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Presented to the UK Independent school that has made outstanding progress in the management of its facilities, finances and human resources and can demonstrate an increase in the educational performance of the school.

2025 Winner: Latymer Upper School, London

Latymer Upper School has recently celebrated remarkable achievements across academics, sports, and social initiatives. In 2023, the school recorded its best-ever GCSE results, with 93% of all grades at 7-9 (equivalent to A*/A), and over half of those being grade 9s. In STEM, a Year 13 student secured top gold awards in both the British Physics Olympiad and the Astrophysics Olympiad, ranking among the top 24 performers nationally. The school's 1st XI girls' hockey team clinched the Tier 3 National Championship, showcasing their athletic prowess. Additionally, Latymer Upper was shortlisted in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2023 for its significant contribution to social mobility, reflecting its commitment to inclusivity and community engagement. These accomplishments underscore the school's dedication to excellence in various domains.​

Commended

South Hampstead High School GDST, London


​South Hampstead High School has recently achieved remarkable success across academics, sports, and community engagement. In 2024, the school was shortlisted as a finalist for the 'London School of the Year' in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards, reflecting its commitment to excellence. Academically, students excelled with over 57% of GCSE grades at 9 and 82% at 8/9, while A-Level results saw 33% A* and 70.4% A*/A grades, enabling graduates to secure placements at top universities. The school's U15 cricket team showcased athletic prowess by reaching the quarter-finals in national competitions and emerging as GDST hardball champions. These accomplishments underscore South Hampstead's dedication to fostering academic excellence, athletic talent, and community involvement.​
 

Magdalen College School, Oxford


Magdalen College School (MCS) in Oxford exemplifies educational excellence across academics, leadership, and social initiatives. In 2024, the school achieved outstanding A-Level results, with 95% of grades at A*-B, 81% at A*-A, and 42% at A*. Notably, 47 students secured three or more A* grades, and 19 achieved four or more. At GCSE level, 53% of all grades were a 9, 78% were 9-8, and 92% were 9-7. Additionally, 28 students earned straight 9-8 grades, representing nearly 30% of the cohort. The school's commitment to social mobility was recognized in 2024 when it was awarded Independent School of the Year for its contributions in this area. Furthermore, Helen Pike, the Master of MCS, was honored as Best Head of a Public School at the Tatler Schools Awards 2024, underscoring the institution's exceptional leadership. 
 

Christ's Hospital, West Sussex


In October 2024, Christ's Hospital was honoured as the Independent School of the Year by Independent School Parent magazine and the Telegraph Media Group, chosen from over 700 nominations. The judges praised the school's commitment to accessibility and its dedication to offering quality education to all students. Additionally, Christ's Hospital won the Performing Arts category in the same awards, reflecting its excellence in music and drama. Demonstrating academic prowess, ten students recently received offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. The school's dedication to social mobility is evident, with over 75% of students benefiting from its unique bursary program, totalling £23 million annually. ​
 

Dulwich College, London 


With its combination of tradition and innovation, Dulwich College prepares students for future success, making it one of the leading independent schools in the country. Academically, Dulwich  consistently achieves excellent results, with students gaining admission to top universities worldwide, including Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League (US) institutions. The school’s curriculum encourages intellectual curiosity and critical thinking. Beyond academics, Dulwich offers plenty of extracurricular opportunities in sports, music, drama, and the arts, helping students develop well-rounded skills. These are delivered through the school’s extensive facilities including state-of-the-art science laboratories, a modern theatre, and impressive sporting grounds. 

Millfield School, Somerset


Millfield School stands as a beacon of excellence in both academics and sports. Recognised as the top sports school in the UK for the tenth time in eleven years by School Sport Magazine, Millfield has a rich history of nurturing talent that competes at professional, Olympic, and Paralympic levels. The school's commitment to holistic development is evident in its diverse student body, celebrating various academic, cultural, and sporting backgrounds. In 2024, Millfield was honoured as the Co-Educational Independent School of the Year, reflecting its dedication to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. With state-of-the-art facilities and a curriculum that encourages students to discover their brilliance, Millfield continues to set the standard for educational excellence.

 

2024 Winner: Gordonstoun

Birthplace of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, students at Gordonstoun live in a close knit community that is one third Scottish, one third from the rest of the UK. Located in a 200 acre woodland campus in the heart of the Moray countryside, the positive impact its students make on the local community is remarkable - every student helps out in one of nine community and rescue services, which include supporting the elderly and disabled. Specialist instructors deliver activities to local groups which enable them to discover the joy of outdoor learning.

Commended

Highgate School, London
The Perse School, Cambridge
Wycombe Abbey School, Buckinghamshire
Whitgift School, Surrey
Tonbridge School, Kent

2023 Winner: St. Edward's Cheltenham

As well as improving academic outcomes under new head Matthew Burke, new ownership last year has provided many positive benefits for St. Edwards. Alpha Schools plans to invest £3m to improve the school’s facilities and provide additional funds to support new scholarships. Links with other schools within the group will help build on recent GCSE and A-level successes.

