爱液视频

Readers browsing the guide to the Best Schools in the UK 2025 may notice a few unfamiliar names among the usual high achievers.

The 2025 Parent Power tables rank schools by their performance in the 2024 A Level, GCSE, and IB examinations. Alongside prestigious independent schools such as St Paul鈥檚 Girls鈥� and Westminster School appear two state-funded but academically selective institutions 鈥� The Henrietta Barnett School, ranked 10th, and Queen Elizabeth鈥檚 School, Barnet, ranked 11th. Their inclusion supports the Times headline claim that 鈥渁 handful of outstanding state schools have outperformed some of the most expensive and famous private schools in the UK.鈥�

Top 10 Grammar Schools

Source:

What the Data Shows

Grammar Schools Are Not Limited to the South East

It is often assumed that the best grammar schools are found only in areas that have retained a fully selective education system, such as Kent, Medway, Buckinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. However, a closer look at the Parent Power rankings reveals high-performing grammar schools in Cheltenham, Altrincham, and Birmingham among the top ten.

That said, the south east and London continue to dominate overall. Nearly one-third of the schools in the combined Times ranking are based in the southeast (215 out of 730), followed by London with 143. In comparison, Wales has only 18, and Scotland just four.

Single-Sex Grammar Schools Dominate

The data also shows that single-sex grammar schools dominate the top rankings 鈥� just as they do among leading private schools. All of the top ten grammar schools are either all-boys or all-girls institutions up to Sixth Form, though several become co-educational for A Levels.

Boys, in particular, appear to perform exceptionally well in single-sex environments: six of the top ten grammar schools cater exclusively to boys up to Sixth Form.

Academic Selectivity Is Key

Like top private schools, grammar schools are extremely academically selective. For instance, The Henrietta Barnett School receives more than 3,000 applications for just 106 Year 7 places each year.

Entrance tests are rigorous and usually assess English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning 鈥� the same areas examined by leading independent schools at 11+. Most grammar schools, or the consortiums they belong to, publish practice materials online.

Unlike private schools, grammar schools cannot interview applicants or their parents. Admission is determined entirely by exam performance. Some grammar schools prioritise applicants from specific geographical catchments, while others admit purely on academic ranking regardless of distance.

What Makes a Grammar School 鈥楪ood鈥�?

Adopting 鈥楶rivate School Habits鈥�

Grammar schools mirror the best independent schools not only through academic selectivity but also in culture and approach. Many now cultivate a similarly supportive and aspirational environment. For example, an increasing number have adopted vertical house systems, allowing pupils from different year groups 鈥� including Sixth Formers 鈥� to mix regularly for pastoral and extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular involvement is also seen as a hallmark of success. The best grammar schools offer a rich range of activities, from philosophy and film clubs to sports, debating, and even Dungeons & Dragons 鈥� areas traditionally associated with the better-resourced private sector.

State School Diversity

Yet grammar schools鈥� success is not simply about replicating private school models. A defining feature of the best state and grammar schools is their commitment to broadening access.

For instance, Pate鈥檚 Grammar School 鈥� the top-ranked state school in southwest England 鈥� actively targets primary schools in areas of high deprivation to identify and encourage talented pupils. Similarly, The Henrietta Barnett School in London now gives priority to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds during the 11+ admissions process.

This focus on inclusivity ensures that grammar schools continue to serve students from a wide range of backgrounds, staying true to their founding mission of social mobility through education.

Grammar Schools in Context

Despite their remarkable achievements, grammar schools remain outliers within the state sector. According to the Sunday Times rankings, none of the 203 comprehensive schools featured make it into the top 100.

The wider state education sector continues to face challenges, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, which exacerbated disparities in academic performance. State schools, including grammars, operate with far fewer resources than most private schools.

Even so, the gap is narrowing. The Times study shows that 49.4% of A Level grades in private schools were A or above, compared with 41% in grammar schools. Meanwhile, state academies saw their A Level results rise from 25.4% to 26.5% in 2024.

Grammar schools therefore occupy a unique position in the British education system 鈥� combining the accessibility of state funding with the academic ambition and structure often associated with the independent sector. Their continuing success shows that excellence in education need not depend solely on privilege, but on opportunity, aspiration, and merit.

爱液视频 爱液视频 Tutors

With offices in London, Hong Kong and Singapore and recommended by heads of top independent schools, we have an exceptional reputation for helping students achieve their best; delivering outstanding results, building confidence and instilling life-long intellectual curiosity. 爱液视频 offers one-to-one tutor support for children preparing for grammar school entrance exams and Oxbridge university admissions, as well as education advisory services for families joining UK schools and universities.

View our Grammar School Entrance tutors.