Key Facts
| Measure | Average point score per A level entry (DfE 16 to 18 performance data) |
|---|---|
| Data year | 2024/25 (final) |
| Schools ranked | 14 |
| Highest figure | Winchester College, 50.87 (A) |
| Area covered | Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton, Isle of Wight |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
For the best private schools in Hampshire by A level results, Winchester College ranks first with an average point score per A level entry of 50.87 (grade A), followed by St Swithun's at 49.13 (grade A), Churcher's College in Petersfield at 47.33 (grade A-) and The Portsmouth Grammar School at 46.71 (grade A-). In all, 14 schools are ranked below on one measure: average point score per A level entry in the latest DfE performance tables, where A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40 and C = 30.
Schools on the same figure share a rank, and the grade shown is the DfE's fine-grade expression of that average. Student counts show how many A level students sit behind each figure, which matters when comparing a cohort of 157 with one of 6.
Which private schools in Hampshire have the best A level results?
| Rank | School | Town | A level average point score | Average grade | A level students | Pupils | Day or boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winchester College | Winchester | 50.87 | A | 157 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 2 | St Swithun's | Hampshire | 49.13 | A | 73 | Girls | Day and boarding |
| 3 | Churcher's College | Petersfield | 47.33 | A- | 168 | Co-educational | Day |
| 4 | The Portsmouth Grammar School | Portsmouth | 46.71 | A- | 133 | Co-educational | Day |
| 5 | King Edward VI School | Southampton | 45.21 | A- | 109 | Co-educational | Day |
| 6 | Brockwood Park School | Alresford | 43.75 | B+ | 6 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 7 | Farnborough Hill | Farnborough | 43.68 | B+ | 37 | Girls | Day |
| 8 | Lord Wandsworth College | Hook | 43.31 | B+ | 89 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 9 | Portsmouth High School | Portsmouth | 41.79 | B+ | 44 | Girls | Day |
| 10 | Ryde School with Upper Chine | Ryde | 39.80 | B | 51 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 11 | Bedales School | Petersfield | 39.48 | B | 97 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 12 | Embley | Romsey | 38.23 | B- | 26 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
| 13 | Salesian College | Farnborough | 37.56 | B- | 56 | Co-educational | Day |
| 14 | Sherfield School | Hampshire | 35.85 | B- | 9 | Co-educational | Day and boarding |
Figures run from 50.87 at Winchester College down to 35.85 at Sherfield School, spanning grade A to grade B-. Winchester College and St Swithun's (49.13) are the two schools graded A, with Churcher's College (47.33), The Portsmouth Grammar School (46.71) and King Edward VI School in Southampton (45.21) forming an A- cluster behind them.
A B+ group follows, with Brockwood Park School on 43.75, Farnborough Hill on 43.68 and Lord Wandsworth College on 43.31 close together and Portsmouth High School on 41.79 just behind. Ryde School with Upper Chine (39.80) and Bedales School (39.48) are graded B and almost level, whilst Embley (38.23), Salesian College (37.56) and Sherfield School (35.85) close the table at B-. The three girls' schools sit at ranks 2, 7 and 9, and the day and boarding schools are spread from rank 1 to rank 14.
Cohort size varies sharply, which affects how much weight a single figure can bear. Churcher's College has 168 A level students and Winchester College 157, whereas Brockwood Park School has 6 and Sherfield School 9. Small year groups tend to move an average considerably, so Brockwood Park School's rank of 6 reads best beside Farnborough Hill (37 students) and Lord Wandsworth College (89 students), which sit close to it.
Entry points and fees at the ranked Hampshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester College | £15,318 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 | |
| St Swithun's | 11+ (Year 7), 13+ (Year 9), 16+ (Year 12) | £11,403 | 2026/27 |
| Churcher's College | 11+ for Year 7 entry | £8,330 | 2026/27 |
| The Portsmouth Grammar School | £8,538 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 | |
| King Edward VI School | £8,570 | 2026/27 | |
| Lord Wandsworth College | Year 7 (11+), Year 9, and Sixth Form | £12,940 (incl. VAT) | 2026/27 |
| Portsmouth High School | £6,984 | 2026/27 | |
| Embley | £8,280 | 2026/27 |
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Enquire about this tutorWhich are the top girls' private schools in Hampshire?
