The top performing schools in Yorkshire and the Humber are revealed in The Sunday Times Parent Power, published in The Sunday Times and online today Sunday, 27 November 2016.
Ripon Grammar and Queen Ethelburga’s College have come out on top, but not a single Harrogate School has made it to the top 10.
The definitive guide, which can be found at www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/parentpower , contains the top 2,000 state and independent schools, ranked by their latest academic results, and searchable by postcode, town, local authority and name of school.
As well as assessment of all academic results on a school-by-school basis, Parent Power enables parents to compare the performance of a given school with other schools in the same town, local authority or nationally.
There are also live links to school websites and schools’ most recent inspection reports.
Now in its 24th year of publication, Parent Power is widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the country’s best schools. The rankings in the secondary school league tables are determined by the percentage of examination entries gaining A* to B grades at A-level this summer (which is given double weighting) and the percentage of entries returning A* and A grades at GCSE.
They are published several weeks ahead of the official Government tables for secondary school performance.
The top 10 independent secondary schools in the North
| Regional rank | School name | Town | A-level A*- B (%) | GCSE A*/A (%) | 2016 national rank | 2015 national rank |
| 1 | Queen Ethelburga’s College
| York
| 97.9
| 68.5
| 52
| 52
|
| 2 | St Peter’s School
| York
| 83.3
| 76.1
| 89
| 103
|
| 3 | The Grammar School at Leeds
| Leeds
| 82.9
| 66.3
| 110
| 119
|
| 4 | Bradford Grammar School
| Bradford
| 80.4
| 71.1
| 112
| 128
|
| 5 | Wakefield Girls’ High School
| Wakefield
| 75.5
| 75.2
| 140
| 117
|
| 6 | The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga’s
| York
| 95.9
| 31.7
| 148=
| 140=
|
| 7 | Queen Margaret’s School (York)
| York
| 78.7
| 61.9
| 160=
| 159
|
| 8 | Hymers College
| Hull
| 75.8
| 66.1
| 166
| 118
|
| 9 | Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
| Wakefield
| 75.0
| 64.5
| 176
| 217=
|
| 10 | Sheffield High School GDST
| Sheffield
| 69.7
| 69.3
| 198
| 161
|
Steven Jandrell, Principal, Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate said:
Our students are hugely committed to developing their education and gaining places at the top universities, and it is really pleasing to see this determination reflected in our top position for Yorkshire schools. It is a tribute to the dedication of both students and staff.
The top ten state secondary schools in the North
| Regional rank | School name | Town | A-level A*-B (%) | GCSE A*/A (%) | 2016 national rank | 2015 national rank |
| 1 | Ripon Grammar School
| Ripon
| 76.2
| 60.6
| 73=
| 87
|
| 2 | Skipton Girls’ High School
| Skipton
| 69.8
| 64.7
| 100
| 100
|
| 3 | Ermysted’s Grammar School
| Skipton
| 67.8
| 52.7
| 135
| 110
|
| 4 | Heckmondwike Grammar School
| Heckmondwike
| 60.6
| 63.5
| 142=
| 167=
|
| 5 | The Crossley Heath School
| Halifax
| 60.9
| 59.9
| 148
| 107
|
| 6 | Silverdale School
| Sheffield
| 70.8
| 36.9
| 160
| 209
|
| 7 | The North Halifax Grammar School
| Halifax
| 61.6
| 51.5
| 165=
| 162
|
| 8 | Tapton School
| Sheffield
| 67.4
| 37.1
| 174
| 210
|
| 9 | Stokesley School
| Stokesley
| 65.8
| 33.9
| 197
| 317
|
| 10 | Fulford School
| York
| 63.3
| 36.2
| 213=
| 178
|
Ripon Grammar School finishes out in front in the state sector once more. It has been top in the region for an impressive four years in a row, climbing 14 places this year to rank 73rd= nationally. The school is mixed, entirely selective and also accommodates 100 boarders for a fee of around £10,000 a year. A-Level results are particularly strong – 76.2% of all entries secured A* to B grades last summer, more than five percentage points higher than any other state school in the north.
Skipton Girls’ High School wins the battle of the Skipton grammar schools beating the boys of Ermysted’s to second place in the North. Although outcomes at A-level were similar in both schools at a shade under 70% A*-B at A-level, the girls achieved notably better GCSE results with almost 65% of grades at A* or A at Skipton Girls’ compared to just under 53% at Ermysted’s.
There are two significant climbers in the north state school rankings this year. Stokesley School has risen an incredible 120 places since 2015, now ranking 197th, and Silverdale School in Sheffield has shot from 209th to 160th to become the highest ranking comprehensive school in Yorkshire, overtaking city rival Tapton School – a former winner of The Sunday Times Comprehensive School of the Year award – this year.
