A Welsh school has been rated one of the best in the UK. Cardiff Sixth Form College was named Boarding School of the Year at the prestigious Independent Schools Association’s 2024 Awards - an annual event which rates independent education across the UK.
The fee charging college, which has campuses in Cardiff and Cambridge, was also recognised as the Independent School of the Year for international student experience. More than 400 of the 375 students at the Cardiff Campus and 102 at the Cambridge campus are full boarders with more than 40 different nationalities among them.
Once dubbed “Britain’s brainiest school”, Cardiff Sixth Form College charges up to £62,700 for boarders and more than £24,000 for day pupils. It also offers scholarships to GCSE high achievers from maintained schools in Wales to come and study A levels there. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter
It topped the list for the best UK independent school for A level results this summer for the 13th year running. The highly academically selective school’s results are far and away the best for A*-A grades in the UK, according to data from the Independent Schools Council.
In summer 2024, 90.74% of Cardiff Sixth Form College students achieved A*- A which is more than three percentage points higher than the next best in the UK’s number two slot, Westminster School in London (which counts Nick Clegg among its alumni).
This year the college’s success at A*- A results is three times higher than the Wales average .The top performing student last summer collected an astonishing six A* grades.
Judges noted that all students, whether boarders or not, could take part in before and after school, weekend and half-term activities. The college, owned by Dukes Education, stays open over half-terms and Easter, running ‘enrichment weeks. Students are also encouraged to share and celebrate diversity with special assemblies and international food on the menu.
The ISA judges said: “Their teaching and learning strategy aims to fuse the creative pedagogy and rich questioning of Western cultures with the intellectual discipline of Eastern education systems. Students are taught PPE alongside the traditional PSHE topics in order to enrich cultural literacy, thus broadening their horizons and preparing them for the rigour of university, with 83% gaining places at universities in the Top 100 world rankings.”
College principal Tom Arrand said: “This prestigious achievement honours the commitment and dedication of all of our boarding staff who work tirelessly throughout the year to ensure our boarders are superbly cared for and supported. It also reflects the wider culture of this vibrant community, which sets high standards and where the atmosphere is one of respect and a shared love of learning."
1. Cardiff Sixth Form College (90.74%)
2. Westminster School, London (87%)
3. St Michael’s School, Llanelli (86.8%)
4. Brighton College (86.4%)
5. King’s College School, Wimbledon (86.1%)
6. Queen Ethelburga’s College, York (84.4%)
7. Guildford High School ( 82.7%)
8. Wycombe Abbey, High Wycombe ( 82.4%)
