Only one independent school in Sussex has ranked in the national top 100 based on this year's GCSE results.

More than half of the GCSE entries at the prestigious Lancing College achieved grades A* or A.

The results were an improvement on last year when four out of ten entries achieved the top two grades.

The school was ranked 63rd out of nearly 600 in figures released today by the Independent Schools Information Service.

The highest ranking school in Brighton and Hove was Roedean School where 99 per cent of the 64 youngsters who sat the exams achieved A* to C grades.

The results earned the school 119th position in the ISIS league table.

Roedean pupils worked hard to achieve 133 A* grades - 18 less than last year - but overall performance in GCSEs was similar.

More girls earned the top two grades at Brighton and Hove High School, in Montpelier Road, Brighton, with 161 A* passes and 250 A grades.

But a handful of D grades and below brought the school's ranking down to 188.

Their successes in the top grades reflects the national average of 51 per cent of exam entries from independent schools achieving A* or A grades.

Pupils at Brighton College, Eastern Road, built on the successes of last year.

Out of 104 pupils, 165 A* passes - 42 more than last year - and 355 A grades, were achieved.

Success at St Mary's Hall in Eastern Road, Brighton was marked with the number of A* passes almost tripling.

A smaller number of exam entrants than last year at The Old Grammar School in Lewes, boosted results. More than six out of ten GCSEs taken there were graded A* to B.

Worthing's Our Lady of Sion School and The Towers Convent School in Steyning were also successful. Both schools doubled their number of A* passes on last year.