6 top areas for brilliant state schools

There are several superb state schools to choose from in this desirable and tranquil northern market town including Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (‘Spectacular results at a school intent on helping able high achievers reach their starry goals,’ says our reviewer) and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys ‘(The school motto translates as Work Conquers All and it’s as though these boys are on a mission to prove that’). Plus, Loreto Grammar School (‘Top tier results in a supportive atmosphere where doing well and doing good are equally celebrated’). Locals rave about the community feel, vibrant food scene and, of course, the market – as well as easy access to Manchester.

The Skinners’ School and Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School are among top state schools in this picturesque, historic spa town in Kent, where it’s hard not be wowed by the stylish Georgian architecture which, along with the famous chalybeate spring, has attracted visitors since the 1700s. Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys should also get a mention, along with Bennett Memorial Diocesan School. The town is well located too – just 30 miles southeast of central London and bordering East Sussex. The prefix ‘Royal’ was granted in 1909 – one of only three English towns to boast the title.

Queen Elizabeth’s School and The Henrietta Barnett School are the jewels in the crown, both highly selective grammar schools. ‘Elizabethans feel secure in their own scholarship – to question, challenge and probe,’ says our reviewer of the boys’ school, with the girls’ school described as ‘one of the top academic state schools in the country, in a fabulous setting that doesn’t feel like London’. We also recommend the Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School, Mill Hill County High School, Ashmole Academy, Wren Academy, JCoSS and St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School. Eleven miles from central London, Barnet is one of the capital’s leafier boroughs, but with a bustling town centre.

Located on the western edge of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham is a lively town known for its Regency architecture, upscale areas (such as Montpellier), the racecourse, continental café culture and many festivals – literary, music, jazz and science among them. It is also blessed with some fabulous academically non-selective state schools including Balcarras School and The Cotswold School (both academically non-selective) – while on the grammar front, there’s Pate’s Grammar School and (further afield but with catchment stretching into Cheltenham) Sir Thomas Rich’s School, Ribston Hall High School and The Crypt School. Too expensive? Half an hour down the road is Cirencester, where both Cirencester Deer Park and Cirencester Kingshill School impressed our reviewers.

There are five secondary schools in this affluent historical market town, all rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding. ‘Parents who opt for this school tend to do so because of the emphasis on respect and working hard, as well as the plethora of extracurricular activities,’ says our reviewer of The Bishops Stortford High School, while Hockerill Anglo- European College stands out for having 40 per cent boarders (unusual for a state school). ‘Many move specifically for the school, attracted by the school’s results and pastoral care,’ we say about Hertfordshire and Essex High School and Science College. Located on the border with Essex and close to Stansted Airport, Bishops Stortford is not only a popular commuter town to London, but it has its own appeal too, thanks to the local countryside, river and long-standing market.