King Edward’s School, Bath, has once again been ranked among the top schools in the South West according to the influential Parent Power Guide, published by The Sunday Times on 9 December 2022.
In the new rankings, based on the percentage of examination entries gaining A*-B grades at A Level and entries returning A*/A or 9/8/7 grades at GCSE or iGCSE, KES is the second highest performing independent school in the South West and the highest ranked co-educational independent school regionally. KES is ranked fourth amongst all schools (state and independent) in the South West.
The annual Parent Power Guide identifies the highest-achieving schools in the UK. This year’s guide uses the first post-pandemic set of results for state and independent schools since Covid-19 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Now in its 30th year, the definitive guide to secondary schools has consistently ranked KES among the top schools of any kind regionally.
Outstanding A level results
The school’s outstanding external examination results last summer saw 90.0% of A Level entries gain an A*-B grade (with 39.0% gaining A* grades) and 90.2% of GCSE entries returned grades of A*/A or 9/8/7 (74.7% of entries secured a 9, 8 or A* grade). Based on these results, the school is placed 66th nationally in this year’s ranking of independent schools.
Commenting on the new Parent Power Guide, Martin Boden, Headmaster at KES, said, “I am delighted to see King Edward’s maintain its position as one of the top performing schools of any kind in the South West, and the second highest ranked independent school in the region.
“Like their peers around the country, our pupils have had to show impressive resilience in the face of significant challenges over recent years. That they performed so well in last year’s exams is a credit not only to their personal determination, but also to the exceptional support provided by my colleagues here at KES and the nurturing environment cultivated at school.”
Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, commented, “These have been a challenging few years for teachers, pupils and their parents, and the success of many in our league table is testament to the stamina and support shown by all concerned.
“It is also clear that more attention is being placed on wellbeing and mental health – from meditation rooms to counselling support, even therapy dogs – and schools are being proactive to bring about positive changes.
“League tables are not the only criteria a parent can use when choosing a school, but they are a good starting point. We want to celebrate excellence. We want to champion schools that are doing wonderful work. We want our children to be well-nurtured and well-taught. In choosing a school parents are making one of the biggest decisions in their family life, and Parent Power and The Sunday Times is here to help.”