King Edward’s School, Bath has been recognised as the top performing co-educational independent school in the South West for the third year running in the new Sunday Times Parent Power league, published on 6 December 2024.
Additionally, KES is the only South West co-educational school in the top 100 independent schools nationally.
Widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the country’s highest-achieving secondary schools, The Sunday Times Parent Power league ranks schools according to their combined 2024 GCSE and A Level results.
Last summer’s impressive A Level results saw 30% of grades awarded A*, well over three times the national average, and 43% of KES pupils gaining only A*/A grades. GCSE results were the best in the School’s history, with nearly 40% of entries at the top 9 grade, and over two thirds (67%) at grade 9-8. 84% of grades were 9-7.
While the School’s headline statistics in the Parent Power league are outstanding, what is perhaps more pertinent is how the teaching and learning at KES routinely has such a positive impact on the outcomes of all its pupils. This idea is perhaps best illustrated by the so-called GCSE ‘value-added’ data, produced by Cambridge CEM* each year, which reveals that in the most recent external GCSE exams KES pupils performed on average at over a grade higher than would be expected for their ability (based on national standardised tests from Year 7) in each subject. Therefore, if a pupil gained a string of grade 9s at KES, they might have achieved only grade 8s elsewhere.
Martin Boden, Headmaster at KES, said: “We are delighted that the annual Parent Power league has once again recognised the fantastic achievements of our pupils, confirming our position as the top performing co-educational independent school of any kind in the South West. Perhaps even more impressive than this accolade, however, is the value-added story behind our results. This highlights the significant impact KES has on our pupils’ outcomes – the ‘KES Factor’, if you will – underpinned by the exceptional quality of teaching and support at King Edward’s, and our outstanding pastoral structure that prepares our pupils for success.”