Ranked: The top 10 secondary schools in the UK

State schools have surged in performance over the past year, far outpacing private schools in their climb up the rankings of the UK’s best secondary schools.

This is according to the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026, which ranks schools in the country based on the percentage of top GSCE and A-level grades achieved by students.

State schools rose an average of 9.4 places over the past year, although private schools still make up 78 of the top 100 secondary schools in the country.

The highest-ranked secondary school in the UK for 2026 is St Paul’s School in London, followed by Brighton College and North London Collegiate School.

Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet was the top-performing secondary state school in the country, placing at number six in the overall rankings. This is the highest ranking achieved by a state school in a decade.

The school received numerous awards for its performance over the past year, including State Secondary School of the Year and State Secondary School of the Year in London.

London schools continue to dominate the rankings and especially the top 10 list, with eight of the top 10 secondary schools in the country being located in the capital.

The highest riser this year was St Dominic’s Grammar School in Belfast, which rose from position 616 to 145 over the past year. Birkenhead School had the biggest drop in ranking, falling from position 103 to 510.

Below are the top 10 secondary schools in the UK, including a tie for 6th place between Queen Elizabeth’s School and St Paul’s Girls’ School.

Top 10 secondary schools in the UK

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