For secondary schools pupils currently preparing for their GCSEs, exams will be here before they know it - and then it will be on to the sixth form, and their all-important A Levels.
Earlier this month, the Government released the latest performance figures for state-funded sixth form colleges and secondary schools, meaning England’s top A Level performers have now been named. We’ve used this new data to compare how those across the East and West Sussex did - as well as Brighton and Hove - to create a league table of stand-out sixth forms for A Levels in the 2023/24 school year.
They have been ranked by their A Level performance point scores, a unique measurement derived from exam results that gives them a score out of 60. You’ll also see the overall ‘average grades’ each school’s students achieved across their A Level entries - and we’ve only included those with at least a B- average.
Sussex families who monitor school performance figures will notice quite a few schools which also featured on last year’s league table. But some who saw their scores dip have dropped from this year’s ranking, while others who saw scores rise have been newly included.
We also checked that each school included had an overall Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ before this measure was recently dropped, or, if they’ve been inspected more recently, had at least ‘good’ grades across the board. This means that the quality of education provided, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management and student safeguarding were all found to meet or exceed government standards last time the school was inspected.
Here were the 13 state sixth forms from across Sussex that made the cut:
1. Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College
At the top of the list for a second year running, this is a large sixth form college in Brighton and Hove. It was formerly ranked ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted, and had nearly 1,600 students sit their A Levels there last year. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 40.75 - giving it an average grade of B. | Google
2. Uckfield College
This is a local authority-maintained secondary school and sixth form in Uckfield, East Sussex. It was formerly rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 39.37 - giving it an average grade of B. | Google
3. Seaford Head School
This is a secondary academy and sixth form in Seaford, East Sussex. It was formerly rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 37.9 - giving it an average grade of B-. | Google
4. St Philip Howard Catholic School
St Philip Howard is a Catholic secondary academy and sixth form in Barnham, West Sussex. It was formerly rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an A Level point score of 37.74 - giving it an average grade of B-. | Google