A Levels can be some of the most important exams in a young student’s life, playing a vital role in determining which university or tertiary institution they get into.
It just makes sense that parents want to make sure the school that guides them through sixth form is the right fit for them. But in a region as vast as Yorkshire, with competitive and selective grammar schools, specialist sixth form colleges that excel in teaching particular subjects, and familiar local secondary schools that also have sixth forms, beginning to narrow them down can be a daunting task.
We’ve created a league table of some of the best-performing state secondary schools and sixth form colleges when it comes to A Level results - from York to Sheffield, and Leeds to Hull. It’s based on the most recent performance data currently available (for the 2022/23 school year).
We have ranked schools based on their A Level performance point score - a scaled score based on the average number of points students managed to achieve across all of the A Level exams they took. Sixty is the highest number possible, equivalent to an A*, but we’ve only selected schools with at at least a B average. All schools on the list also had an overall Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ before this measure was dropped earlier this month, meaning the quality of education provided, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management, and student safeguarding have all been found to either meet or exceed government standards.
Here were the 15 secondary schools and sixth form colleges from across Yorkshire that came out on top:
9. Joseph Rowntree School
Joseph Rowntree is a secondary school and sixth form in Earswick, just north of York. It was formerly rated ‘good’ by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 39.38 - giving it an average grade of B. | Google
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10. Skipton Girls' High School
Skipton Girls’ High is a secondary girls’ grammar school and sixth form in Skipton, North Yorkshire. It is selective, meaning students usually need to pass an exam or meet certain criteria to get in. It was formerly rated ‘good’ by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 39.37 - giving it an average grade of B. | Photo: SWNS
11. Meadowhead School Academy Trust
Meadowhead School is a secondary school and sixth form in Sheffield. It was formerly rated ‘good’ by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 39.08 - giving it an average grade of B. | Google
12. CAPA College
CAPA College is a sixth form college in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, specialising in the arts. There are no school fees, but there is an audition process to get in. It was formerly rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. In the 2022/23 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 39.04 - giving it an average grade of B. | Google