The Top 100 Senior Schools by A + A* Grades at GCSE Level

In this section we give you our own assessment of the Top 100 independent senior schools in England and Wales for 2008. These positions are compiled from the % of A & A* grades at GCSE levels.

Click on the name of a school to find out its type, contact details, day or boarding and the annual fees.

Use the links in the right column to select how you would like sort the Top 100 UCAS schools.

	A + A* %	Name	Day / Board	Boy / Girl	Day £	Board £
1	98.48	St Paul's School - London	Both	Boys	16,521	24,468
2	98.03	Wycombe Abbey School - Buckinghamshire	Boarding	Girls	NA	27,300
3	97.83	Magdalen College School	Day	Boys	11,184	NA
4	97.72	Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls - Elstree	Day	Girls	10,032	NA
5	97.48	North London Collegiate School - Edgware	Day	Girls	11,925	NA
6	96.98	Westminster School - London	Both	Boys (Co-ed 6th Form)	20,664	27,516
7	96.94	St Paul's Girls' School - Hammersmith	Day	Girls	14,523	NA
8	95.97	Withington Girls School - Manchester	Day	Girls	9,018	NA
9	94.10	Eton College	Boarding	Boys	NA	28,080
10	93.73	Lady Eleanor Holles School - Richmond	Day	Girls	12,540	NA
11	93.66	Guildford High School for Girls	Day	Girls	10,716	NA
12	93.18	City of London School for Girls	Day	Girls	12,375	NA
13	93.16	Royal Grammar School - Guildford	Day	Boys	12,099	NA
14	91.54	King Edward VI High - Girls/ Birmingham	Day	Girls	8,430	NA
15	90.69	Perse School for Girls - Cambridge	Day	Girls	12,105	NA
16	90.10	Oxford High School GDST	Day	Girls (Boys 3-6)	8,898	NA
17	90.04	Cheltenham Ladies' College	Both	Girls	19,473	28,734
18	90.01	Haberdasher's Aske's Boys School - Elstree	Day	Boys	11,724	NA
19	89.07	Abbey School - Reading	Day	Girls	10,980	NA
20	88.93	School Of St Helen And St Katharine - Abingdon	Day	Girls	10,185	NA
21	88.70	King's College - Wimbledon	Day	Boys	15,450	NA
22	88.69	Merchant Taylors' School - Northwood	Day	Boys	14,280	NA
23	88.18	Godolphin & Latymer School - Hammersmith	Day	Girls	14,346	NA
24	88.07	South Hampstead High School	Day	Girls	10,470	NA
25	88.01	King Edward's School (Boys) - Birmingham	Day	Boys	8,970	NA
26	87.86	Notting Hill & Ealing High School	Day	Girls	11,100	NA
27	87.71	Putney High School	Day	Girls	11,100	NA
28	87.38	Loughborough High School	Day	Girls	7,890	NA
29	87.21	Perse School for Boys - Cambridge	Day	Boys (Co-ed 6th Form)	11,724	NA
30	87.19	King's High School for Girls - Warwick	Day	Girls	9,126	NA
31	85.75	Manchester High School for Girls	Day	Girls	8,634	NA
32	85.64	Downe House School - Berks	Both	Girls	18,801	25,968
33	85.42	Maynard School - Devon	Day	Girls	9,465	NA
34	85.23	Burgess Hill School for Girls	Both	Girls (boys pre-prep only)	12,000	20,850
35	84.75	St Albans High School for Girls	Day	Girls	11,115	NA
36	83.92	Alleyn's School - Dulwich	Day	Co-ed	12,996	NA
37	83.64	St Catherine's School - Guildford	Both	Girls	12,465	20,520
38	83.61	Tormead School - Guildford	Day	Girls	11,235	NA
39	83.27	Channing School - Highgate	Day	Girls	12,390	NA
40	83.19	St Mary's School - Ascot	Both	Girls	18,930	26,610
41	82.56	Sir William Perkins's School	Day	Girls	10,956	NA
42	81.62	Harrow School	Boarding	Boys	NA	28,005
43	81.58	Bromley High School GDST	Day	Girls	10,470	NA
44	81.49	Dulwich College	Both	Boys	13,176	26,532
45	81.47	Bury Grammar School (Girls)	Day	Girls (Boys 4-7)	7,326	NA
46	81.25	King's School - Canterbury	Both	Co-ed	20,415	27,630
47	81.22	Wimbledon High School GDST	Day	Girls	11,100	NA
48	81.19	St Albans School	Day	Boys but co-ed 6th	11,826	NA
49	81.11	University College School - Hampstead	Day	Boys	13,860	NA
50	81.09	Twycross House School - Atherstone	Day	Co-ed	7,200	NA
51	81.03	Highgate School - London	Day	Co-ed	14,190	NA
