A Level results 2024: How much it costs to go to the 10 'best-performing' private schools in the UK

• Almost half of all A Level entries from private schools scored a top A or A* grade this year, figures show.
• Top grades rose overall in 2024, although the overall percentage for state school entries was about 22%.
• Private schools are already known to be pricey, but fees are about to rise even more for many.

Some of the country’s top private schools set parents back tens of thousands of pounds each year in tuition alone. But if getting all As is your child’s thing, it might just be worth it.

Across the UK, the overall number of top grades achieved by students sitting their A Levels this year was revealed to have grown on August’s results day. But a number of persistent gaps in attainment remain, including between students in different regions, and between private and state-funded schools.

Private schools are already considered to be the more costly option for families, with their often high tuition fees and competition for bursaries placing them out of reach for many. As of January 2025, private schools will no longer be exempt from paying VAT on their fees either - a government move many schools have responded to by putting prices up.

Using data from the Independent Schools Council, The Telegraph has created a league table of private schools based on the percentage of their A Level entries during the 2024 exam season - A Levels for most of the UK - to receive one of top grades. It is worth noting, however, that unlike state schools, independent schools do not have to share their results - nor are all of them represented by the council. This means that some private schools were not included in the data, including some high-profile contenders like Eton College (which will increase its fees to about £63,000 a year in 2025, for anyone curious).

Here were the top 10 performing private secondary schools and sixth forms in the most recent exam season from the data available - and how expensive it really is to send your child there:

1. Cardiff Sixth Form College

In the top spot is a private sixth form college in the Welsh capital. In the 2023/24 school year, 90.7% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

For students studying their A Levels there, tuition will set parents back £24,100 a year. But that’s just for day school attendees, with boarding packages available for up to £62,700.

2. Westminster School

This is an Anglican boys’ secondary school in Westminster, Central London, with a mixed sixth form. In the 2023/24 school year, 87% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Tuition for sixth form pupils is £39,735 a year, although this can rise to as much as £52,488 for boarders.

3. St Michael's School

St Michael’s is a private all-through school in Llanelli, Wales. In the 2023/24 school year, 86.8% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

At sixth form level, tuition fees are £15,225 per year - without accounting for boarding.

4. Brighton College

This is an Anglican all-through school in Brighton. In the 2023/24 school year, 86.4% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Tuition fees for students who will be sitting their A Levels this year are £31,770.

5. King's College School

This is an Anglican boys’ secondary school in Wimbledon, South London, with a mixed sixth form. In the 2023/24 school year, 86.1% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Tuition fees for upper senior students this year will be £30,326 (taking into account changes to VAT for private schools from January).

6. Queen Ethelburga's College

Queen Ethelburga's is a secondary school - part of a family of related schools covering all age groups - in the Thorpe Underwood area, north of York. In the 2023/24 school year, 84.4% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Tuition fees for sixth form students are £21,480 per year - although the school offers discounts for siblings and military families.

7. Guildford High School

This is a girls’ all-through school in Guildford, Surrey. In the 2023/24 school year, 82.7% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Yearly tuition for its secondary school aged pupils comes out to £22,308 per year.

8. Wycombe Abbey

Wycombe Abbey is an Anglican girls’ secondary school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. In the 2023/24 school year, 82.4% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Yearly tuition is £38,700, not including board.

9. The National Mathematics and Science College

This is a specialist sixth form STEM college in Coventry. In the 2023/24 school year, 82.2% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Tuition is £15,750 per year, once again excluding boarding fees.

10. The Perse School

Rounding out the top 10 is The Perse, an all-through school in Cambridge. In the 2023/24 school year, 81.4% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A.

Yearly tuition for students in the upper school comes out to £22,350, although other fees for lunches and school devices may also apply.

What do you think about the cost of a private education when student performance is taken into account? Have your say and make your voice heard by leaving a comment below.