The Independent Sixth Form Colleges who published A Level Exam Grades for Summer 2012

It is more difficult to rank 6th form colleges than independent schools, because many of them do not release their results or they provide them in inconsistent formats. For this table, we have used the results (audited and unaudited) of those colleges, which are prepared to publicise them. We have simply taken the percentage of total A level entries, which were grades A or B. Some colleges would argue that A level resits should be excluded, but most of those were taken in January anyway and perversely their inclusion can sometimes depress the overall average grades. We have not included GCSEs because many colleges do not offer them or focus either on resits or short term GCSE courses. Some colleges are very selective on entry criteria whereas others may specialise in taking students with previous poor exam performance in order to transform their results. Thus you may need to ask colleges about their added value performance.

Please be aware that exam success is only one criterion in the search for a sixth form college. You are encouraged to read our free downloadable eGuide on how to select an independent sixth form college.

  A + A* + B % Name Day / Board Boy / Girl Day £ Board £
1 99.52 Cardiff Sixth Form College Both Co ed 12,000 27,000
2 94.72 Concord College - Shrewsbury Both Co-ed 11,940 28,600
3 90.93 Hurtwood House - Dorking Both Co-ed NA 35,175
4 89.32 Albemarle Independent College - London Day Co-ed 16,950 NA
5 88.83 Abbey College - Cambridge Both Co-ed 21,000 NA
6 85.54 Brampton College - Hendon Day Co-ed 14,865 NA
7 81.19 D'Overbroeck's College - Oxford Both Co-ed 19,260 29,115
8 79.58 Cambridge Tutors College - Croydon Both Co-ed 18,360 NA
9 77.93 CATS Cambridge Both Co-ed 21,450 35,940
10 76.12 CATS Canterbury Board Co-ed 16,230 29,880
11 73.70 David Game College - London Both Co-ed 13,700 NA
12 72.78 Abbey College - London Both Co-ed 17,000 35,000
13 72.20 Bosworth Independent College - Northamptonshire Both Co-ed 18,000 26,000
14 71.00 Mander Portman Woodward - Cambridge Day Co-ed NA NA
14 = 71.00 Duff Miller College - London Day Co-ed 17,500 NA
16 69.60 Abbey College - Birmingham Both Co-ed 13,000 27,300
17 69.13 Rochester Independent College Both Co-ed 15,000 27,258
18 67.00 Ashbourne Independent Sixth Form College - London Both Co-ed 18,900 27,000
19 63.47 Welbeck - Loughborough Boarding Co-ed NA NA
20 63.32 Chelsea Independent College Both Co-ed 15,975 NA
21 63.29 Padworth College - Reading Both Co-ed 12,525 26,100
22 63.14 Lansdowne College - London Both Co-ed 16,970 NA
23 60.49 Abbey College - Manchester Both Co-ed 10,990 24,950
24 58.71 Davies Laing & Dick - London Day Co-ed 17,000 NA
25 56.03 Cambridge Centre For Sixth Form Studies Both Co-ed 17,670 29,850
26 54.38 Worksop College Both Co-ed NA NA

Note: We make a substantial investment of time and effort in preparing these tables, and all copyright and database rights in the tables belong to us. Please respect this by not reproducing the tables or the information within them, in whole or in part, without our consent. If you wish to reproduce any of our tables or the information within them then please contact us for details.

  • Special scholarships
  • Hurtwood House Top Banner
  • Lansdowne
  • Duff Miller College
  • Ashbourne Independent Sixth Form College
  • Cardiff Sixth Form College
  • Sussex Barnhouse
  • London ISC
  • Best Value College
  • Davies Laing & Dick College
  • Rochester College
  • Chelsea Independent College
  • CCSS
  • Albemarle Independent College
  • Hurtwood House Small
  • d’Overbroeck’s Sixth Form College  - New Banner
  • Oxford Tutorial College