Introduction
Choosing the correct secondary or senior school for your child can be a daunting process. Schools offer a variety of academic and extra-curricular opportunities, and ultimately, compete to be the best. This article aims to break down the academic performance of top independent, grammar and state schools in the UK, with a particular focus on London. But what else should be considered? This article also covers other factors, that can, and should, influence your school-selecting making.
Academic performance
Unsurprisingly, a school’s academic performance is often the highest factor of consideration. Academic performance is often determined by the amount of ‘pass’ grades at GCSE and A-Level. In more prestigious schools, the percentage of A/A* grades awarded is used as the more competitive indictor.
Statistical comparison
The four tables below, as taken from official league tables, compare the top ten UK schools; the top ten independent UK schools; the top ten London independent schools; and the top ten no-fee UK schools, based on percentage of A and A* achieved at GCSE.
THE TOP TEN UK SCHOOLS, 2023
rank | school | A+A*% GCSE | Co-ed/Single-sex |
1 | North London Collegiate School | 99 | Girls |
2 | St Paul's Girls' School | 98.42 | Girls |
3 | King's College School - Wimbledon | 98.07 | Boys (Co-ed 6th form) |
4 | Wycombe Abbey School | 97.5 | Girls |
5 | Guildford High School | 97.4 | Girls |
6 | Godolphin & Latymer School | 97.1 | Girls |
7 | King Edward VI High School for Girls | 96.51 | Girls |
8 | Westminster School | 96.2 | Co-ed (Boys Only 13 - 16) |
9 | St Paul's School | 96.19 | Boys |
10 | City of London School for Girls | 94.9 | Girls |
THE TOP TEN UK INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, 2024
Rank | School | A+A* % GCSE | Co-ed/Single-sex | |
1 | Tonbridge School | 99.1 | Boys | |
2 | North London Collegiate School | 97.6 | Girls | |
3 | Guildford High School | 97.4 | Girls | |
4 | St Paul's Girls' School | 97.6 | Girls | |
5 | King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham | 95.3 | Girls | |
6 | King's College School, Wimbledon | 96.4 | Boys-Sixth form | |
7 | Westminster School | 96.2 | Boys | |
7 | St Paul's School | 96.6 | Boys | |
9 | City of London School for Girls | 94.3 | Girls | |
10 | Magdalen College School | 94.6 | Boys-Sixth form |
THE TOP TEN LONDON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, 2023
Rank | School | A+A*% GCSE | Co-ed/Single-sex |
1 | St Paul's Girls School | 99.6 | Girls |
2 | City of London School | 99 | Boys |
3 | St Paul's School | 98.9 | Boys |
4 | City of London School For Girls | 98.7 | Girls |
5 | Westminster School | 98 | Boys (Co-ed Sixth Form) |
6 | King's College School (Wimbledon) | 97.1 | Boys (Co-ed Sixth Form) |
7 | North London Collegiate School | 96.3 | Girls |
8 | Highgate School | 95.7 | Co-ed |
9 | Hampton School | 95.7 | Boys |
10 | Latymer Upper School | 95 | Co-ed |
THE TOP TEN NON-FEE PAYING SCHOOLS, 2023
These schools all happen to be selective or ‘grammar’ schools, for which an entrance exam must be taken. This is commonly coined the ‘11plus’. Please see our guide, available to download on our website for more information.
Rank | School | A+A*% GCSE | Location |
1 | The Henrietta Barnett School | 97 | London |
2 | Wilson's School | 95 | Wallington |
3 | Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet | 93.3 | Barnet |
4 | The Latymer School | 93 | London |
5 | Altrincham Grammar School for Girls | 91 | Altrincham |
6 | St Olave's Grammar School | 91 | Orpington |
7 | Pate's Grammar School | 90.2 | Cheltenham |
8 | Colyton Grammar School | 90 | Colyton |
9 | Reading School | 88.3 | Reading |
10 | Chelmsford County High School for Girls | 88.3 | Chelmsford |
Living in London
Referencing the league tables above, London maintains one of the UK’s highest concentrations of the best independent schools in the country. The biggest collections of independent schools are in Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster, Croydon and Camden. The London borough of Bexley also boasts four grammar schools, all with exemplary reputation.
Similarly, the borough of Harrow boasts the top-preforming London borough, with 38% of schools measured as ‘Outstanding’.
It’s therefore quite easy to conclude London as the best location in terms of proximity to good schools, however this should not be the only deciding factor in determining the best education for your child.
Schools, ethos, values and philosophy
It’s important that the school’s values align with yours as a family, and those you wish to instil in your child. Things to consider are the schools approach to discipline, inclusivity, and overall vision. A good way to get a sense of this, is to observe the culture and ‘general feeling’ within a school. You may have this opportunity during a ‘visit’ to the school in normal operating hours, as opposed to an ‘open day’ format.
