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The Best Private Schools in the UK for 2025

The Best Private Schools in the UK for 2025

01.07.2025

To set your child up for success, it’s worth sending them to one of the best private schools in the UK. Doing so can make a huge difference when it comes to securing top university placement. This is because of their high academic standing and social environments. In addition, they offer class sizes averaging 8-12 students per teacher. When compared to the size of 25-30 found in state schools, this can have a huge impact on performance.

With all this in mind, it can seem overwhelming to choose the right one, especially since there are over 1,500 private schools in the UK. In addition, securing placement requires additional preparation. It’s for this reason we offer online Year 5/6 courses for maths, science, English, and 11+ exams. They’re designed to prepare your child for private school admission. Click here to explore our course offerings.

That said, continue reading to learn more about the following topics.

  • What are private schools?

  • How much do private schools cost?

  • Scholarships and bursaries for private schools

  • Lifelong social benefits

  • List of 100 best private schools

What are private schools?

Private schools, also called independent schools, are not funded by the government. As a result, they can offer their own approach to examinations and university preparation. One of the main benefits of private schools is their diverse curricula, in comparison to state schools. This means you can get specific about finding one that’s tailored to your child’s interests. In addition, depending on the level of immersion sought, you can choose between day and boarding schools.

How much do private schools cost?

As mentioned, there are both day and boarding private schools. Since boarding schools include accommodation and meals they are the more expensive option. Generally speaking, day schools cost around £12,000-£18,000 per year and boarding schools average £30,000-£40,000 per year. 

In addition to cost, you’ll also want to consider distance from home. Where a school is located can have implications on how much independence your child can have on the school run. Adding to this, many of the best 100 private schools in the UK are found in cities, with a majority in London. In short, a day school may not be geographically feasible. 

Scholarships and bursaries for private schools

If you find the cost to be a deterrent, some private schools do offer scholarships and bursaries for private schools. They will consider factors like family income, and academic performance. 

With this in mind, it’s best to prepare your child as early as possible to improve their chances of receiving such support. If this applies to you, then taking our Year 5/6 courses, mentioned above, are worth the spend.

In addition to academics, you’ll also find scholarships tailored to creative talents. For more information on how to best prepare your child, we recommend checking out the Good Schools Guide.

Lifelong social benefits

Now that we’ve covered the cost, there’s one thing left to discuss, social benefits. Secondary school is a crucial time in a child’s development. This is a big reason why many parents choose private schools. When considering this, you’ll want to pay attention to what each school offers. Doing so will help focus your search.

Whether centred around religion, art, or business, private schools tend to offer a wide range of extracurricular activities to help your child grow their community. While academic performance is a top priority, it’s equally important that your child feels a sense of meaningful belonging. 

To get a sense of the culture and community each one offers, it’s advised to tour the ones that are most interesting. The best way to start is with the top 100 private schools in the UK, which can be found below.

100 best private schools in the UK for 2025

The following list is pulled from the Independent Schools Council. It’s based on A level and GCSE results, along with percentage of A*, A, B, C, D, E, and U grades. While it doesn’t provide a full picture of what’s best suited for your child, it’s a good starting point. If your child is surrounded by those who are performing at a high level, they’ll likely be encouraged to follow suit. 

We hope the information provided above helps you best prepare for choosing a private school. If you decide not to go this route, you're also welcome to compare our list of best state and grammar schools for 2025. 