52	81.00	King Edward VI School - Southampton	Day	Co-ed	10,485	NA
53	80.86	City of London School for Boys	Day	Boys	12,267	NA
54	80.76	Oundle School - Peterborough	Both	Co-ed	15,600	23,940
55	80.68	Francis Holland School - Clarence Gate	Day	Girls	12,900	NA
56	80.47	Ipswich High School GDST	Day	Girls	NA	NA
57	80.15	St Helens - Northwood	Day	Girls	11,955	22,170
58	80.06	St Swithun's School - Winchester	Both	Girls	13,920	22,950
59	79.43	Nottingham High School for Girls	Day	Girls	8,394	NA
60	79.39	Canford School - Wimborne	Both	Co-ed	20,025	25,680
61	79.11	Abingdon School	Both	Boys	11,940	22,770
62	78.98	Benenden School - Kent	Boarding	Girls	NA	27,540
63	78.88	Hampton School - Middlesex	Day	Boys	12,870	NA
64	78.74	Bancroft's School - Woodford Green	Day	Co-ed	11,550	NA
65	77.96	Grange School - Cheshire	Day	Co-ed	8,085	NA
66	76.93	Badminton School - Bristol	Both	Girls	14,370	25,530
67	76.86	Headington School - Oxford	Both	Girls	12,150	23,325
68	76.83	Latymer Upper School - Hammersmith	Day	Co-ed	13,470	NA
69	76.45	Central Newcastle High School GDST	Day	Girls	8,898	NA
70	76.30	Whitgift School - South Croydon	Day	Boys	12,354	NA
71	75.80	St Mary's School - Calne	Both	Girls	18,900	26,400
72	75.76	Nottingham High School	Day	Boys	10,074	NA
73	75.65	Cheadle Hulme School	Day	Co-ed	8,628	NA
74	75.59	Charterhouse School - Godalming	Both	Boys (Co-ed 6th Form)	22,716	27,480
75	75.00	Warwick School	Both	Boys	9,690	20,676
76	74.55	Bolton School (Girls' Division)	Day	Girls	8,331	NA
77	74.45	Royal Grammar School - Newcastle	Day	Co-ed	8,799	NA
78	74.01	Forest School - London E17	Day	Co-ed	12,405	NA
78 =	74.01	Bolton School (Boys' Division)	Day	Boys	8,331	NA
80	73.59	Portsmouth Grammar School	Day	Co-ed	11,226	NA
81	73.47	Bristol Grammar School	Day	Co-ed	9,840	NA
82	73.41	City of London Freemen's School - Ashtead	Both	Co-ed	13,680	21,771
83	73.40	Leicester High School for Girls	Day	Girls	8,400	NA
84	73.26	Reigate Grammar School	Day	Co-ed	12,858	NA
85	73.23	Queen's Gate School - Kensington	Day	Girls	NA	NA
86	73.17	Surbiton High School	Day	Girls (Boys 4-11)	11,163	NA
87	72.99	Kingston Grammar School	Day	Co-ed	13,029	NA
88	72.98	Francis Holland School - Graham Terrace	Day	Girls	NA	NA
89	72.91	Sherborne School for Girls	Both	Girls	19,200	26,400
90	72.90	Dauntsey's School - Devizes	Both	Co-ed	14,145	23,850
91	72.71	Croydon High School GDST	Day	Girls	11,100	NA
92	72.67	Eltham College	Day	Boys but co-ed 6th	11,625	NA
93	72.57	King Henry VIII School - Coventry	Day	Co-ed	8,379	NA
94	72.17	Palmers Green High School - London	Day	Girls	NA	NA
95	72.02	Loughborough Grammar School	Both	Boys	9,378	17,112
96	71.99	St James Independent School For Senior Girls - London W14	Day	Girls	11,100	NA
97	71.76	King's School - Cheshire	Day	Co-ed	9,462	NA
97 =	71.76	Portsmouth High School	Day	Girls	8,896	NA
99	71.34	Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls	Both	Girls	11,028	19,515
100	71.28	Rugby School	Both	Co-ed	15,750	24,915

Note.1. Sometimes there are a few gaps in our data, because the information is not freely available or a school will not supply it. In general this applies to lower graded schools in the TOP 100. Sometimes grades improve as a result of appeals on exam results and we will update the data periodically. We encourage all schools to supply corrections or additions (click here).

Note 2. Exam results are not the only criteria by which to judge a school (read our eGuide on selection factors click here). Indeed most of the schools in this TOP 100 table are quite selective on their admissions. Be aware your child may not necessarily thrive in a high pressure academic environment – take advice.