Key Facts
| Measure | Average point score per A level entry (DfE 16 to 18 performance data) |
|---|---|
| Data year | 2024/25 (final) |
| Schools ranked | 19 |
| Highest figure | Eton College, 51.01 (A) |
| Area covered | Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
For parents asking which are the best private schools in Berkshire by A level results, Eton College in Windsor has the highest average point score per A level entry at 51.01 (grade A), followed by St Mary's School Ascot on 47.20, Wellington College on 46.38 and Downe House on 45.81, each at grade A-.
Nineteen schools are ranked on that single measure, taken from the Department for Education's latest 16 to 18 performance tables, where an A* entry scores 60 points, an A scores 50, a B scores 40 and a C scores 30. The grade shown is the DfE's fine-grade expression of each school's average, and the student count is the number of A level students behind it.
Which private schools in Berkshire have the best A level results?
| Rank | School | Town | A level average point score | Average grade | A level students | Pupils | Day or boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eton College | Windsor | 51.01 | A | 270 | Boys | Day and boarding |
| 2 | St Mary's School Ascot | Ascot | 47.20 | A- | 52 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 3 | Wellington College | Bracknell Forest | 46.38 | A- | 113 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 4 | Downe House | Thatcham | 45.81 | A- | 91 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 5 | Reading Blue Coat School | Berkshire | 44.50 | B+ | 141 | Co-educational | Day |
| 6 | The Abbey School Reading | Reading | 44.06 | B+ | 78 | Girls | Day |
| 7 | The Marist School | Ascot | 43.94 | B+ | 32 | Co-educational | Day |
| 8 | Bradfield College | Bradfield | 43.58 | B+ | 116 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 9 | Queen Anne's School | Reading | 42.47 | B+ | 48 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 10 | Reddam House Berkshire | Wokingham | 41.59 | B | 42 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 11 | St George's School | Windsor and Maidenhead | 41.26 | B | 33 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 12 | St Joseph's College | Reading | 40.84 | B | 43 | Co-educational | Day |
| 13 | Leighton Park School | Reading | 39.95 | B | 78 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 14 | Pangbourne College | Reading | 39.35 | B | 51 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 15 | Luckley House School | Wokingham | 37.04 | B- | 77 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 16 | Heathfield School | Ascot | 36.35 | B- | 26 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 17 | Claires Court Schools | Maidenhead | 34.61 | C+ | 81 | Co-educational | Day |
| 18 | LVS Ascot | Ascot | 33.88 | C+ | 68 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 19 | St Gabriel's School | Berkshire | 33.78 | C+ | 15 | Co-educational | Day |
Figures run from 51.01 at Eton College down to 33.78 at St Gabriel's School, and the table divides into bands that follow the DfE grade. Eton College sits alone at grade A. Ranks 2 to 4 (St Mary's School Ascot 47.20, Wellington College 46.38, Downe House 45.81) share grade A-, and ranks 5 to 9 share B+, from Reading Blue Coat School on 44.50 to Queen Anne's School on 42.47.
Several groups of schools sit very close together. Reading Blue Coat School (44.50), The Abbey School Reading (44.06) and The Marist School (43.94) fall within a narrow band at ranks 5 to 7, and the bottom three, Claires Court Schools (34.61), LVS Ascot (33.88) and St Gabriel's School (33.78), all sit at C+. Ranks 10 to 14 are all grade B, from Reddam House Berkshire on 41.59 to Pangbourne College on 39.35, with Luckley House School (37.04) and Heathfield School (36.35) at B- below them.
Girls' schools take ranks 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11, Eton College is the only boys' school, and the remaining thirteen are co-educational, so the table shows no single pattern by intake. Day and boarding schools fill ranks 1 to 4, whilst the six day-only schools range from fifth (Reading Blue Coat School) to nineteenth (St Gabriel's School). Cohort sizes differ sharply, from 270 students at Eton College and 141 at Reading Blue Coat School to 26 at Heathfield School and 15 at St Gabriel's School, and averages from the smallest cohorts tend to move more with a handful of students.
Entry points and fees at the ranked Berkshire schools
Fees and entry points vary widely across the ranking, so the table below sets them side by side for the schools with an admissions guide on this site; each figure comes from the school's own website and carries the academic year it applies to.
| School | Entry points | Day fees per term | Fees year |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's School Ascot | £16,380 | 2026/27 | |
| Wellington College | £15,930 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 | |
| Downe House | £11,621 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 | |
| Reading Blue Coat School | £8,700 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 | |
| The Abbey School Reading | £8,775 | 2026/27 | |
| Bradfield College | 13+ (Year 9) | £12,400 | 2026/27 |
| Queen Anne's School | £9,325 | 2026/27 | |
| Reddam House Berkshire | 7+, 8+, 11+, 12+, 13+, 16+ | £8,545 | 2026/27 |
| Leighton Park School | 11+, 13+ and Sixth Form | £9,750 | 2026/27 |
| Pangbourne College | 11+ (Year 7), 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Sixth Form) | £8,848 | September 2026 to August 2027 |
| Luckley House School | Year 7 (11+), Sixth Form | £8,780 | 2026/27 |
| Heathfield School | 11+ and 13+ | £9,495 | 2026/27 |
| Claires Court Schools | 7+, 11+, 13+, 16+ | £8,355 | 2026/27 |
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Enquire about this tutorWhich are the top girls' schools in Berkshire for A levels?
