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Find the right school for your child


Deciding which school to choose for your child is a hugely important decision and often quite a lengthy one. The top UK schools are renowned for their world-class education, as well as fantastic facilities, teachers, pastoral care and co-curricular opportunities – making that all-important decision anything but easy.

Our carefully compiled list of the top 250 schools in the UK allows you to discover and compare educational institutions known for their exceptional quality and academic excellence. Our unbiased, insider reviews cover everything you need to know about the top schools in the UK, from the admissions process and higher education destinations to the school community and the essentials such as fees, term dates, ISI reports and bursaries. Browse the schools our experts have branded the best of the best and find the right fit for your child today.
Abingdon House SchoolMarylebone
Abingdon SchoolAbingdon
Alleyn's Junior SchoolDulwich
Alleyn's SchoolDulwich
AmesburyHindhead
Ardingly CollegeHaywards Heath
Aysgarth SchoolBedale
Badminton SchoolBristol
Badminton School PrepWestbury-on-Trym
Bancroft's Prep SchoolWoodford Green
Bancroft's SchoolWoodford Green
Beaudesert Park SchoolStroud
Bedales Prep - DunhurstPetersfield
Bedales SchoolPetersfield
Bede's SchoolHailsham
Bedford Prep SchoolBedford
Bedford SchoolBedford
Beeston Hall SchoolCromer
Belhaven Hill SchoolDunbar
Benenden SchoolCranbrook
Bilton GrangeRugby
Blundell's Preparatory SchoolTiverton
Blundell's SchoolTiverton
Bradfield CollegeReading
Brambletye SchoolEast Grinstead
Bredon SchoolTewkesbury
Brighton CollegeBrighton
Brighton College Prep SchoolBrighton
Broomwood Pre-PrepWandsworth
Broomwood Prep BoysWandsworth
Broomwood Prep GirlsWandsworth
Bruern Abbey PrepBicester
Bryanston SchoolBlandford Forum
Bute HouseHammersmith
Caldicott SchoolFarnham Royal
CanfordWimborne
CargilfieldEdinburgh
Caterham Prep SchoolCaterham
Caterham SchoolCaterham
CharterhouseGodalming
Cheam SchoolNewbury
Cheltenham CollegeCheltenham
Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeCheltenham
Cheltenham Prep SchoolCheltenham
Chepstow House SchoolLondon
Christ Church Cathedral SchoolOxford
Christ's HospitalHorsham
City of London SchoolQueenhithe
City of London School for GirlsBarbican
Clayesmore SchoolBlandford Forum
Clifton CollegeClifton
Cothill HouseCothill
Cumnor House SussexHaywards Heath
Dauntsey's Devizes
DLD College LondonSouth Bank
Downe HouseThatcham
Dragon SchoolOxford
Dulwich CollegeDulwich
Dulwich Cranbrook - Prep SchoolCranbrook
Dulwich Prep & Senior - PrepLondon
Dwight London - Junior SchoolLondon
Dwight London - Senior SchoolN11 3LX
Eastbourne CollegeEastbourne
Eaton House Belgravia PrepLondon
Eaton House The Manor Boys' SchoolLondon
Eaton House The Manor Girls' SchoolLondon
Eaton Square Prep SchoolLondon
Edgbaston High Preparatory and Pre-Prep SchoolBirmingham
Edgbaston High School for GirlsBirmingham
EdgeboroughFarnham
Elstree SchoolNewbury
Emanuel SchoolLondon
Eton CollegeWindsor
Falcons School Putney
Falkner House Brechin PlaceSouth Kensington
Falkner House Penywern RoadKensington
Fettes CollegeEdinburgh
Fettes College Prep SchoolEdinburgh
Framlingham CollegeFramlingham
Framlingham College Prep SchoolWoodbridge
Francis Holland School Regent's ParkMarylebone
Francis Holland School Sloane SquareChelsea
Fulham PrepFulham
Garden House SchoolChelsea
