A Level qualifications, and the grades young people get on them, are important - and can even be determiners for what comes next in life after secondary school.
When it comes to top grades in A Level results, private schools tend to be some of the strongest performers in the country. They also tend to be expensive, and prices are set to rise for many independent schools from next year when they are no longer being exempt from paying VAT on fees.
There are also plenty of excellent state schools across large regions like Yorkshire, but many parents still feel a private education is the perfect fit for their child - especially with tempting bursaries and scholarships available, making them more accessible to families from all walks of life.
Using data from the Independent Schools Council, The Telegraph has created a league table of private schools based on the percentage of their A Level entries during the 2024 exam season - A Levels for most of the UK - to receive a top grade. It is worth noting, however, that unlike state schools, independent schools do not have to share their results - nor are all of them necessarily represented by the council.
Here were the 10 high-performing private schools from across Yorkshire that came out on top - as well as how much tuition for a senior student at each would set you back:
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1. Queen Ethelburga's College
Queen Ethelburga's is a secondary school - part of a family of related schools covering all age groups - in the Thorpe Underwood area, north of York. In the 2023/24 school year, 84.4% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A. It was the sixth highest-ranked private school overall - the only Yorkshire school in the top 10. Tuition fees for sixth form students are about £21,480 per year - although the school offers discounts for siblings and military families. | National World
2. The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga's
Related to its predecessor and sharing the same North Yorkshire campus, Faculty is a secondary school which offers “slightly different subjects and qualifications”. In the 2023/24 school year, 62% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A. Tuition fees for sixth form students are also about £21,480 per year. | Google
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3. Sheffield High School for Girls
This is a girls’ all-through school in Sheffield. In the 2023/24 school year, 58.3% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A. Tuition fees for sixth form students are about £15,960 per year. | Ross Parry Syndication/SWNS
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4. The Grammar School at Leeds
Over in West Yorkshire, The Grammar School at Leeds was formed when the selective Leeds Girls' High School and Leeds Grammar School merged in 2008. Today it is an all-through school, with boys and girls still taught separately for the most part. In the 2023/24 school year, 50.5% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or and A. Tuition fees for sixth form students are about £17,523 per year. | Lee McLean/SWNS