GLASGOW schools have improved dramatically over the last five years, inspectors' reports have shown.

Since 2008, the number graded very good or excellent has risen from 27% to 50%.

The number good or better has gone from 72% to 87% and those satisfactory or better is at 96%, against 91% previously.

Glasgow City Council believes this is partly down to its decision to target poor teachers and move those unsuited to the job into non-teaching roles.

Improvements have been seen in attendances, with exclusions reduced and there has also been an increase in the proportion of pupils passing Standard Grade and High exams.

One school that has flourished during this period is Lourdes Secondary, Cardonald. It has seen steady improvements since a disappointing inspection in 2009 and recorded a 13% increase in the number of pupils getting a Higher, an 11% rise for two Highers and a 6% rise for three.

Head teacher Patricia Lennon, who took over three years ago, said a range of strategies had improved the school, such as an improved timetable with the inclusion of subjects such as business management, travel and tourism, media studies and Spanish.

Reports have also shown that violent incidents in Glasgow schools have dropped 17%, down to their lowest figure on record from 3450 to 2857.

For generations, Glasgow pupils have been outperformed by others across Scotland because many schools are said to deal with a catalogue of social issues linked to poverty.

An average of 30% of pupils received free school meals, which is an indicator of poverty, compared to only 15% in the rest of the country.