Good A Level results are essential, if a young person wants getting into a top class university to be their next step after secondary school.
When it comes to A Level results, private schools still tend to dominate, especially when it comes to top grades. But they also tend to be the more pricey option for parents, and fees at many independent schools are soon set to rise - with schools no longer being exempt from paying VAT on fees from January. Plenty, however, also have bursaries and scholarships available, which can still make them an excellent and more accessible choice to families from all walks of life.
Using data from the Independent Schools Council, The Telegraph has created a league table of private schools based on the percentage of their A Level entries during the 2024 exam season to receive a top A or A* grade. We’ve gone through it and picked out those that call the North West home, from Liverpool, to Manchester, to Lancashire; the region’s very best.
It is worth noting, however, that unlike state schools, independent schools do not have to share their results - nor are all of them represented by the council - so some schools might not have been included in the data.
Here were the 16 private schools from across the North West that made the top 200 - as well as how much tuition for a senior student would cost:

9. Hulme Grammar School
This is an all-through school in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Tuition for a sixth form student is about £14,211 per year. In the 2023/24 school year, 42.4% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or A. | Google

10. Bolton School Girls' Division
This is a girls’ all-through school in Bolton, Greater Manchester, which takes pupils from the age of 7. Tuition for a sixth form student is about £14,316 per year. In the 2023/24 school year, 39.3% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or A. | Google

11. Cheadle Hulme School
This is an all-through school in Cheadle, Cheshire. Tuition for a sixth form student is about £15,177 per year. In the 2023/24 school year, 35.8% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or A. | Google

12. St Mary's College
St Mary’s is a Catholic all-through school in Crosby, just out of Liverpool. Tuition for a sixth form student is about £13,263 per year. In the 2023/24 school year, 33.3% of all of the A Level grades achieved by its students were an A* or A. | Google