A national view for searches about the best grammar schools in the UK before county, route, and travel constraints take over.
How this page ranks schools
Attainment 8 does most of the work, with English and maths grade 5+ next and EBacc APS as a final check.
We turn each GCSE measure into a like-for-like score across the schools on this page, then apply these weights:
What To Keep In Mind
This page stays strictly GCSE-only, so sixth-form data is not used in the order at all.
A school needs all three published GCSE measures to receive a rank on this page.
What Matters Most
Attainment 8
This does most of the work. It captures GCSE attainment across eight qualifications.
Grade 5+ in English and maths
This is a second check using the published share of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both subjects.
EBacc average point score
This is a smaller final check on how strongly pupils perform across the EBacc basket of subjects.
Schools in this list
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Henrietta Barnett School, Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb
Assessment: GL Assessment
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
87.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.65
Calculated score
100.0
Wilson's School, Mollison Drive
Assessment: Sutton SET, Individual
Competition: 17.6 candidates per place
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
86.9
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.66
Calculated score
99.2
Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, Queen's Road
Assessment: GL Assessment
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
85.6
Grade 5+ English & maths
99.5%
EBacc APS
8.55
Calculated score
95.9
Tiffin Girls' School, Richmond Road
Assessment: Individual
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
85.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
99.4%
EBacc APS
8.26
Calculated score
94.5
Kendrick School, London Road
Assessment: Individual
Competition: 6.1 candidates per place
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
84.0
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.29
Calculated score
92.6
St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School, Goddington Lane
Assessment: Individual
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
83.6
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.22
Calculated score
91.5
King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Broomfield Road
Assessment: CSSE
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
83.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.24
Calculated score
91.0
King Edward VI School, Chapel Lane
Assessment: GL Assessment
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
83.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.07
Calculated score
90.6
Reading School, Erleigh Road
Assessment: FSCE
Competition: 7.2 candidates per place
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
83.0
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
8.25
Calculated score
90.4
Newstead Wood School, Avebury Road
Assessment: GL Assessment
Competition: 9.0 candidates per place
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
82.8
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
7.89
Calculated score
89.2
Pate's Grammar School, Princess Elizabeth Way
Assessment: GL Assessment
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
82.7
Grade 5+ English & maths
99.3%
EBacc APS
7.79
Calculated score
88.1
Colchester Royal Grammar School, Lexden Road
Assessment: CSSE
Used in this ranking
Attainment 8
82.1
Grade 5+ English & maths
100.0%
EBacc APS
7.85
Calculated score
87.7
How to read this page
A national ranking helps when you are still learning which schools and counties appear strongest on published data.
It should not decide the application list. Once a few names stand out, move into local routes, school profiles, travel, and admissions rules.
FAQ
On this page, "best" means strongest published GCSE performance using Attainment 8, grade 5+ in English and maths, and EBacc average point score. It is an academic ranking, not an admissions recommendation.
It is a UK-wide ranking across the grammar schools in our dataset, designed to help parents compare schools nationally before narrowing by county, route, and admissions reality.
No. A national ranking cannot tell you whether a school is realistic on travel, admissions route, catchment, or fit. It helps you narrow the field before those factors take over.
County, school type, Ofsted and postcode search usually matter most because they turn a national table into schools a family could actually visit, name and travel to.
Save schools from any ranking, then keep admissions deadlines visible in your dashboard.
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