The council stressed the importance of school tests for 11-year-olds and branded the boycotting of Sats “unacceptable” after results were released this week.

Pupils at Richmond primary schools were confirmed as the highest-achieving in the country for the 10th year in a row as results for key stage two assessment tests - Sats - were published on Tuesday.

Excluding boroughs with only one school, Richmond has the highest percentage of pupils achieving the top level - level 5 - in English and mathematics and the highest percentage of children achieving the expected standard of level 4 and above.

Councillor Geoffrey Samuel, Richmond Council deputy leader, offered his congratulations to the pupils and teachers for the success but had a message for the headteachers of the 12 schools who chose to boycott the examinations.

He said: “We support Sats, new Education Secretary Michael Gove has already indicated there will be Sats next year.

“They will be in a revised form - and we welcome that revision - but they will take place and we support the view they should continue.

“It is unfortunate and unacceptable for headteachers not to put children forward.”

Pupils at Darrell Primary School, in Kew, Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Marshgate Primary School, St Elizabeth’s RC Primary School, The Vineyard Primary School, all in Richmond, Meadlands Primary School and St Richard’s with St Andrew’s CE Primary School, both in Ham, Nelson Primary School and St Edmund’s RC Primary School, both in Whitton, The Russell Primary School, in Petersham, and St Stephen’s CE Junior School and Trafalgar Junior School, both in Twickenham, did not sit the exams.

Coun Samuel said he rejected suggestions parents would see the results and use that as the only factor when choosing schools for their children.

He added: “We feel Sats are important to inform parents.

“It’s bizarre when we are trying to put more information into the public domain that schools are taking action to put less, and it’s totally unacceptable.

“We ask the public to interpret figures all the time, the idea if we publish these parents will only choose the best performing schools is patronising.

“The council does not control schools, governing bodies do, but we want to make it quite clear the council is in support of Sats.”

In the tests, 89 per cent of children achieved level four in English, where the national average was 81 per cent, and 88 per cent did so in mathematics, where the national average was 80 per cent - 85 per cent of children achieve level four in both compared to 74 per cent nationwide.

The figures also showed 47 per cent of children achieved level five in English and 52 per cent in mathematics, compared to 29 pr cent and 35 per cent nationally.

All 36 borough schools submitted teacher assessments and the Richmond came out on top in those scores too.

Councillor Malcolm Eady, Richmond Liberal Democrats' education and schools spokesman, said he was pleased at the high standars but concerned about the Conservatives' views on education.