Everything you need to know about UK Independent Education

top independent schools

By GCSE Results

There are various criteria to consider when looking for the best school for your child and perhaps the most obvious measure of a school’s success is in their results.  It is important to be aware that there are a number of factors that determine where a school sits in those tables and there will also be other factors to explain why some schools are in and others not. The table below has been compiled through a comparison of a number of well-regarded and reliable sources, including The Times and The Telegraph.


The results reflect the pupils’ performance over all and should not be regarded in isolation.

Top 100 Independent Schools — GCSE Results 2025
Ranked by % of entries awarded grades 9–7 (A*/A) | National average: 21.8% | Independent school average: 48.1%
RankSchool NameA*/A %RegionGenderBoarding
1St Paul's Girls' School99.50%LondonGirlsDay
2North London Collegiate School99.20%LondonGirlsDay
3King's College School Wimbledon98.26%LondonCo-edDay
4Brighton College97.95%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
5St Paul's School97.90%LondonBoysDay/Boarding
6Westminster School97.60%LondonCo-edDay/Boarding
7The Godolphin and Latymer School96.90%LondonGirlsDay
8Wycombe Abbey School96.73%South EastGirlsDay/Boarding
9Guildford High School for Girls96.41%South EastGirlsDay
10King Edward VI High School for Girls96.34%West MidlandsGirlsDay
11Latymer Upper School96.20%LondonCo-edDay
12City of London School96.00%LondonBoysDay
13Hampton School96.00%LondonBoysDay
14Highgate School95.47%LondonCo-edDay
15Alleyn's School94.72%LondonCo-edDay
16City of London School for Girls94.64%LondonGirlsDay
17St Mary's School Ascot94.08%South EastGirlsDay/Boarding
18Magdalen College School94.05%South EastCo-edDay
19Eton College94.00%South EastBoysBoarding
20Lady Eleanor Holles School94.00%LondonGirlsDay
21Oxford High School93.59%South EastGirlsDay
22Dulwich College93.20%LondonBoysDay/Boarding
23Winchester College93.00%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
24Notting Hill and Ealing High School92.84%LondonGirlsDay
25Withington Girls' School92.76%North WestGirlsDay
26Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls92.58%AngliaGirlsDay
27South Hampstead High School92.14%LondonGirlsDay
28St Helen and St Katharine92.10%South EastGirlsDay
29Tonbridge School92.00%South EastBoysDay/Boarding
30Putney High School91.61%LondonGirlsDay
31Caterham School91.35%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
32University College School, Hampstead91.26%LondonCo-edDay
33Emanuel School90.90%LondonCo-edDay
34Kingston Grammar School90.30%LondonCo-edDay
35The Perse School90.01%AngliaCo-edDay
36Reigate Grammar School90.00%South EastCo-edDay
37Sevenoaks School90.00%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
38James Allen's Girls' School89.94%LondonGirlsDay
39Royal Grammar School Guildford88.66%South EastBoysDay
40Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School88.00%AngliaBoysDay
41Merchant Taylors' School87.91%AngliaBoysDay
42Eltham College87.70%LondonCo-edDay
43The Manchester Grammar School87.46%North WestBoysDay
44Abingdon School87.30%South EastBoysDay/Boarding
45Bancroft's School87.07%AngliaCo-edDay
46Wellington College86.70%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
47Whitgift School86.34%LondonBoysDay/Boarding
48Cheltenham Ladies' College86.23%South WestGirlsDay/Boarding
49Concord College86.20%West MidlandsCo-edDay/Boarding
50Epsom College86.17%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
51Radley College86.00%South EastBoysBoarding
52The Leys School85.76%AngliaCo-edDay/Boarding
53Wimbledon High School85.27%LondonGirlsDay
54Surbiton High School85.19%LondonGirlsDay
55St Albans High School for Girls85.00%AngliaGirlsDay
56Nottingham High School84.73%East MidlandsCo-edDay
57Sir William Perkins's School84.50%South EastGirlsDay
58King Edward's School, Birmingham83.80%West MidlandsBoysDay
59The King's School, Chester83.43%North WestCo-edDay
60Ibstock Place School82.70%LondonCo-edDay
61Haileybury82.05%AngliaCo-edDay/Boarding
62Reading Blue Coat School81.91%South EastGirlsDay
63Channing School81.70%LondonGirlsDay
64City of London Freemen's School81.54%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
65Downe House81.00%South EastGirlsDay/Boarding
66Royal Grammar School Newcastle80.94%North EastCo-edDay
67Queen's College London80.77%LondonGirlsDay
68The Abbey School Reading80.11%South EastGirlsDay
69St Catherine's, Bramley80.08%South EastGirlsDay/Boarding
70St Helen's School80.00%LondonGirlsDay
71St George's College Weybridge79.89%South EastCo-edDay
72Sheffield High School for Girls79.87%Yorks/HumberGirlsDay
73Stroud High School79.50%South WestGirlsDay
74Charterhouse79.40%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
75The Haberdashers' Boys' School79.20%AngliaBoysDay
76St Swithun's School79.10%South EastGirlsDay/Boarding
77Shrewsbury School79.00%West MidlandsCo-edDay/Boarding
78Oundle School78.90%AngliaCo-edDay/Boarding
79Harrow School78.80%LondonBoysBoarding
80St George's School Edgbaston78.50%West MidlandsGirlsDay
81Bedales School78.30%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
82Stockport Grammar School78.10%North WestCo-edDay
83Malvern College77.90%West MidlandsCo-edDay/Boarding
84Loughborough High School77.70%East MidlandsGirlsDay
85Birkdale School77.50%Yorks/HumberCo-edDay
86Bradford Grammar School77.30%Yorks/HumberCo-edDay
87Marlborough College77.10%South WestCo-edDay/Boarding
88Rugby School76.90%West MidlandsCo-edDay/Boarding
89Perse Upper School76.70%AngliaCo-edDay
90Truro School76.50%South WestCo-edDay/Boarding
91Gresham's School76.30%AngliaCo-edDay/Boarding
92The King's School Canterbury76.10%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
93Newcastle High School for Girls75.90%North EastGirlsDay
94Bootham School75.70%Yorks/HumberCo-edDay/Boarding
95Stamford High School75.50%East MidlandsGirlsDay/Boarding
96Priory School75.30%South EastCo-edDay
97Stowe School75.10%South EastCo-edDay/Boarding
98Barnard Castle School74.90%North EastCo-edDay/Boarding
99Pocklington School74.70%Yorks/HumberCo-edDay/Boarding
100Wrekin College74.50%West MidlandsCo-edDay/Boarding

If you would like to find out more about these or any other schools, please contact our experts for a free consultation.

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