Commended
Kings School, Macclesfield
Westonbirt School, Gloucestershire
Bradford Grammar School
King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham

2022 Winner
St Edwards, Cheltenham

Commended
Sevenoaks School, Kent
Brighton College
Cardiff Sixth Form College
Concord College, Shropshire

2021 Winner
St. Mary’s School Ascot, Berkshire

Founded in 1885, St Mary’s School Ascot continues to be internationally recognised as a forward thinking school for girls between 11 and 18 with superb boarding, academic, extra and co-curricular facilities set on 55 acres of land. Proud of its academic and extra-curricular achievements, the school provides each of its 390 pupils with a friendly, stable and caring learning environment. In 2020, Upper Sixth girls achieved 51% A*s and 87% A*-A, with Year 11 girls achieving 66% Grade 9s, 89% Grades 9-8, and 98% Grades 9-7 in I/GCSE exams.

Commended
Oxford High School, Oxford
City of London School
Abbey College, Cambridgeshire
St Gabriel's School, Berkshire

2020 Winner
Whitgift School, London

At Whitgift in 2020, over half of students achieved 40+ points in the International Baccalaureate, a feat typically achieved by only the top 10% of students worldwide. This year’s scores were based on externally marked coursework for all students in all subjects. At the beginning of 2020, a Director of Partnerships and Community was appointed to further enhance and take forward the School’s vision. While the school remained closed during the pandemic, it supplied vans and drivers for the Croydon Volunteer Action Food Banks and created visors as Personal Protective Equipment for frontline NHS staff.

Commended

St Dunstan's College, London
Haileybury, Hertfordshire
Highgate School, London
Shrewsbury School, Shropshire

2019 Winner
Dunottar School, Surrey

Dunottar is a vibrant school in Reigate that has been transformed since facing near closure in 2014 as a girls only school to becoming co-educational and over-subscribed. In just four years, pupil numbers have more than tripled - in September 2019, the pupil roll will be well over 400. The turn-around in the school’s development has come since multi academy trust United Learning invested £2.2 million in a state-of-the-art 6th Form Centre.

Commended

Seaton House School, Sutton
Founded in 1930, Seaton House girls preparatory school has found itself on top of the 2018 Parent Power list of the best 100 prep schools, with the Sunday Times naming it Prep School of the Year. Class sizes are capped at 20 which enables the school to provide a bespoke education, based on each individual pupil’s learning needs. Sport plays an important role with weekly swimming lessons culminating in an annual Gala, along with netball, hockey and gymnastics in the winter.

Claremont School, East Sussex
Starting with 40 students in 2011, the Claremont Senior School is now a well-established centre of learning with over 310 pupils, a vibrant Sixth Form and two newly refurbished boarding houses. Having secured 16 out of 16 ‘Outstanding’ judgements in all of its previous three inspections, Claremont received high praise from inspectors once again, who recognised consistency in the quality of teaching and learning from the Nursery and Prep, through the Senior School and Sixth Form.

Putney High School GDST
In 2018, Putney celebrated record-breaking results for the second year running, Two thirds of GCSE results were at the top A* or 9 grade. There were exceptional performances across the subject spectrum with stand-out results in Mathematics, English, Chinese Mandarin and Religious Studies. More than half of students received the top 9 grade in Mathematics with over 85 per cent of students achieving 9/8 grades.

Babington House School, Kent
The students receive first class education in a supportive and academic environment at Babington House. Last year, it was named as a top independent after its students achieved 68 per cent A*- A and 82% A* – B grades. The Mathematics students achieved 100 per cent A* and A grades in Maths and Further Maths. At A Level, Babington House is second top of the league for the Bromley Borough with an average grade of A- and ranked 48th school in the country.

2018 Winner
Bromley High School, Kent

Bromley High’s GCSE results in 2018 were the best in the history of the school with 49 per cent A* and 77 per cent A*/A grades. Some examples of the exceptional performance of its academic departments are the Royal Geographical Society’s Excellence Award and the Junior School winning first prize in the Primary Science Association’s National Practical Challenge Competition for KS1.

Commended

Latymer Upper School, London
Sevenoaks School, Kent
North London Collegiate School, Middlesex
Magdalen College School, Oxfordshire
Caterham School, Surrey

2017 Winner
Brighton College

In December last year, Brighton College was named as the highest performing co-educational school in England by the Sunday Times. Pupils outperformed several traditionally academic single-sex schools, which is attributed to the school’s recruitment and retention of truly outstanding teachers who inspire children to achieve.

Commended

Bromley High School, Wolverhampton
Grammar School Alleyn's School, London
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Withington Girls School, Manchester

2016 Winner
St. Joseph's College, Reading

St Joseph’s College was awarded the ‘Independent School of the Year’ award at the 2015 TES Independent School Awards. With the plan of reducing fees and increasing investment, the college has seen pupil numbers rise and was recognised for an ‘outstanding initiative’ and a ‘strong vision’. Significant investment is paying dividends, with the school labelled an example to the rest of the sector.

Commended

Bromley High School, Kent
Shrewsbury High School, Shropshire
Epsom College, Surrey
Wolverhampton Grammar School

2015 Winner
Royal Grammar School, Newcastle

Respected throughout the country, pupils at the Royal Grammar School sit the International GCSE before the opportunity to join one of the largest sixth forms in the independent sector. Spectacular achievements in sport and and performing arts are backed up by solid progress in examinations since becoming fully co-educational in 2008.

Commended

Brighton College, East Sussex
Bromley High School, Kent
Kilgraston School, Perthshire
Wellington College, Berkshire