Key Facts
| Measure | Average point score per A level entry (DfE 16 to 18 performance data) |
|---|---|
| Data year | 2024/25 (final) |
| Schools ranked | 7 |
| Highest figure | Wycombe Abbey, 50.88 (A) |
| Area covered | Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
The best private schools in Buckinghamshire by A level results begin with Wycombe Abbey in High Wycombe, whose average point score per A level entry is 50.88 (grade A), followed by Thornton College at 39.75, Stowe School at 39.34 and Pipers Corner School at 38.42.
Seven schools are ranked, all on a single measure: average point score per A level entry from the Department for Education's latest sixth form performance tables, where A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40 and C = 30. The grade beside each figure is the DfE's fine-grade expression of that average, and the student count shows how many A level students sit behind it.
Which private schools in Buckinghamshire have the best A level results?
| Rank | School | Town | A level average point score | Average grade | A level students | Pupils | Day or boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wycombe Abbey | High Wycombe | 50.88 | A | 97 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 2 | Thornton College | Milton Keynes | 39.75 | B | 27 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 3 | Stowe School | Buckingham | 39.34 | B | 192 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 4 | Pipers Corner School | High Wycombe | 38.42 | B | 38 | Girls | Day |
| 5 | St Mary's School | Gerrards Cross | 38.20 | B- | 27 | Girls | Day |
| 6 | International School of Creative Arts | Ascot | 35.56 | B- | 31 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 7 | Akeley Wood Senior School | Buckinghamshire | 30.87 | C | 25 | Co-educational | Day |
Figures run from 50.88 at Wycombe Abbey down to 30.87 at Akeley Wood Senior School, which sits at grade C. Wycombe Abbey stands alone at the head of the table, as the next school, Thornton College, is on 39.75 (grade B).
Four schools sit close together from second to fifth place: Thornton College on 39.75, Stowe School on 39.34, Pipers Corner School on 38.42 and St Mary's School on 38.20. The first three hold grade B and St Mary's School holds B-, so the order within this group rests on small differences. International School of Creative Arts follows on 35.56 (B-), and Akeley Wood Senior School closes the table.
Girls' schools hold four of the seven places: Wycombe Abbey, Thornton College, Pipers Corner School and St Mary's School. The three co-educational schools are Stowe School, International School of Creative Arts and Akeley Wood Senior School, and no boys' school appears in the data. Wycombe Abbey, Thornton College, Stowe School and International School of Creative Arts take day and boarding pupils, whilst Pipers Corner School, St Mary's School and Akeley Wood Senior School are day schools. Cohort size varies widely, from 192 A level students at Stowe School and 97 at Wycombe Abbey to 38 at Pipers Corner School, 31 at International School of Creative Arts, 27 at both Thornton College and St Mary's School, and 25 at Akeley Wood Senior School. An average over 25 or 27 students moves more with each individual result than one over 192.
Entry points and fees at the ranked Buckinghamshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wycombe Abbey | £16,400 | 2026/27 | |
| Thornton College | 7+, 11+, 13+, 16+ | £8,495 | 2026/27 |
| St Mary's School | 7+, 11+, 16+ | £9,248 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 |
| Akeley Wood Senior School | 11+, 16+ | £7,680 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 |
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Enquire about this tutorWhich girls' schools in Buckinghamshire have the highest A level results?
Wycombe Abbey has the highest average point score among Buckinghamshire girls' schools, at 50.88 across 97 A level students. Thornton College follows at 39.75 with 27 students, then Pipers Corner School at 38.42 with 38 students and St Mary's School at 38.20 with 27 students.
Pipers Corner School in High Wycombe and St Mary's School in Gerrards Cross are both day schools, whilst Wycombe Abbey and Thornton College take boarders as well as day pupils. A parent weighing a girls' day school will find only those two in the ranked data.
Which private schools in Buckinghamshire take boarders?
Four ranked schools offer day and boarding places: Wycombe Abbey, Thornton College, Stowe School and International School of Creative Arts. Their average point scores are 50.88, 39.75, 39.34 and 35.56 respectively.
Stowe School in Buckingham is the co-educational option among the higher-ranked boarding schools and has the largest cohort in the table at 192 students. International School of Creative Arts is also co-educational, with 31 students, and the town column lists it as Ascot.
Does this ranking cover every private school in Buckinghamshire?
The ranking covers only schools with A level results in the latest DfE performance tables, which gives seven schools. A school that teaches the IB, or whose sixth form is small, may have few or no A level entries and so cannot be placed on this measure.
The town column also reflects how the DfE records each school, so Thornton College is listed under Milton Keynes and International School of Creative Arts under Ascot, whilst Akeley Wood Senior School is listed simply as Buckinghamshire. Parents comparing a specific school should check its own sixth form offer alongside its figure here.
How the schools are ranked
The ranking covers every independent school in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes 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
- Wycombe Abbey (ranked 1)
- Thornton College (ranked 2)
- Stowe School (ranked 3)
- Pipers Corner School (ranked 4)
- St Mary's School (ranked 5)
- Akeley Wood Senior School (ranked 7)
Related guides
- Best grammar schools in Buckinghamshire
- 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 Buckinghamshire has the highest A level results?
- Wycombe Abbey in High Wycombe has the highest average point score per A level entry, at 50.88 (grade A), based on 97 A level students. Thornton College is second on 39.75, and Stowe School is third on 39.34, in the latest DfE performance tables.
- Which is the highest-ranked girls' school in Buckinghamshire?
- Wycombe Abbey, with an average point score of 50.88. Thornton College (39.75), Pipers Corner School (38.42) and St Mary's School (38.20) follow among the girls' schools. Four of the seven ranked schools are girls' schools.
- Is there a boys' school in the Buckinghamshire ranking?
- No boys' school appears in the ranked data. The seven schools are four girls' schools (Wycombe Abbey, Thornton College, Pipers Corner School and St Mary's School) and three co-educational schools (Stowe School, International School of Creative Arts and Akeley Wood Senior School).
- How many Buckinghamshire private schools are ranked?
- Seven private schools are ranked, each with A level results in the latest DfE performance tables. Schools sharing the same figure would share a rank, though no two schools are tied here. Schools with few or no A level entries are not included.
- What does average point score per A level entry mean?
- It converts each A level grade into points (A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40, C = 30) and averages them across all entries. Wycombe Abbey's 50.88 corresponds to grade A, and Akeley Wood Senior School's 30.87 to grade C, using the DfE's fine-grade expression.
- Which Buckinghamshire private schools are day schools only?
- Pipers Corner School (38.42), St Mary's School (38.20) and Akeley Wood Senior School (30.87) are listed as day schools. The other four ranked schools, Wycombe Abbey, Thornton College, Stowe School and International School of Creative Arts, take day and boarding pupils.
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