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The overall percentage of pupils in Hampshire's junior and primary schools achieving the benchmark level four in their Key Stage 2 tests last summer has fallen slightly.

This means that Hampshire Local Education Authority's overall ranking in a national league table of 150 local authorities has dropped by six places to 35.

However, the county's pupils' performances were still above the national average in all three core subjects.

In Southampton, pupils were also unable to improve on last year's overall test results, leading to the LEA's national ranking slipping by 12 places to 131.

Once again, the LEA lagged behind the national average in all three areas. While English results improved slightly, maths stayed the same and science results fell.

One of the city's schools, Sinclair Primary and Nursery, was named in the bottom 200 schools nationally because of its poor test results.

It is a repeat of the school's performance in 2004 when it also found itself in the worst 200.

Fewer than half the pupils at the 216-pupil school reached their target level in English and maths, although science results were better, with 59 per cent of children reaching level four.

Head teacher Debbie Adamson, who took over the Lordshill school three years ago, said that the primary, described as "improving" by Ofsted inspectors, would see better results with time.

Mrs Adamson said: "Disappointed but philosophical was our response when we found out the Key Stage 2 results. Disappointed because we strongly believe that all children need to leave us with as high a level of basic skills as possible, and these results do not do our children justice.

"They don't reflect the ability of our children, who are creative, artistic and imaginative.

"Nor do they reflect the enormous amount of work from staff who remain totally committed to the welfare of Sinclair children and did everything they could to enable our Year 6 pupils to achieve the best possible results last summer.

"We even opened the school every day during the Easter holidays."

Mrs Adamson said that she and her staff remained philosophical because they knew that there would be low points as well as high points in turning around Sinclair's performance.

Siskin Junior School in Gosport was the only other school in the region to find itself in the bottom 200 schools.

Both Sinclair and Siskin schools were also among the worst five per cent of schools nationally for the lack of progress pupils make between the ages of seven and 11.

Newlands Primary in Southampton, Oakwood Junior in Lordshill, Red Barn Community School in Fareham and Elson Junior School in Gosport were also among the bottom five per cent for their value-added measure, which tracks pupils' progress.

At the other end of the performance table, two Hampshire schools made it into the country's top 200 schools for having the highest percentage of pupils achieving level four in all three subjects.

South Baddesley C of E Primary School in Lymington and Hale Primary School in Fordingbridge were both among the top 200.

Mary Nugent, head teacher of 114-pupil South Baddesley C of E Primary School, said: "We are very proud of our children's achievements. The staff worked hard to support the children's individual needs so that they can all reach their full potential."

A total of seven Hampshire schools made it into another table of the top 200 schools for the highest proportion of pupils achieving level five - one above the government's required standard in English, maths and science.

Caroline Carter, head teacher of 92-pupil Braishfield Primary School in Braishfield, Romsey, said that a combination of quality teachers and support staff working as a team had helped to deliver the bumper set of results.

She said: "Quality teaching, excellent support staff, and an excellent ethos all contribute to happy, confident pupils who are keen to achieve their very best.

"Although these results are tremendous, we always pride ourselves at celebrating the progress of every child, because every child matters."

Other schools making it into the top 200 for pupils achieving level five were: Knightwood Primary in Chandler's Ford, St Faith's C of E Primary in Winchester, Hilting-bury Junior School in Chandler's Ford, Hook-with-Warsash Primary in Warsash, Halterworth Community Primary in Romsey, and Weeke Primary in Winchester.

Both Thornhill Primary School in Southampton and The Crescent Primary School in Eastleigh made it on to a list of most improved schools from across the country.

They were included because they have seen their aggregate English, maths and science results improve consecutively since 2003.

Jacqueline Greethurst, head teacher of 290-pupil Thornhill Primary School, said: "As well as good teaching throughout the school we have concentrated on valuing all learning.

"We have placed a lot of emphasis on music, art, physical education and design and technology, and have achieved awards and accolades in these areas.

"Our Year 6 children have a range of curriculum experiences and although we work on test questions the tests are not the focus of the school."

A Southampton City Council spokesman praised Thornhill's performance and said the LEA was satisfied that Sinclair Primary School was improving.

He said: "This school is receiving a significant amount of support from the LEA in order to build on recent improvements at the school."

The spokesman added that "rigorous support and monitoring programmes" were being developed for Sinclair Primary, Newlands Primary and Oakwood Junior, to help pupils make greater progress.

He said: "We are obviously disappointed to have made a drop in the national rankings. However, the DfES has recently described Southampton as one of the most improved local authorities in Key Stage 2 results since 2003.

"We will be working very closely with schools to implement a comprehensive programme of support designed to raise standards across all three core subjects."

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