The importance of having a great learning environment and the right support during a student’s sixth form years can’t be overstated - with the qualifications playing a big part in their opportunities after school.
Last month, the Government released the latest performance figures for state-funded sixth form colleges and secondary schools, meaning England’s top A Level performers were finally able to be named. We’ve used this new data to compare how those across the Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton council areas did, to create a league table of the entire county’s stand-out sixth forms for A Levels in the 2023/24 school year.
They have been ranked by their A Level performance point scores, a unique measurement derived from exam results that gives them a score out of 60, along with the ‘average grade’ each school’s students achieved across their A Level entries. We’ve only included schools with a score of at least 30 and a corresponding grade of at least C - with any grade from A* to E considered a pass.
We also checked that each school included had an overall Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ before this measure was recently dropped, or, if they’ve been inspected more recently, had at least ‘good’ grades across the board. This means that the quality of education provided, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management and student safeguarding were all found to meet or exceed government standards last time the school was inspected.
Here were the 13 state sixth forms from across Hampshire that made the cut:
9. Queen Mary's College
Queen Mary’s is a sixth form college in Basingstoke, formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 32.42 - giving it an average grade of C+. | Google
10. Oaklands Catholic School
Oaklands is a Catholic secondary academy and sixth form in Waterlooville. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 32.08 - giving it an average grade of C+. | Google
11. The Burgate School and Sixth Form
This is a secondary academy and sixth form in Burgate, Fordingbridge. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 31.19 - giving it an average grade of C. | Google
12. City of Portsmouth College
This is a sixth form college in Portsmouth. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 30.79 - giving it an average grade of C. | Google