A list of the top-performing secondary schools in the UK has been unveiled – with some surprising top placers.
Wilson’s School in Sutton, London, beat Eton, Westminster and Winchester after turning in stellar A-level and GCSE results to claim the Sunday Times Parent Power title.
The all-boys grammar school is home to 1,290 pupils and jumped eight places in the league tables from 11th in 2022.
Wilson’s head teacher, Nathan Cole, said the students were “forged in the horrors of Covid”. She said the school’s determination to maintaining standards around welfare and lessons benefitted the students, helping them flourish.
Ms Cole said: “The school took delivery of the curriculum [online during lockdowns] very seriously. It may look hilarious when you see 170 boys doing exercises and games on Zoom at the same time, doing all sorts of things with socks and oranges, but it tells you there is something very wrong with the world.”
According to the Sunday Times, which uses its own criteria to judge schools, this is the first time that A-levels and GCSEs results have returned to pre-pandemic levels in England, with many of those that kept up high-quality lessons online during the pandemic reaping rewards this year.
The top schools in the state sector, which is typically dominated by selective grammars, have kept pace with private schools year-on-year, according to the publication. Of the 100 schools in the combined league table, three-quarters are fee-paying, 25 are state grammar school, with one more state school in the top 100 than last year.
The top 10 state secondaries in the southeast are all in the UK top 50 with Reading School topping that list and coming in eighth nationally making it the Southeast Secondary School of the Year.
This boys-only state grammar has 1,139 pupils with some students offered board. Headmaster Ashley Robson said the school’s success is down to its mission to building the character of pupils.
It teaches children “mental softness” over resilience, encourages a positive image of masculinity, and helps them to develop respectful relationships with girls. Kids also enjoy a trip to the Arctic Circle to build igloos and must learn to play a musical instrument.
London and southeast England continue to dominate but Northern Ireland has moved up the table with five schools. Selective grammars continue are the rule to success in the Midlands and the North with St Mary’s College, a mixed Roman Catholic secondary and sixth form in Hull taking the title of Comprehensive School of the Year 2024.
The head of St Mary’s College, Maria Stead, said: “We firmly believe that no child should be left behind. All have a right to experience events such as symphonies and mock trials, alongside developing an understanding of the importance of positive activism in a world where there is not always peace and justice for all.”
However, state school face post-pandemic woes like funding cuts, crumbling buildings, low attendance and mental health issues related to lockdowns, which is pushing them further into the unknown.
The top secondary school for academic performance
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Secondary school of the year
Wilson’s School (grammar school for boys), Wallington
Comprehensive school of the year
Cheadle Hulme High School
Top independent school for academic performance
Withington Girls’ School, Manchester
Independent school of the year
King’s School, Chester
International Baccalaureate school of the year
Tonbridge Grammar School
BY REGION
East Anglia
Secondary School of the Year – Colchester Royal Grammar School
Comprehensive School of the Year – Impington Village College
Private School of the Year – The Perse School, Cambridge
East Midlands
Secondary School of the Year – The King’s School, Grantham
Comprehensive School of the Year – Landau Forte College, Derby
Private School of the Year – Leicester Grammar School
West Midlands
Secondary School of the Year – King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon
Comprehensive School of the Year – St Paul’s School for Girls, Edgbaston
Private School of the Year – King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham
London
Secondary School of the Year – Wilson’s School, Wallington
Comprehensive School of the Year – JFS, Harrow
Private School of the Year – St Paul’s Girls’ School, Hammersmith
The North
Secondary School of the Year for Academic Performance – Ripon Grammar School
Comprehensive School of the Year – St Mary’s College, Hull
Private School of the Year – Queen Ethelburga’s College, York
The Northeast
Comprehensive School of the Year – Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
Private School of the Year – Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Northwest
Secondary School of the Year – Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Comprehensive School of the Year – Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College, Blackburn
Private School of the Year – Withington Girls’ School, Manchester
The Southeast
Secondary School of the Year – Reading School
Comprehensive School of the Year – St Andrew’s RC School, Leatherhead
Private School of the Year – Guildford High School
The Southwest
Secondary School of the Year – Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham
Comprehensive School of the Year – Kingsbridge Community College
Private School of the Year – Cheltenham Ladies’ College
Wales
Secondary School of the Year – Cowbridge Comprehensive School
Private School of the Year – Cardiff Sixth Form College
Northern Ireland
Secondary School of the Year – Lumen Christi College, Londonderry
Scotland
Secondary School of the Year – Jordanhill School, Glasgow
Private School of the Year (Highers) – St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh
Private School of the Year (A-Levels) – St Leonards, St Andrews
