KES recognised as the south west's top performing Independent co-educational school in the new sunday times parent power guide
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 Guide, 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 Guide 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 Guide 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 Guide 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.”
You can view the Parent Power Guide 2025 in full here (behind a paywall). Best schools in the UK 2025 | The Times league table | The Times and The Sunday Times
We are delighted that the annual Parent Power guide 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.Martin Boden, Headmaster
