Prestigious Doncaster school is named number one in north of England
Doncaster is now home to the top independent secondary school in the north of England – after the city’s Hill House School was awarded the accolade by The Sunday Times.
Hill House, which has long been a leader of educational excellence in Doncaster, has been given the title by The Sunday Times’ Parent Power Guide which identifies more than 1,600 of the highest-achieving schools in the UK and is widely acknowledged as the most authoritative school survey.
The Parent Power Guide assesses academic results as well as the performance of a given school compared to others in the same town, local authority and nationally.
Hill House pupils achieved the highest GCSE and A level results in the area this year with an impressive 47% of A levels graded at A*/A, with a third of pupils gaining straight As and A*s, and the school securing its seventh consecutive year of a 100% pass rate.
79% of results were at grade B and above.
GCSEs remained at their recent high levels with a 98% pass rate at grade 4 and above, and 57% of GCSEs at the top grades of 9 to 7.
In addition to academic studies, Hill House offers its pupils a full range of sports’ fixtures, musical, theatrical, and creative opportunities to allow children to broaden their horizons and develop their talents.
In the last few years, the school’s rugby teams have secured two national titles for boys and girls, whilst the hockey teams have been winners and serial finalists in the North Championships.
A record number of pupils have passed their ABRSM and LCM exams at exceptional levels, including Diploma, and record numbers also continue to excel in their Gold and Silver Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Just a few examples of how the school’s extra-curricular offering contributes to the holistic education of its pupils.
Headmaster, David Holland, said: “This amazing accolade comes to the school as a result of some amazing examination performances in the last year which are a result of the fantastic holistic education that pupils gain at Hill House School.
"We are very proud to be recognised academically as the top independent secondary school in the North of England.”
Caroline Rogerson, Head of Senior School said “This award really recognises the fantastic things that our pupils do, and their great achievements including their exam results. What really matters is that our pupils can then really follow their dreams, with over 90% of Hill House Sixth Formers going on to their first choice of university.
"It just shows what an amazing school we have.”
The Sunday Times said: “Hill House School, in Auckley, takes the winning rosette as Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North 2025.
“This year the New Court building — an art school, music school and fitness centre — opened. The school is looking outwards too, lengthening bus routes to bring in pupils from as far as Pontefract, Gainsborough, Sheffield and Worksop and outlying former mining villages such as Mexborough.”