SCHOOLS standards minister, David Miliband returned to the classroom to congratulate Birkenhead's Park High School on the excellence of their GCSE results.

Head teacher Pam Flanagan said: "We were thrilled that he chose to come to our school. We feel that it's recognition of the hard work and level of achievement the school has seen over the last year."

Park High GCSE results showed a 10% rise of pupils achieving A* - C grades - the biggest increase in Wirral.

The MP, who was visiting Merseyside to speak at the Catholic Diocesan Schools' Commissioners conference in Wirral and attend a conference on 'Whole School Improvement' in Liverpool, found time to stop off at a couple of Wirral schools and meet teachers and pupils.

Mr Miliband spent an hour looking around Park High and talking to pupils in a year eight history lesson.

Pam Flanagan said: "The children were a little awestruck at first but Mr Miliband was very good at talking to them and once they had got over their initial nerves they were able to answer his questions."

The MP also met ex-pupil Alastair Beddows, former Head Boy and UK Youth Parliament representative for Wirral who achieved an extraordinary 11A*s at GCSE last year.

Now a student of Birkenhead Sixth Form College Alastair also passed AS level Politics which he studied alongside his GCSE work as a hobby, earning 287 marks out of a possible 300.

Mr Miliband said: "I had a very enjoyable visit to Park High School and found the teaching and learning methods very encouraging.

"I wish to congratulate all the staff and pupils on their dedication and would like to say thank you for welcoming me to their school."

Earlier Mr Miliband visited Wirral Grammar School for Girls in Bebington, meeting local head teachers to discuss a wide range of topics including the motivation of pupils and rising levels of achievement.

Wirral South MP Ben Chapman joined Head teacher Elaine Cogan, Tony Cooper, head of Wirral Grammar School for Boys, Adrienne Burns of Plessington Catholic High School Technology College and Catherine McCormack of South Wirral High Arts College in welcoming Mr Miliband to Wirral.

Elaine Cogan said that she was pleased with the minister's comments, praising the behaviour and achievement of the school's pupils.