in maths and science.

Shannon Moore, assistant head of learning and achievement at Oxfordshire County Council, said the authority would continue to work to narrow this gender gap.

She said: "The gap between boys and girls in English has narrowed by two per cent since 2005. The gap is one per cent narrower in Oxfordshire than it is nationally (13 per cent nationally, 12 per cent in Oxfordshire), so the problem is not particular to Oxfordshire."

She added: "We do recognise there is a gap and we work to narrow it. We have an English strategy team which works hard in all of our schools.

"In the coming school year there will be a specific fund for boy-friendly books and the importance of having male reading mentors as well as females is recognised.

"Our professional development work with individual teachers is also geared towards narrowing the gender gap."

Nationally, the Government missed its targets for the numbers of children passing the tests.

Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: "With English results back to where they were two years ago, it is clear there is a serious problem."

But Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "The overall trend remains upwards and there have been dips in the past that have been quickly reversed."