Best secondary schools in Wales revealed

The Sunday Times has revealed its list of the best schools in Wales, following the release of their nationwide School League Tables 2026.

The guides were released on Friday (5 December), with research taking into account both GCSE and A-level results from 2025 and previous years, alongside ‘editorial discretion’, to form the final secondary school rankings.

All seven Welsh schools that made the list of best state secondary schools are mixed gender, with three based in south Wales, three in southwest and mid-Wales, and one in north Wales.

Where the best private or ‘independent’ schools in Wales are concerned, nine made the rankings with seven in south and south-west Wales, one in mid Wales and one in north Wales.

Cowbridge School received the accolades ‘State Secondary School of the Year’ and ‘State Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence’.

With 1,562 students and an average class size of 24, the school achieved 74.5% A*-B at A-level and 47.1% grades 9, 8, and 7 at GCSE.

Headteacher Debra Thomas told the Times: “Our success is as a result of highly skilled, dedicated staff and we invest heavily in their professional development. We look globally for best practice and ensure that pedagogy is at the forefront to everything we do.”

However, despite being the best Welsh state school, Cowbridge School ranked 358th in the Sunday Times’ overall School League Tables.

Also known as the Parent Power guide, the 2026 league tables include 400 state and independent secondary schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with 78 of the top 100 spots taken by private schools.

The league tables also include the top 100 state schools in Scotland, 35 11-16 schools, 30 International Baccalaureate state schools, and 50 sixth form colleges.

Only schools that provided the Times with A-level and GCSE results, or published results in the public domain, are included in the rankings.

Cardiff Sixth Form College, named ‘Independent School of the Year for A-levels’ and ‘Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence’ in Wales ranked 46th in the overall tables.

All but one of the independent Welsh schools, Christ College Brecon, ranked higher than every Welsh state school on the list.

‘Challenging’

“The picture of education in Wales in the state sector is more challenging,” the Times’ Editorial Projects Director Helen Davies writes in the guide to the Best Schools in Wales 2026.

“There are no [Welsh state] schools in the top 200 secondary school league table and days after pupils celebrated their A-level and GCSE results this summer Onward, a centre-right think tank, published a report into the state of Welsh learning and concluded that attainment had stagnated so much that average Welsh pupils perform only as well as the most disadvantaged pupils in England.”

The guide also cites the ongoing negative effects of the pandemic on grades, with Davies writing: “The UK is ranked 14th among OECD countries in the Pisa tables.

“But if Wales were to be ranked as an individual country, the report said, it would come just above Vietnam in 34th place. On top of this, the impact of the pandemic means that all progress since 2012 has been wiped out.”

‘Improvements’

A spokesperson for Education Wales told the Times: “Our latest GCSE and A level results show improvements in attainment on 2024, particularly in the top grades and at A*-C.

“The latest national data from personalised assessments shows progress in reading and numeracy over the previous year, especially among younger learners.

“Wales’s education system is moving in the right direction thanks to the additional support we are providing to schools, continued investment and the hard work of school staff. We will continue working hard to raise education standards for all.”

Top State Secondary Schools in Wales 2026 

1. Cowbridge School, Cowbridge (358)
2. Ysgol Bro Preseli, Crymych (553)
3. Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig, Aberystwyth (610)
4. Ysgol Eirias, Colwyn Bay (630)
5. Y Pant Comprehensive, Pontyclun (640)
6. Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin, Carmarthenshire (647)
7. Bishop Vaughan RC School, Swansea (679)

Top Independent Secondary Schools in Wales 2026

1. Cardiff Sixth Form College (46)
2. Westbourne School, Penarth (66)
3. St Michael’s School, Llanelli (68)
4. St John’s College, Cardiff (96)
5. The Cathedral School, Llandaff (114)
6. Ruthin School, Ruthin (241)
7. Howell’s School, Llandaff (262)
8. Rougemont School, Newport (274)
9. Christ College Brecon (477)

The guide to the Best Schools in Wales 2026 can be found here, while the overall Parent Power School League Tables 2026 are available here.