ONE in six secondary schools in the North West of England is under-performing, figures show.

The region has the highest proportion of pupils attending failing secondaries, according to a Press Association analysis of official performance data, with more than one in eight (13.1 per cent) of its young people being taught in schools that are considered not good enough.

At the other end of the scale, London has the lowest proportion of under-performing schools.

In total, 3.1 per cent of the capital's secondary schools fall below a new Government threshold for education standards, while just 2.2 per cent of its secondary-age pupils are at a school that failed to make the target.

Schools are now judged against a new Progress 8 measure that looks at pupils' performance throughout secondary school and their results across eight GCSE qualifications.

The latest figures also reveal that Knowsley in the North West has the greatest proportion of schools that are under-performing, with all six of its secondary schools below the Government's new floor standard.

Figures published in 2015 showed that Knowsley is one of the local authorities with the largest proportions of highly deprived neighbourhoods in England. The borough includes the area of Whiston, where former England football captain Steven Gerrard was born.

The latest Department for Education figures also show that three of the five local authorities with the greatest proportion of under-performing secondaries are in the North West: Knowsley, Oldham and Halton. The other two, Darlington and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, are in the North East.

A spokesman for Knowsley Council said: "We have been aware of these results since the summer and are naturally disappointed in the outcome.

"However, we are already well advanced in the process of taking positive action to help drive up standards and results in the borough's six secondary schools - four of which are now academies and run by multi-academy trusts.

"We recently invested £1 million to establish an Education Commission for Knowsley, made up of local, regional and national education leaders.

"The Commission is focusing its work on the six secondary schools in Knowsley to provide support and challenge to drive up standards and attainment levels."