St Swithun's, a girls' day and boarding school, is the highest-ranked girls' school, placed 2 with 49.13 (grade A) from 73 students. Farnborough Hill ranks 7 on 43.68 (grade B+) with 37 students, and Portsmouth High School ranks 9 on 41.79 (grade B+) with 44 students, both girls' day schools.
No boys' only school appears in the ranking, and every other ranked school is co-educational, so a family seeking single-sex education for a son would need to look beyond this table.
Which Hampshire private schools take boarders?
Day and boarding places are offered by Winchester College, St Swithun's, Brockwood Park School, Lord Wandsworth College in Hook, Ryde School with Upper Chine, Bedales School, Embley and Sherfield School. Winchester College (50.87) and St Swithun's (49.13) hold ranks 1 and 2, and Sherfield School at 35.85 is the lowest-ranked of that group.
Day-only schools are Churcher's College (47.33), The Portsmouth Grammar School (46.71), King Edward VI School (45.21), Farnborough Hill (43.68), Portsmouth High School (41.79) and Salesian College (37.56). Churcher's College, The Portsmouth Grammar School and King Edward VI School hold ranks 3 to 5, each graded A-.
Which ranked private schools are in Winchester, Petersfield and Portsmouth?
Winchester is home to one ranked school, which has the highest figure in the table at 50.87 from 157 students. Petersfield has Churcher's College at 47.33 (grade A-, 168 students) and Bedales School at 39.48 (grade B, 97 students), two very different positions in the same town.
Portsmouth has The Portsmouth Grammar School and Portsmouth High School, and Farnborough has Farnborough Hill and Salesian College. Southampton, Alresford, Hook, Ryde and Romsey are represented by King Edward VI School, Brockwood Park School, Lord Wandsworth College, Ryde School with Upper Chine and Embley respectively.
What does the A level ranking leave out?
Results from other qualifications are excluded, so a school whose sixth form teaches the International Baccalaureate, or a mix of qualifications, can have few or no A level entries and may be missing or represented by a very small cohort. Brockwood Park School appears with 6 students and Sherfield School with 9, so their figures describe a small group.
Admission policy, sixth form entry requirements, subject mix and value added are also absent. A school that admits selectively tends to record a different average from one with a broader intake, and the table does not separate the two.
How the schools are ranked
The ranking covers every independent school in Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and Isle of Wight 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
- Winchester College (ranked 1)
- St Swithun's (ranked 2)
- Churcher's College (ranked 3)
- The Portsmouth Grammar School (ranked 4)
- King Edward VI School (ranked 5)
- Farnborough Hill (ranked 7)
- Lord Wandsworth College (ranked 8)
- Portsmouth High School (ranked 9)
- Ryde School with Upper Chine (ranked 10)
- Bedales School (ranked 11)
- Embley (ranked 12)
- Salesian College (ranked 13)
- Sherfield School (ranked 14)
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 Hampshire for A level results?
- On the measure used here, Winchester College has the highest average point score per A level entry at 50.87 (grade A), from 157 A level students. St Swithun's follows on 49.13 (grade A), then Churcher's College on 47.33 (grade A-), in the latest DfE performance tables.
- Which is the top girls' private school in Hampshire?
- St Swithun's, a girls' day and boarding school, ranks second overall with 49.13 (grade A) and 73 A level students. Farnborough Hill ranks 7 on 43.68 and Portsmouth High School ranks 9 on 41.79, both graded B+.
- How many Hampshire private schools are ranked?
- 14 independent schools are ranked, from Winchester College at 50.87 down to Sherfield School at 35.85. Schools on the same figure share a rank, shown with an equals sign, and the order runs from the highest average point score to the lowest.
- What does average point score per A level entry mean?
- Each A level entry is scored A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40 and C = 30, and a school's score is the average across its entries. The DfE's fine-grade expression turns that average into a grade, so 47.33 appears as A- and 43.31 as B+.
- Are there Hampshire private schools that take boarders and rank highly?
- Yes. Winchester College (50.87) and St Swithun's (49.13) both offer day and boarding places and hold ranks 1 and 2. Lord Wandsworth College in Hook ranks 8 on 43.31, and Bedales School in Petersfield ranks 11 on 39.48.
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