Giggleswick SchoolSettle
Glenalmond CollegePerth
Glendower Preparatory SchoolLondon
GodolphinSalisbury
Godolphin & Latymer SchoolHammersmith
Godolphin PrepSalisbury
Godstowe SchoolHigh Wycombe
GordonstounElgin
Gordonstoun Prep SchoolElgin
Gresham's SchoolHolt
Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Elstree
Hall Grove SchoolBagshot
Hampton SchoolHampton
Handcross ParkHaywards Heath
Hanford SchoolBlandford Forum
Harrow SchoolHarrow
Hatherop CastleCirencester
Hazlegrove Prep SchoolYeovil
Headington Preparatory SchoolOxford
Headington SchoolOxford
Heathfield SchoolAscot
Highfield and Brookham Liphook
Highgate SchoolHighgate
Hill House SchoolKnightsbridge
Hornsby HouseBalham
Horris Hill SchoolNewbury
Ibstock Place Prep SchoolRoehampton
Ibstock Place SchoolRoehampton
James Allen's Girls' SchoolDulwich
James Allen's Girls' School Junior SchoolDulwich
Junior King's, CanterburyCanterbury
Kensington Prep School GDSTFulham
King Edward VI High School for GirlsBirmingham
King Edward's SchoolBirmingham
King's College Junior SchoolLondon
King's College School WimbledonLondon
King's College School, CambridgeCambridge
King's WorcesterWorcester
Kingham Hill SchoolChipping Norton
Kitebrook Preparatory SchoolMoreton-in-Marsh
Knightsbridge School - The Junior SchoolKnightsbridge
L'Ecole de BatterseaBattersea
Lady Eleanor Holles Junior SchoolHampton Hill
Lady Eleanor Holles SchoolHampton
Lambrook SchoolNr Ascot
Lancing CollegeLancing
Lancing College Preparatory School HoveHove
Lancing College Preparatory School WorthingWorthing
Latymer Prep SchoolHammersmith
Latymer Upper SchoolHammersmith
Ludgrove SchoolWokingham
Magdalen College Junior SchoolOxford
Magdalen College SchoolOxford
Maidwell HallMaidwell
Malvern CollegeMalvern
Marlborough CollegeMarlborough
Marlborough House SchoolHawkhurst
Mayfield SchoolMayfield
Merchant Taylors' Prep Rickmansworth
Merchant Taylors' SchoolNorthwood
Milbourne LodgeEsher
MillfieldStreet
Millfield Prep SchoolGlastonbury
Moor Park SchoolLudlow
Moreton HallOswestry
Moreton Hall PrepOswestry
Moulsford Prep SchoolWallingford
Mowden Hall SchoolStocksfield
New College SchoolOxford
Newton Prep SchoolLondon
Norland PlaceNotting Hill
North London Collegiate Junior SchoolEdgware
North London Collegiate SchoolEdgware
Norwich SchoolNorwich
Notting Hill Prep SchoolNotting Hill
Old Buckenham Hall Ipswich
Orchard House SchoolChiswick
Orwell Park SchoolIpswich
Oundle SchoolOundle
Oxford High Preparatory & Pre-Preparatory GDSTOxford
Oxford High School GDSTOxford
Papplewick SchoolAscot
Pembridge Hall SchoolLondon
Pinewood SchoolShrivenham
Port Regis SchoolShaftesbury
Putney High Junior School GDSTPutney
Putney High School GDSTPutney
Queen Anne's CavershamReading
Queen's College Preparatory SchoolLondon
Queen's College, LondonLondon
Queen's Gate Junior School London
Queen's Gate SchoolLondon
Radley CollegeAbingdon
Ravenscourt Park Preparatory SchoolHammersmith
Repton PrepDerby
Repton SchoolRepton
Royal Russell Junior SchoolCroydon
Royal Russell SchoolCroydon
Rugby SchoolRugby
S. Anselm's Bakewell
Saint Ronan'sHawkhurst
Sandroyd SchoolSalisbury
Sedbergh SchoolSedbergh
Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks
Sherborne GirlsSherborne
Sherborne SchoolSherborne
Shrewsbury SchoolShrewsbury
South Hampstead High GDSTHampstead
South Hampstead High Junior School GDSTHampstead
St Andrew's Prep EastbourneEastbourne
St Catherine's - BramleyGuildford
