England’s highest achieved secondary schools based on this year’s GCSE results have now been named - with a bit of a twist.
On Thursday (October 16), the Department for Education released its new preliminary 2024/25 key stage 4 performance data for state-funded secondary schools across England. This year, the default metric schools are sorted by is their Attainment 8 score - with the usual Progress 8 score nowhere to be seen.
On the Government’s compare schools website, it says it was not able to calculate Progress 8 scores for the most recent school year, nor will it be able to do so for the current 2025/26 one. “This is because there is no [key stage two] assessment data available to calculate the baseline for Progress 8 for these years due to Covid-19 disruption.”
While Progress 8 scores measure pupil progress from the end of primary school through to when they take their GCSEs, the Attainment 8 score shows how pupils have performed without taking their starting points into account. It is calculated using their grades in the compulsory English and maths GCSEs double-weighted, as well as in three other English Baccalaureate subjects (which include sciences, languages, history and geography), and then in three additional GCSE subjects or other approved qualifications.
A school’s Attainment 8 score is the average score of all pupils across the year group. These scores also roughly align with the new 9-1 GCSE grading scale, meaning that if you divide them by 10, you’ll get an average grade - with 9 being the highest possible.
We’ve created a league table of the country’s highest-performing secondaries based on the Attainment 8 scores for the 2024/25 academic year. Here were 21 schools which came out on top:
1. The Henrietta Barnett School
The top performing school for the latest school year is this selective girls’ secondary academy, in North London’s Barnet borough. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an exceptional Attainment 8 score of 87.2 – nearly double the national average of 45.9. | Google
2. Wilson's School
Next up is this selective Anglican boys’ secondary academy, in South London’s Sutton borough. In the 2024/25 school year, it had a fantastic Attainment 8 score of 86.7. | Google
3. Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
Another London-based selective boys’ secondary academy, this one is in the Barnet borough. In the 2024/25 school year, Queen Elizabeth’s had an impressive Attainment 8 score of 85.3. | Google
4. The Tiffin Girls' School
Over in Southwest London, this selective girls’ secondary academy in the Kingston upon Thames borough was next. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an incredible Attainment 8 score of 85.1. | Google
5. Kendrick School
The highest-performing school outside of London this year is this selective girls’ secondary academy, in Reading, Berkshire. In the 2024/25 school year, it had a great Attainment 8 score of 83.8. | Google
6. St Olave's Grammar School
Formerly known as St Olave's and St Saviour’s, this is a selective local authority-maintained Anglican boys’ secondary school in Orpington, in Greater London’s Bromley borough. In the 2024/25 school year, it had a very high Attainment 8 score of 83.4. | Google