St Mary's School Ascot has the highest average point score among Berkshire girls' schools at 47.20 (grade A-, 52 students), ranked second overall. Downe House in Thatcham follows on 45.81 (A-, 91 students) at fourth, then The Abbey School Reading on 44.06 (B+, 78 students) at sixth.
Queen Anne's School in Reading is ninth on 42.47 (B+, 48 students) and St George's School eleventh on 41.26 (B, 33 students). The Abbey School Reading is the only day-only school among the five, whilst the other four take both day pupils and boarders.
Which Berkshire private schools take boarders?
Thirteen of the nineteen ranked schools are listed as day and boarding: Eton College, St Mary's School Ascot, Wellington College, Downe House, Bradfield College, Queen Anne's School, Reddam House Berkshire, St George's School, Leighton Park School, Pangbourne College, Luckley House School, Heathfield School and LVS Ascot.
The six day-only schools are Reading Blue Coat School (44.50), The Abbey School Reading (44.06), The Marist School (43.94), St Joseph's College (40.84), Claires Court Schools (34.61) and St Gabriel's School (33.78). Families who want a day school only will find Reading Blue Coat School highest on the measure, at fifth overall.
Is there a top boys' school in Berkshire?
Eton College in Windsor is the only boys' school in the ranking, with 51.01 (grade A) across 270 A level students, the highest figure and the largest cohort in the table.
Boys looking beyond Eton College would be considering co-educational schools, such as Wellington College on 46.38 (113 students) at third, Reading Blue Coat School on 44.50 (141 students) at fifth and Bradfield College on 43.58 (116 students) at eighth.
What does this Berkshire ranking leave out?
The ranking covers A level results only, so a school that teaches the International Baccalaureate and enters few or no students for A levels may be missing or may rest on a very small cohort. It also says nothing about GCSE results, pastoral care, fees, boarding arrangements or admissions.
Within the table, cohort size matters when comparing neighbours: The Marist School (43.94) has 32 A level students and Heathfield School (36.35) has 26, against 116 at Bradfield College (43.58). A figure from a smaller group usually carries less weight as a guide to a typical year.
How the schools are ranked
The ranking covers every independent school in Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham with a published average point score per A level entry in the Department for Education's 16 to 18 performance data, ordered from highest to lowest, with schools on the same figure sharing a rank. The figure counts A level entries only and is not adjusted for pupils' attainment on entry, and many of these schools select by entrance assessment.
The data is the Department for Education's own download from Compare school and college performance, so anyone can reproduce the order from the same file; the data year and source are listed in the key facts above.
Admissions guides for the ranked schools
- Eton College (ranked 1)
- St Mary's School Ascot (ranked 2)
- Wellington College (ranked 3)
- Downe House (ranked 4)
- Reading Blue Coat School (ranked 5)
- The Abbey School Reading (ranked 6)
- Bradfield College (ranked 8)
- Queen Anne's School (ranked 9)
- Reddam House Berkshire (ranked 10)
- Leighton Park School (ranked 13)
- Pangbourne College (ranked 14)
- Luckley House School (ranked 15)
- Heathfield School (ranked 16)
- Claires Court Schools (ranked 17)
- LVS Ascot (ranked 18)
- St Gabriel's School (ranked 19)
Related guides
- Best private schools in the UK and London by A level results
- Independent school fees compared
- What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained
- 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
- Boarding schools in the UK
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Frequently asked questions
- Which private school in Berkshire has the best A level results?
- On the DfE measure of average point score per A level entry, Eton College in Windsor has the highest figure at 51.01, grade A, from 270 students. St Mary's School Ascot is second on 47.20 (A-), followed by Wellington College on 46.38 (A-).
- Which is the top girls' private school in Berkshire for A levels?
- St Mary's School Ascot, ranked second overall with 47.20 (grade A-) from 52 students. Downe House in Thatcham is the next girls' school at fourth on 45.81 (A-, 91 students), and The Abbey School Reading follows at sixth on 44.06 (B+).
- Which is the top boys' private school in Berkshire?
- Eton College is the only boys' school in the ranking and also holds first place overall, with an average point score of 51.01 per A level entry (grade A) across 270 A level students. The other ranked schools are girls' or co-educational.
- How many Berkshire private schools are ranked here?
- Nineteen schools are ranked, from Eton College on 51.01 down to St Gabriel's School on 33.78. Thirteen take day pupils and boarders, six are day-only, five are girls' schools, one is a boys' school and thirteen are co-educational.
- What does average point score per A level entry mean?
- It is the DfE's average of points across all A level entries at a school, where A* scores 60, A scores 50, B scores 40 and C scores 30. The grade shown, such as A- for St Mary's School Ascot (47.20), is the DfE's fine-grade expression of that average.
- Which day-only private school in Berkshire ranks highest?
- Reading Blue Coat School is the highest-ranked day-only school, fifth overall on 44.50 (grade B+) with 141 A level students. The Abbey School Reading follows on 44.06 (B+, 78 students) and The Marist School on 43.94 (B+, 32 students).
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