St Catherine's Preparatory SchoolGuildford
St Edward's School, OxfordOxford
St Faith'sCambridge
St George's AscotAscot
St Hugh's SchoolFaringdon
St James Preparatory SchoolLondon
St John's College SchoolCambridge
St Mary's CalneCalne
St Mary's School AscotAscot
St Paul's Girls’ SchoolLondon
St Paul's JuniorsBarnes
St Paul's SchoolBarnes
St Peter's School YorkYork
St Peter's York 2-8York
St Peter's York 8-13York
St Swithun's Prep SchoolWinchester
St Swithun's SchoolWinchester
Stephen Perse Rosedale House Cambridge
Stephen Perse Senior SchoolCambridge
Stephen Perse Sixth FormCambridge
Stonar SchoolAtworth
Stonyhurst CollegeClitheroe
Stonyhurst St Mary's HallClitheroe
Stowe SchoolBuckingham
Summer FieldsOxford
Sunningdale SchoolSunningdale
Sussex House SchoolChelsea
Swanbourne HouseMilton Keynes
The ElmsMalvern
The Hall SchoolLondon
The King's School, CanterburyCanterbury
The Leys SchoolCambridge
The Oratory Preparatory SchoolReading
The Perse Pelican Pre-Prep Cambridge
The Perse PrepCambridge
The Perse SchoolCambridge
The Pilgrims' School, WinchesterWinchester
Thomas's Battersea Prep SchoolBattersea
Thomas's ClaphamClapham
Thomas's FulhamFulham
Thomas's KensingtonKensington
Thorngrove SchoolNewbury
Tonbridge SchoolTonbridge
Tudor Hall SchoolBanbury
University College SchoolHampstead
University College School Junior BranchHampstead
University College School Pre-PrepHampstead
Uppingham SchoolUppingham
Walhampton SchoolLymington
Wellesley Haddon Dene SchoolBroadstairs
Wellington CollegeCrowthorne
Wellington College Prep Sandhurst
Wells Cathedral Prep SchoolWells
Wells Cathedral SchoolWells
Westbourne House SchoolChichester
Westminster Cathedral Choir SchoolLondon
Westminster SchoolWestminster
Westminster Under SchoolLondon
Westonbirt Prep SchoolTetbury
Westonbirt SchoolTetbury
Wetherby Preparatory SchoolLondon
Wetherby SchoolNotting Hill
Wetherby School KensingtonKensington
Wetherby Senior SchoolLondon
Whitgift SchoolSouth Croydon
Wimbledon High Junior School GDSTWimbledon
Wimbledon High School GDSTWimbledon
Winchester CollegeWinchester
Winchester House SchoolBrackley
Windlesham HousePulborough
Witham Hall Preparatory SchoolStamford
Wolverhampton Grammar Junior SchoolWolverhampton
Wolverhampton Grammar SchoolWolverhampton
Woodcote House SchoolWindlesham
Wycombe AbbeyHigh Wycombe
FAQ’s:

How are the top UK schools selected and ranked?

The selection and ranking of the top UK schools are typically based on a set of criteria which can vary depending on the organisation or agency conducting the review. Here at Talk Education, we opt for a rounded approach; rather than just basing our ratings on grade averages and awards, we look at additional factors such as what current students have to say, the school community, and higher education destinations.

What is the admissions process for top UK schools?

The admissions process for top UK schools typically starts online with an application form. This may involve submitting academic records, letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Many highly ranked schools will require prospective students to sit an entrance exam and attend an in-person interview.

What UK city has the best schools?

Unsurprisingly, London has the highest number of highly ranked schools in the UK. This is largely due to the density of its population, and the city's high proportion of local areas which are considered to be among the richest 10 per cent of areas in England and Wales.