By Sheila Mckenzie-
Queen Elizabeth’s School (QE) in Barnet was named the top UK state secondary school by the Sunday Times for its exceptional academic performance in A-level and GCSE examinations, as detailed in the annual Parent Power Guide.
The school secured its position based on the percentage of top A-level and GCSE grades achieved by its pupils in the summer of 2025. The Sunday Times ranking methodology gives double weighting to A-level results (specifically A*, A, B grades) and single weighting to top GCSE grades (9, 8, 7, A*, A).
In the 2026 guide, QE won multiple national awards, including State Secondary School of the Year, State Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence, and State Secondary School of the Year for A-levels.
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Although it is a selective grammar school, its “value-added” measures show that pupils achieve significantly higher grades than expected, based on their primary school attainment, demonstrating the school’s impact on student progress in recent years, over 98% of A-Levels have been A*-B, and more than 95% of GCSEs are grades 9-7, placing QE among the UK’s best schools.
School leavers educated at this committed institution frequently attend top global universities, including Oxbridge, for competitive degrees such as Medicine, Law, and Engineering.
The faith school, which has very dedicated teachers that meticulously train its pupil to thirst after excellent in their academics and intellectual development is consistently judged ‘Outstanding’ across all areas, a status maintained for years.
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It offers a broad, challenging curriculum with strong emphasis on STEM, evidenced by high participation in Further Maths and demanding entry requirements for Sixth Form subject
The school also has a long history of high performance in the Parent Power rankings and has been rated “Outstanding” in all areas by Ofsted for six consecutive inspections.
The school is also recognized for offering a well-rounded education, focusing on developing confident, able, and responsible pupils through a range of extracurricular activities and bespoke support systems.
The Sunday Times editors use discretion and consider overall academic performance, year-on-year improvement, and other initiatives when selecting their “School of the Year” winners, rather than just raw league table position. QE’s record-breaking results and holistic approach contributed to its being selected for the top honour.
The guide also names the top state, comprehensive and private schools in each region. For example, grammar The King’s School in Grantham was named top state secondary in the East Midlands for 2026 as well as the top school for academic excellence in the region. In the North East, the top comprehensive is also the top state school overall with St Leonard’s RC School in Durham named the region’s school of the year for academic excellence.
Other schools noted for their outstanding academic level of excellence , includes West London Free School, Hammersmith and North London Collegiate school, Edgware. Jewish Free School (JFS) in Harrow was the third best comprehensive.
Thomas Jones primary school in London jumped from 43rd place to be named top primary school
Wilson school, a grammar in Wallington, south London, was named best state school for GCSEs, and St Paul’s school in London took the top spot for best private schools in the Uk.
Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide said: The educational landscape is testing budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special education needs to enrich their students and give them the best start in life ‘
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