Rank School Town A-level (% A*/B) GCSE (% A*/A/ 9/8/7) Entry gender
1 St Paul’s Girls’ School London 98.2 98.5 Girls
2 St Paul’s School London 98 97.5 Boys
3 Brighton College Brighton 99.3 94.7 Co-ed
4 King’s College School, Wimbledon London 97.4 98.6 Co-ed
5 Westminster School London 96.8 98.7 Co-ed
6 Godolphin and Latymer London 96.4 97.8 Girls
7 North London Collegiate School London 96.9 96.3 Girls
8 Guildford High School Guildford 95.8 98.2 Girls
9 City of London School for Girls London 96.6 95.2 Girls
10 King Edward VI High School for Girls Birmingham 95.7 95.4 Girls
11 Lady Eleanor Holles London 94.9 96.8 Girls
12 Wycombe Abbey High Wycombe 94.7 97 Girls
13 Highgate School London 95.8 94.8 Co-ed
14 Reigate Grammar School Reigate 96.8 90 Co-ed
15 Hampton School London 93.8 95.8 Boys
16 Latymer Upper School London 94.4 94.3 Co-ed
17 South Hampstead High School GDST London 94.2 93.2 Girls
18 Haberdashers’ Girls’ School Elstree 96 89.5 Girls
19 Magdalen College School Oxford 94.9 91.5 Co-ed
20 Putney High School GDST London 93.9 92.7 Girls
21 City of London School London 94.6 91.2 Boys
22 Queen Ethelburga’s College York 96.7 86.9 Co-ed
23 Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST London 94.7 90.7 Girls
24 Eton College Windsor 93.6 92.7 Boys
25 University College Senior School London 93.3 92.9 Co-ed
26 Withington Girls’ School Manchester 92.9 93.6 Girls
27 Alleyn’s School London 95.5 88 Co-ed
28 Tonbridge School Tonbridge 94.6 89.5 Boys
29 Wimbledon High School GDST London 92 94.6 Girls
30 Sevenoaks School Sevenoaks 96.1 86.4 Co-ed
31 The Haberdashers’ Boys’ School Elstree 93 92.3 Boys
32 St Mary’s School Ascot Ascot 93.3 91.4 Girls
33 Concord College Shrewsbury 94.2 89.1 Co-ed
34 The Perse School Cambridge 94.5 88.3 Co-ed
35 James Allen’s Girls’ School London 91.9 93 Girls
36 Francis Holland School, Sloane Square London 94 88 Girls
37 Cardiff Sixth Form College Cardiff 96.9 81.8 Co-ed
38 Bancroft’s Woodford Green 91.7 91.6 Co-ed
39 Kingston Grammar School Kingston upon Thames 94.9 84.6 Co-ed
40 Winchester College Winchester 90.4 92.1 Co-ed
41 Whitgift School South Croydon 92.9 86.1 Boys
42 Royal Grammar School, Guildford Guildford 93 85.5 Boys
43 Francis Holland, Regent’s Park London 92 87 Girls
44 King Edward’s School, Birmingham Birmingham 92.2 86 Boys
45 Eltham College London 91.2 87.9 Co-ed
46 City of London Freemen’s School Ashtead 91.9 85.8 Co-ed
47 Emanuel School London 90 89.7 Co-ed
48 St Helen and St Katharine Abingdon 91.7 85.7 Girls
49 Benenden School Cranbrook 92.7 83.3 Girls
50 Trinity School, Croydon Croydon 91.3 85.9 Co-ed
51 Radley College Abingdon 91.7 85.1 Boys
52 St John’s College, Cardiff Cardiff 94.5 79.3 Co-ed
53 Merchant Taylors’ School London 91.6 85 Boys
54 Cheltenham Ladies’ College Cheltenham 91.1 85.8 Girls
55 Caterham School Caterham 91.2 85.5 Co-ed
56 Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne 90.9 85.6 Co-ed
57 St Albans School St Albans 89.2 87.3 Co-ed
58 Abingdon School Abingdon 89.6 86.4 Boys
59 Dulwich College London 86.8 91.7 Boys
60 St Swithun’s School Winchester 92.4 79.9 Girls
61 The Abbey Reading 87.4 89.1 Girls
62 St Michael’s School Llanelli 96.7 70.4 Co-ed
63 The Cathedral School, Llandaff Cardiff 95.9 71.5 Co-ed
64 Channing School London 88.8 85.3 Girls
65 St Albans High School for Girls St Albans 87.8 86.3 Girls
66 Surbiton High School Kingston upon Thames 85.1 91.3 Girls
67 Oxford High School GDST Oxford 86.9 86.8 Girls
68 Epsom College Epsom 88 82.8 Co-ed
69 Nottingham High School Nottingham 85.7 86.8 Co-ed
70 Wellington College Crowthorne 87.5 83.3 Co-ed
71 Hurstpierpoint College Burgess Hill 89 79 Co-ed
72 St John’s School, Leatherhead Leatherhead 88.6 79.8 Co-ed
73 St Mary’s Calne Calne 87.6 81.8 Girls
74 Queen’s College, London London 92.1 72.1 Girls
75 St Catherine’s, Bramley Guildford 85.8 84.1 Girls
76 The Manchester Grammar School Manchester 85.1 85.1 Boys
77 Headington Rye Oxford Oxford 87.2 79.8 Girls
78 St Dunstan’s College London 88 77.7 Co-ed
79 Colfe’s School London 86.8 79.2 Co-ed
80 Burgess Hill Girls Burgess Hill 92.6 67.5 Girls
81 Birkenhead School Oxton 84.2 84 Co-ed
82 Churcher’s College Petersfield 88.3 74.4 Co-ed
83 Manchester High School for Girls Manchester 85.8 78.8 Girls
84 Westbourne School Penarth 89.5 71.1 Co-ed
85 Oundle School Peterborough 87.6 74.2 Co-ed
86 Ardingly College Haywards Heath 88.2 71.9 Co-ed
87 King Edward’s School, Bath Bath 81.7 84.1 Co-ed
88 St Helen’s School, Northwood London 82.8 81.5 Girls
89 Walthamstow Hall Senior School Sevenoaks 86.4 74.4 Girls
90 Leicester Grammar School Leicester 83.2 80.6 Co-ed
91 Reed’s School Cobham 86 75 Co-ed
92 The Leys Cambridge 87.6 71.4 Co-ed
93 Harrodian London 85.6 75.3 Co-ed
94 Chigwell School Chigwell 84 77.8 Co-ed
95 Roedean School Brighton 83.4 78.9 Girls
96 Croydon High School GDST South Croydon 83.3 78.7 Girls
97 The Yehudi Menuhin School Cobham 88.5 66.3 Co-ed
98 Blackheath High School GDST London 83 77 Girls
99 The Maynard School Exeter 86.3 70 Girls
100 Forest School London 82.4 77.6 Co-ed

Also See: The Best State and Grammar Schools in the UK for 2025

Author: MyEdSpace
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