The Best Schools in the North West
(Photo of Withington Girls' School)
The Best Schools in the North West
The Best Private Schools in the North West, based on 2025's A-level and GCSE results
Famed for football, music and rain, the North West of England offers visitors and residents the vibrancy of cities like Manchester and Liverpool, and also some of England’s most scenic landscapes in the Lake District.
Boarding students have a fantastic range of schools which excel at offering a classic all-round British boarding school experience. For local residents, some of the North West’s top private day schools also rank well in the national A-level and GCSE tables, despite often being less academically selective than schools from other regions.
The league table below lists each school’s percentage of A-Level entries awarded A* and A grades, and percentage of the top GCSE grades (A*/A or 9, 8 and 7.) The latest results are from the summer of 2025.
The national average for 2025’s A-levels was 28.2% and GCSEs was 21.8%. For independent schools the average was 48.4% (A-levels) and 48.1% (GCSEs).
Please click on a school for further details, and see how our day school or boarding school guides can help you choose the best school for your family.
| Rank | School | A-Level A*/A% | GCSE A*/A% | Gender | County | Boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School: Withington Girls’ School | A-Level A*/A%: 74.39% | GCSE A*/A%: 92.76% | Gender: Girls | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 2 | School: The Manchester Grammar School | A-Level A*/A%: 73.70% | GCSE A*/A%: 87.46% | Gender: Boys | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 3 | School: The King’s School, Chester | A-Level A*/A%: 59.82% | GCSE A*/A%: 83.43% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 4 | School: The Queen’s School, Chester | A-Level A*/A%: 58.56% | GCSE A*/A%: 54.18% | Gender: Girls | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 5 | School: Manchester High School for Girls | A-Level A*/A%: 56.47% | GCSE A*/A%: 76.91% | Gender: Girls | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, |
| 6 | School: Stonyhurst College | A-Level A*/A%: 54.00% | GCSE A*/A%: 49.00% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 7 | School: The Grange School | A-Level A*/A%: 52.70% | GCSE A*/A%: 64.53% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 8 | School: The King’s School in Macclesfield | A-Level A*/A%: 52.70% | GCSE A*/A%: 62.38% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 9 | School: St Bede’s College | A-Level A*/A%: 46.55% | GCSE A*/A%: 42.00% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 10 | School: AKS Lytham | A-Level A*/A%: 43.85% | GCSE A*/A%: 49.27% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, |
| 11 | School: Scarisbrick Hall School | A-Level A*/A%: 43.00% | GCSE A*/A%: 41.00% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, |
| 12 | School: Rossall School | A-Level A*/A%: 42.17% | GCSE A*/A%: 42.53% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 13 | School: Bolton School Boys’ Division | A-Level A*/A%: 41.70% | GCSE A*/A%: 49.60% | Gender: Boys | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 14 | School: Cheadle Hulme School | A-Level A*/A%: 39.94% | GCSE A*/A%: 63.99% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 15 | School: Stockport Grammar School | A-Level A*/A%: 39.18% | GCSE A*/A%: 57.28% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 16 | School: Bolton School Girls’ Division | A-Level A*/A%: 38.49% | GCSE A*/A%: 56.27% | Gender: Girls | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 17 | School: Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School Liverpool | A-Level A*/A%: 35.19% | GCSE A*/A%: 44.59% | Gender: Girls | County: Merseyside | Boarding: Day, |
| 18 | School: Sedbergh School | A-Level A*/A%: 35.00% | GCSE A*/A%: 22.00% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cumbria | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 19 | School: Oldham Hulme Grammar School | A-Level A*/A%: 34.07% | GCSE A*/A%: 43.12% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 20 | School: Westholme School | A-Level A*/A%: 31.25% | GCSE A*/A%: 40.35% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, |
| 21 | School: Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School Liverpool | A-Level A*/A%: 27.63% | GCSE A*/A%: 47.72% | Gender: Boys | County: Merseyside | Boarding: Day, |
| 22 | School: Alderley Edge School for Girls | A-Level A*/A%: 27.50% | GCSE A*/A%: 57.48% | Gender: Girls | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 23 | School: Birkenhead School | A-Level A*/A%: 26.70% | GCSE A*/A%: 51.90% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Merseyside | Boarding: Day, |
| 24 | School: Bridgewater School | A-Level A*/A%: 24.53% | GCSE A*/A%: 36.00% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, |
| 25 | School: St Mary’s College Crosby | A-Level A*/A%: 19.15% | GCSE A*/A%: 39.02% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Merseyside | Boarding: Day |
| 26 | School: Bury Grammar School | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: U/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day |
| 27 | School: Abbey College Manchester | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: N/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 28 | School: Chetham’s School of Music | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: U/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Manchester | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 29 | School: Abbey Gate College | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: U/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, |
| 30 | School: Windermere School | A-Level A*/A%: N/A | GCSE A*/A%: 41.91% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cumbria | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 31 | School: King William’s College | A-Level A*/A%: N/A | GCSE A*/A%: 41.13% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Isle of Man | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 32 | School: Kirkham Grammar School | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: U/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Lancashire | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 33 | School: Lime House School | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: U/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cumbria | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
| 34 | School: Austin Friars | A-Level A*/A%: U/A | GCSE A*/A%: U/A | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cumbria | Boarding: Day |
| 35 | School: The Hammond | A-Level A*/A%: N/A | GCSE A*/A%: 18.99% | Gender: Co-ed | County: Cheshire | Boarding: Day, Boarding |
Important
- All exam result data is for results issued in the summer of 2025, unless otherwise stated. Data is compiled from reliable, official sources and updated when sufficient results have been acquired. Results are updated and amended whenever new information becomes available.
- U/A = results are unavailable. N/A = the school does not offer this curriculum.
- Rating exam results by % of entries at A*-A (A-level), % of entries at 7,8,9 (GCSE) or average IB score per candidate is common practice. However, the format in which the data is presented (specifically, the column headings and calculations conceived for subject-specific league tables and the BTEC league table) is the copyright material of Top School Guide and protected by database right. The content is for personal, non-commerical use only, and you may not reproduce, republish, copy, or otherwise use the format or content in any way.
- League tables should not be used in isolation to identify suitable schools. Every effort is made to verify the data within these tables, but Top School Guide does not accept any liability for your reliance on the information on this site, or any errors or ommissions. Please see our terms for further information.
- Amendments, corrections, and requests to republish can be submitted to hello@topschoolguide.com.
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