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Queen Elizabeth School in Barnet, London has been crowned the UK’s top performing secondary state school in the prestigious annual Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026.
The grammar school’s success is based on exceptional exam performance from the summer of 2025, climbing one place to secure the top spot.
The guide, which assesses schools on the percentage of top GCSE and A-level grades achieved, has recognized Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar as the leading comprehensive and St Paul’s School in London as the leading private institution.
The Sunday Times guide also ranks the top performing state, comprehensive, independent and primary schools in each region of England, and the top schools in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
North east
– St Leonards RC School in Durham, the top state secondary and comprehensive
– St Charles RC Primary School, top primary in Newcastle
– Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, top secondary independent
Answer
– Ripon Grammar School in Ripon, the top state secondary
– Tapton School in Sheffield, top comprehensive
– Carlton Junior and Infant School in Dewsbury, top primary
– Queen Ethelburga’s College in York, top secondary independent
north west
– Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, the top state secondary in Altrincham
– Tauhidul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College in Blackburn, top comprehensive
-Nicole My school, Top Primary in Wigan
– Withington Girls’ School in Manchester, top secondary independent
East Midlands
– The King’s School in Grantham, the top state secondary
– St Mary’s RC High School in Chesterfield, top comprehensive
– Redhill Primary School, the top primary in Derby
-Nottingham High School, top secondary independent in Nottingham
West Midlands
– King Edward VI School, Stratford, Stratford-upon-Avon, top state secondary
– St Paul’s School for Girls, Edgbaston in Birmingham, top comprehensive
– Lift Lee Forest, Top Elementary in Birmingham
– King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, top secondary independent in Birmingham
east anglia
– Colchester Royal Grammar School in Colchester, the top state secondary
– Impington Village College in Impington, top comprehensive
– St Thomas More’s RC Primary School in Colchester, top primary
– The Perse School, the top independent secondary in Cambridge
south west
– Pat’s Grammar School in Cheltenham, the top state secondary
– Ralph Allen School in Bath, top comprehensive
– Mawanan CofE Primary School, top primary in Falmouth
– Cheltenham Ladies College in Cheltenham, top secondary independent
south east
– Reading School in Reading, the top state secondary
– Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potter’s Bar, top comprehensive
– Lowbrook Academy in Maidenhead, top primary
– Brighton College in Brighton, top secondary independent
London
– Queen Elizabeth School in Barnet, the top state secondary
– West London Free School, top comprehensive
– Thomas Jones Primary School, top primary in Kensington and Chelsea
– St Paul’s School in London, top secondary independent
northern ireland
– Strathearn School in Belfast, the top state secondary
wales
– Cowbridge School in Cowbridge, the top state secondary
– Cardiff Sixth Form College in Cardiff, the top secondary independent
scotland
– Jordanhill School in Glasgow, the top state secondary for higher
– St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, top independent school for higher education students
– St Leonards School in St Andrews, top secondary independent school for A-Levels and GCSEs