Key Facts
| Measure | Average point score per A level entry (DfE 16 to 18 performance data) |
|---|---|
| Data year | 2024/25 (final) |
| Schools ranked | 10 |
| Highest figure | The Maynard School, 47.94 (A-) |
| Area covered | Devon, Plymouth, Torbay |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
Ranked by average point score per A level entry in the latest DfE performance tables, the best private schools in Devon are The Maynard School in Exeter on 47.94, Exeter School on 44.44 and Blundell's School in Tiverton on 39.74, with West Buckland School in Barnstaple close behind on 39.64. Those four are the only schools to reach a B grade or above on this measure.
10 independent schools are ranked, all on one measure: the average point score per A level entry from the DfE's sixth-form performance tables, where A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40 and C = 30. Each figure carries the DfE's fine-grade expression of that average, and the number of A level students shows how large each cohort is.
Which private schools in Devon have the best A level results?
| Rank | School | Town | A level average point score | Average grade | A level students | Pupils | Day or boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Maynard School | Exeter | 47.94 | A- | 33 | Girls | Day |
| 2 | Exeter School | Exeter | 44.44 | B+ | 110 | Co-educational | Day |
| 3 | Blundell's School | Tiverton | 39.74 | B | 98 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 4 | West Buckland School | Barnstaple | 39.64 | B | 76 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 5 | Plymouth College | Plymouth | 37.04 | B- | 51 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 6 | Mount Kelly | Tavistock | 34.86 | C+ | 70 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 7 | Kingsley School Devon | Bideford | 32.41 | C+ | 20 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 8 | Shebbear College | Beaworthy | 32.28 | C+ | 23 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 9 | Stover School | Newton Abbot | 28.45 | C | 13 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 10 | Trinity School | Devon | 21.79 | D+ | 18 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
Figures run from 47.94 at The Maynard School (grade A-) down to 21.79 at Trinity School (grade D+), a wide spread across Devon's ranked independent schools. The two schools at the head of the table, The Maynard School and Exeter School (44.44, grade B+), are both day schools in Exeter, with a visible gap before Blundell's School on 39.74.
Near-equal schools form two clear groups. Blundell's School (39.74) and West Buckland School (39.64) both sit at grade B with very little between them, whilst Mount Kelly (34.86), Kingsley School Devon (32.41) and Shebbear College (32.28) all share grade C+, with Kingsley and Shebbear almost level. Plymouth College (37.04, grade B-) sits between those groups, and Stover School (28.45, grade C) and Trinity School follow.
Girls' provision is limited to one school, The Maynard School, and Exeter School is the only other day-only school; every remaining school is co-educational and takes both day pupils and boarders. Cohorts differ sharply, with Exeter School at 110 A level students and Blundell's School at 98, against 13 at Stover School, 18 at Trinity School and 20 at Kingsley School Devon. An average built on a small cohort tends to move more with each individual result, so the lower rows deserve a more cautious reading than the larger schools above them.
Entry points and fees at the ranked Devon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter School | £7,370 | Autumn term 2026, spring and summer terms 2027 | |
| Blundell's School | 11+, 13+, and Sixth Form | £7,734 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 |
| West Buckland School | £8,080 | September 2026 | |
| Plymouth College | 11+ for Year 7, plus other year groups | £6,800 | 2026/27 |
| Mount Kelly | £7,344 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 |
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Enquire about this tutorWhich is the top girls' school in Devon?
The Maynard School in Exeter is the only girls' school in the ranking, and it also holds rank 1 with an average point score of 47.94 per A level entry (grade A-) from 33 A level students. No boys-only school appears in the table, so a parent comparing single-sex options in Devon on these results has one girls' school to look at and no boys' equivalent.
Girls also attend the co-educational schools in the table, such as Exeter School (44.44, 110 students) and Blundell's School (39.74, 98 students), which are the second and third ranked schools.
Which Devon private schools take boarders?
Blundell's School in Tiverton, West Buckland School in Barnstaple, Plymouth College, Mount Kelly in Tavistock, Kingsley School Devon in Bideford, Shebbear College in Beaworthy, Stover School in Newton Abbot and Trinity School are all listed as day and boarding. Among them Blundell's School has the highest average point score at 39.74, followed by West Buckland School on 39.64.
Day-only provision is listed for The Maynard School and Exeter School, so a family looking for boarding places will need to work from the other names in the table.
What does the Devon A level ranking leave out?
Any independent school whose sixth form teaches mainly the International Baccalaureate or other sixth-form qualifications, and so has few or no A level entries, is missing, because the DfE average point score per A level entry cannot be calculated for it. Only the 10 schools in the table have figures to compare.
Admissions policy, subject choice and pupils who leave after GCSEs are also outside the measure. Cohorts range from 13 students at Stover School to 110 at Exeter School, so the average for a small sixth form can look quite different from one cohort to the next.
How the schools are ranked
The ranking covers every independent school in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay 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
- Exeter School (ranked 2)
- Blundell's School (ranked 3)
- West Buckland School (ranked 4)
- Plymouth College (ranked 5)
- Mount Kelly (ranked 6)
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 is the best private school in Devon for A level results?
- On the DfE's average point score per A level entry, The Maynard School in Exeter ranks first with 47.94 (grade A-) from 33 A level students. Exeter School is second on 44.44 (grade B+) with 110 students, and Blundell's School in Tiverton is third on 39.74 (grade B).
- Which is the top girls' private school in Devon?
- Only one girls' school is ranked: The Maynard School in Exeter. It holds rank 1 with an average point score of 47.94 per A level entry, which the DfE expresses as grade A-, and it has 33 A level students in the latest performance tables.
- How many private schools in Devon are ranked?
- 10 independent schools are ranked, from The Maynard School on 47.94 down to Trinity School on 21.79. Independent schools whose sixth forms teach few or no A levels, for example those following the International Baccalaureate, have no A level average and so do not appear.
- What does average point score per A level entry mean?
- It is the average number of points earned for each A level entry at a school, with A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40 and C = 30. The DfE publishes it in its sixth-form performance tables and also gives a fine-grade version, such as B+ for 44.44.
- Is there a boys' private school in the Devon A level ranking?
- No boys-only school appears in the ranking. Single-sex provision is limited to The Maynard School, which is for girls. Exeter School and the other schools in the table are co-educational, so boys attend them alongside girls.
- Which Devon private schools are day and boarding?
- Blundell's School, West Buckland School, Plymouth College, Mount Kelly, Kingsley School Devon, Shebbear College, Stover School and Trinity School are all listed as day and boarding. Day-only status is listed for The Maynard School and Exeter School.
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