London is a large and storied city, with a massive population and long history. Education is a key part in that history, and many of the schools in London have traditions that date back centuries. While every school tries its best for its pupils, not every educational institution is created equal, and some see far more success than others at preparing students to matriculate at top universities, both in the UK and globally. In this article then, we’re going to look at some of the best sixth form colleges in London, both those that are run by the state, and private institutions. This isn’t going to be a comprehensive list by any means; there are more than 900 such schools in London, and we certainly can’t discuss all of them. Instead, this is going to be an overview of some particularly notable options, so you get a sense of the choice available to you. Let’s jump right in!
The Best State Sixth Form Colleges in London
Due to historic reasons that are confusing and nonsensical to my American mind, “Public” schools in the UK refer to private institutions. State schools is the term for those schools run by the government. There are many different forms these take, with different focuses and requirements for admission. We are covering primarily those schools which focus solely on academics, with an aim at preparing students for higher education.
King’s College London Mathematics School
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Run in partnership with King’s College London (as the name might suggest), this is a maths school, and focuses principally on mathematical subjects and students who are underrepresented in those fields. All students at the school must complete their A-Levels in mathematics, further mathematics, and physics. In their first year students choose to complete their AS-level in computer science or economics, and complete a substantive research project.
The academic achievement level at the school is high, with 60% of students receiving an A* on their A-levels, and 90% receiving an A*/A. By A-Level achievement, they are the best performing state school in London. Further, a significant number of graduates matriculate at either Oxford or Cambridge; the number was 25% in 2019. It is regularly ranked as the best sixth form college in London.
Admissions to King’s Maths is quite competitive, with hundreds of applicants for 70 places each year. All applications begin with the submission of an online form; this is due in November. Everyone who submits this form then sits for a mathematics aptitude test in December. Students with a high score on the test are invited to an interview, and after that students receiving a seat are announced in February. Prospective students must attain GSCE scores of 8-9 in mathematics, 7 or above in physics, and grade 5 or above in at least seven total GCSEs.
Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre
Administered by the City of London Academies Trust, NCS is a coeducational free school, and is partnered with University College London. This school focuses specifically on teaching maths and sciences, and offers the following A-Level courses: Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English Literature, Maths, Further Maths, Geography, Government and Politics, History, Physics, Psychology, and Religious Studies.
The goal of the school is to give students a thorough academic understanding of their subjects, and to prepare them to enter top universities. Their A-Level results support this, with 96% of students attaining A*-B, and 100% getting a C or higher on all A-Level exams. Their university admissions results are also impressive, with students matriculating at both top universities in the UK, and Ivy league and other top schools in the US. They are regularly ranked among the best sixth form colleges in London.
Applications to NCS open on January 1, and are due in February. This solely requires the online form, which does include a personal statement. They do warn against the use of AI in crafting your personal statement. In order to qualify for NCS, students must have a minimum of 62 points from their eight best GCSEs. In addition, they need scores of at least 7 in both English Language and Mathematics GCSEs.
London Academy of Excellence
Located in the Stratford area, this is a free school serving approximately 500 pupils. A flagship of the government’s academies program, the school is devoted to offering students an advanced academic curriculum with an eye towards helping them secure spaces in top universities. While the school relies primarily on state funding, they also raise funds from corporate and philanthropic donors to support various activities and offerings of the school.
LAE is consistently named one of the top sixth form colleges in London, and their results bear this out. For their A-Levels, 32% of students earned an A*, 72% earned and A*/A and 92% of all grades earned were a B or higher. They offer an extensive A-Level curriculum, allowing students to choose which subjects they desire to specialize in and dive deep on them, while providing a broad range of student supports to assist in this.
Applications to LAE must be done online. Applicants are encouraged to attend the school’s open evening to learn more; either in person or virtually; both are offered a single time each year. Your online application is due at the end of January, and relies on your projected scores on your GCSEs; provisional offers are sent to students in March. In order to qualify, you need at least 8 GCSEs with scores of 9-7 and must score a 7 or higher on English Language and Mathematics. You must also have a 7 or higher on any subjects you will study for your A-Levels. Applications are extremely competitive, with 7,000 applications for 250 spaces in 2025.
Woodhouse College
Located in the borough of Barnet, Woodhouse is a former grammar school converted to a selective state sixth form college. They are a large college with a broad focus, rather than the focused approach taken by some other top sixth form colleges. While they lack a narrow approach, they are quite strong in all the subjects they offer, seeking to prepare their students for university in a broad range of subjects. The school serves slightly over a thousand pupils.
Woodhouse offers 26 A-Level courses, across STEM and the humanities. Students generally only take three subjects, though some take four. Their exam results are generally quite strong; 17.5% of students received A* last year, 49.7* received A*-A, and 79.7% scored B or higher on their A levels. They regularly send many students to both Oxford and Cambridge, as well as other great universities throughout the UK.
Applications to Woodhouse are done online. These open in October, and close in January. The most important component of the application are your predicted grades on GCSEs. Note that different groups in the application process are weighed differently; children of faculty and students in partner schools have their applications examined first. Note that they have minimum requirements for the GCSE scores you need for each A-Level course; these are minimums, and students should generally have scores higher than these to be competitive for admissions.