Facilities and resources
Facilities and resources can be checked-out on open days or evenings. Academic facilities to look out for are classrooms, libraries and laboratories. Sport facilities, music, art, science and technology departments are also important to investigate, these may be what set one school apart from another. Of course, these should be considered in line with your child’s interests, passions and strengths.
Extracurricular activities
These can be discussed at the time of visiting different facilities within the school. It’s important that your child has scope to peruse interests, (in a different environment to the classroom), to promote social and emotional development as well as general happiness. Independent schools especially tend to have a particular strength, for which they become well-known, and use to their competitive advantage. This could be music, the arts, science and sports.
Special educational needs (SEN):
Should your child have special educational needs, this should be attended to effectively. Check the support services available: there should be adequate resources and staff to ensure your child’s specific needs are met.
Ofsted rating
In addition to this, Ofsted rating is also worth considering for state schools, both selective and non-selective. Put simply, Ofsted inspections provide an overview of the school’s performance in a variety of areas and schools are rated from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’. Independent schools are managed by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), and assess school’s performance in the form of a written report, rather than a scale. The ISI rating is perhaps less relevant if your search is confined to the top independent schools, as it’s harder to digest than statistical reporting.
Pastoral care
Strong pastoral care is key to your child’s wellbeing at school, as growing up inevitably involves challenging moments. It’s important to ask questions around counselling services, handling bullying, and examination-period support. Pastoral care may be in the form of class tutors, a dedicated staff member, or a ‘house’. If you’re looking at boarding options, the pastoral care triangle tends to be made up of the house staff, academic tutors and the wider school community.
Transition support
Transition from one school to another is essential in retaining a smooth educative journey. An induction plan is key, especially if your child is looking to attend a grammar or independent school that may be in a different county, where their current school is not a key feeder. Should your child attend a preparatory school and is looking to go into the senior school, contact the relevant senior team to ask how they expect to best support the transition.
Parental involvement
Consider how the school involves parents. Regular communication, parent-teacher meetings, and opportunities as a parent governor, will impact your relationship with the school as a whole family. For independent schools, for example, there is often an option for drop-in classroom visits, helping you see first-hand the education your child could be receiving.
Schools are increasingly likely to have an app or social media presence, dedicated to the production of continuous up-to-date information. An all-school electronic newsletter with updates and information from the SLT or heads of schools are also a common for keeping lines of open communication.
Additionally, parental involvement in school events such as fundraisers, science fairs or sports days can support cohesiveness in the parent-school team, to help your child’s holistic development.
Future prospects and alumni
Consider the school's track record for preparing students for further education and careers through opportunities offered in school. Key indications of positive projections are: the school’s alumni; A-Level grades; and percentage of entrants into top universities. Schools may hold ‘Oxbridge Preparation’ open evenings, or trips to top UK and international universities, should this be of interest. Information should be readily available on UCAS applications, summer schools, and interview preparation to help guide your child towards making the right decision on the next part of their educational journey.
Productive prospects may also be in the global outlook that the school’s promote, to prepare your child for the interconnected and globalised world. This may be in the form of international school trips, sporting events or introducing public speakers.
Single sex or co-ed, boarding or day?
As appropriate for independent schools only, the decision of sending your child to a single sex or co-ed school is purely down to personal preference. Cultural affiliations, family traditions and the character of your child, should be considered in this decision-making process. If you’re struggling, cross reference your preference against the school’s league tables, as above.
The ultimatum between boarding and day can be more easily decided by logistics. Positively, boarding is not confined by geographical location and can open a wider choice of school. One thing to consider is the proportion of students that board full time, to ensure that there is strong weekend provision.
Location and catchment area
More practically, consider the school’s location and whether you live within the catchment area. This is particularly applicable for grammar schools, where performance in the 11plus test can be cross referenced against your proximity to the school. This can mean that the further away you live from a school, the higher your child could have to perform in the 11plus, in order to be admitted. If this is a concern, it’s better to check whether your chosen school(s) do factor in location to their admissions process. For standard state-schools, location is a key deciding factor, whereby your household will have to be situated in the required radius for admissions. Independent schools tend not to be catchment-based, but it is likely to be helpful should you live in a closer vicinity. Additionally, the logistics of a daily commute should be considered, in the form of a self-funded bus, or self-driven car.
Conclusion
There are many factors that will feed in to the astronomical decision that is selecting the ‘right’ school for your child. They should all be welcomed into the research process. League tables are important, but a more holistic approach is required to support your child’s development across the board. The best way to assess this is through open days and school visits – selecting a school with the right ‘feel’ is crucial! Please see our other articles on ‘Best Schools for Sport’ and ‘Best Schools for The Arts’, should these interest you.