Harris Westminster Sixth Form
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This is a free school, formed in cooperation by the government, the Westminster School, and the Harris foundation, and located in Westminster. It had the original goal of supporting underserved students in their university applications, and while it was formed in partnership with a private school, is still technically a state school. They prioritize providing places to disadvantaged students, and have a goal of sending all students to university.
Harris Westminster offers 16 A-level subjects, spread across the humanities and STEM fields. They do not have the narrow focus of some schools, but do offer all subjects at a high level. All students take four subjects. They also offer Cambridge pre-U coursework. Their students do quite well on their A-level exams; last year 19% received an A*, 53% received A*-A, and 78% received a B or better.
Admissions to Harris Westminster are determined based on your admissions test and an interview. They prioritize admitting students who receive free meals; about half of their student body comes from this population. Applications open in September and close in December; examinations are held in January with interviews in February. Results are then announced in March. Offers of admission are conditional on your results on GCSEs.
Best Private Sixth Form Colleges in London
Some of these institutions are part of larger schools, ones which educate students from a young age, while others are stand-alone institutions. Unlike their state counterparts, however, all of these schools cost money to attend, often a fair bit of it. Many of these are well storied schools however. We, of course, cannot cover every private school in London, so we are bringing you a selection of excellent examples, to give a sense of what’s available.
Ashbourne College
Located in Kensington, Ashbourne offers both A-level and GCSE courses, with students having the option to transition from one to the other with satisfactory exam results. They are one of the top-ranked private schools in London, and serve both domestic and international students; indeed, around 40% of their student body is international.
Ashbourne offers 25 different A-level course options. There are also options for students to take shortened or make-up courses, if they are trying to catch up to their peers or perform better on their A-levels on a second go around. Their students perform well on their exams, with 46% achieving A*-A, and 78% scoring a B or higher. Fees are 12,650 per term for A-Level domestic students (or 13,750 for international students). A limited number of scholarships, covering up to full tuition, are available to particularly talented students.
Applications to Ashbourne are competitive, first requiring an online form, and then subject tests for the particular A-Levels you intend to pursue. Those students who are interested in pursuing the arts will have to submit portfolios, those interested in theatre must attend an audition. Predicted or actual scores on the GCSE are a major factor in admissions decisions.
Mander Portman Woodward London
MPW is a collection of schools, and has a campus in London. They primarily offer two-year A-level courses, but they also offer GCSE coursework, and Easter revision courses for students from other schools. The school’s campus is in South Kensington in London. Their goal is to prepare students for admission to top universities, and offer a wide range of coursework options.
The school offers 43 A-Level subjects across a wide array of disciplines. All classes are capped at ten students maximum. They have the widest range of courses available to students in the UK, and offer all of these at a high level. Their results are quite strong across all of these disciplines, with 38% of students receiving an A*-A, and 66% achieving a B or higher on their A-levels. Their students attend a number of top-tier universities, both in the UK and internationally.
Applications to MPW must be done online. They are not academically selective (by their own definition), but do require all students to have an interview, and international students must sit for an assessment exam. Fees depend on the number of courses studied; the basic fee is 11,966 per term.
North Bridge House School
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This is a private school in London serving students from ages 2-18; though age groups are separated into different campuses. It has two separate sixth form campuses; each of which is combined with a senior school. Both schools have the same offerings, but have different head teachers and slight variations in culture. Both, however, offer high level coursework with the goal of preparing students for university.
Nortbridge offers 20 A-level subjects, spread across a variety of disciplines, both STEM and the humanities. Students typically only study three A-level subjects, but may choose four depending on GCSE results and ability. Their results in the A-levels are quite good, with 40% of students earning an A*-A, with notable high performances in particular subjects, especially drama and languages. Their students matriculate to a number of top universities throughout the UK and internationally.
Applications to Northbridge must be done online; as there are two separate sixth form campuses, each handles admissions separately (though the overall process is the same), and you should decide which you want to attend when applying. The process requires a brief online form, this is due in November. Once these are reviewed, students are invited to interviews and assessments on campus to test their fit for the school, these take place at the end of November. Note that most students apply to join the school for year 7, rather than for sixth form. Term fees are 10,472 for sixth form students. Discounts are available if multiple siblings are attending the school.
Final Thoughts
Unlike in many US cities, the state administered sixth form colleges in London often outperform their private counterparts, especially at the high end. Due to the somewhat patchwork nature of schools in London, however, it can be quite an adventure to find and apply to these schools, especially if you want to consider options outside of what your current school partners with.
This is where Ivy Scholars can help. If you are looking for help deciding between your options for schools, or managing the process of applying to US universities as a student in the UK, then we have just the thing for you. Our mentors are well versed in helping students find the best educational environment for them, and in helping international students navigate the admissions process for US universities. If you are looking for help with this, or any other aspect of your educational journey, don’t wait. Schedule a free consultation with us today. We’re always happy to hear from you.
