Many of our London clients choose to move schools for A levels. This can be for a number of reasons. They may want to leave their single-sex school for a co-educational experience, for a fresh start or to access a greater variety of A-level choices. See a selection of the best London colleges below:
Ashbourne College
Ashbourne is located on the borders of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, in the heart of London. High-quality tuition is coupled with an informal and friendly atmosphere where students feel happy, confident and able to reach their full potential.
The college embraces a friendly, informal but disciplined, adult approach to education. Students take lessons in small groups where they are encouraged to explore and test their ideas with the teacher and other students, becoming more independent thinkers. The small class sizes enable their teachers to offer greater individual attention, set more homework and provide feedback.
56% A*A (2021-2022)
59% Russell Group universities
Outstanding, Ofsted Report 2021
Class size: fewer than 10
Curriculum: GCSE and A level courses
LSI Independent College, Hampstead
LSI Independent college focuses on helping each student to achieve the best possible A level results while providing a learning environment which is nurturing and supportive. Building the self-confidence and sense of well-being in each and every one of the students is fundamental. Small class sizes and a warm environment help students to success academically. The college’s ethos feeds back into successful applications to universities and success in the wider employment world, where confidence is crucial.
Average class size: 8
Curriculum: GCSE and A-level courses
Albemarle College
Based in central London Albemarle College offers broad GCSE and A-Level curriculums in Sciences, Computer Science & Mathematics, Business & Humanities, Languages, Arts & Literature.
Albemarle has a reputation for excellent A-level results. All full-time A-level students have achieved a 100% pass rate with an average of 88% A* – B grades over the past 10 years, considerably above the national average.
The majority of A-level students are placed at the university of their first or second choice, including many top universities such as Bath, York, Edinburgh, Imperial, UCL and Queen Mary’s.
88% A* – B grades over the past 10 years
Curriculum: GCSE, A/S & A level
Brampton College
Brampton College is located in Hendon, North West London.
The college aims to help each individual student succeed in their aspirations and achieve the best possible exam results. To this end, the College has an ethos which places an emphasis on individual support and mentoring. Class sizes are small, with an average of seven, and weekly tutorials are available in all subjects to review coursework and tests, discuss areas of difficulty and to prepare and build confidence for exams.
Weekly or fortnightly tests are an integral feature of all courses and a critical factor in the success of our students. They identify areas of weakness and help students gain the confidence and techniques for succeeding in exams. Heads of Department supervise progress using these weekly test and homework marks, and these records are then passed on to each student’s Personal Tutor to discuss with them in their weekly meeting. Communication and collaboration with parents is highly valued and so all of this is summarised in the students’ reports which are available to parents on a regular basis.
A Level 55.8% A*/A grades, 81.7% A*- B grades
Curriculum: A-levels
DLD College
DLD College has very much a college, as opposed to a school feel, so it is a good foundation for university. There is boarding, hence lots of overseas students.
Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline together with student well-being and mental health are key, the ethos of the school being that if mental, physical and emotional needs are addressed, the grades will follow. The school has two counsellors, a life coach, a head of well-being, a head of co-curricular, an attendance officer, plus 40 staff trained in mental-health first aid.
Discipline is structured but not authoritarian. Overall atmosphere is relaxed and informal, staff are called by their first name, but the head is uniformly addressed as ‘sir’. Pupils kept a close eye on inside and outside the gates, with double-guarded single entrance and Reach tracking software used to identify movements of sixth formers. Years 10 and 11 not allowed out during the day. The pupils are actively involved in charity, academic and well-being and organise a summer ball and a graduation’ ceremony, which took place in a committee room at the House of Commons.
The school has its own basement gym and pool and weekly games afternoon, but the urban
location means no onsite playing fields. Main sports are football and netball played at nearby Archbishop’s Park, in the lee of Lambeth Palace.
Curriculum: A-levels, BTEC, International Foundation Programme, Academic Preparation Course
Mander Portman Woodward
Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline are strong, each student has a director of studies, who acts as the pivot of their personal and academic life. They get to know the students’ strengths and weaknesses, help them manage the workload and deal with other aspects of daily life, as well as being the main point of contact for parents. MPW have lots of success with students accessing Medicine degrees in London and throughout the UK.
A-level students are only required to attend college for actual lessons; this is the same for GCSE students, but only with their parents’ permission – otherwise, they are supervised between classes and given timetabled library sessions.
The well-qualified coaching staff in rugby, football and tennis and the head personally runs the golf lessons. Cricket nets at Lords used regularly. Rugby popular and successful, with matches against leading independents like Dulwich College and Epsom. Football, too, has an enthusiastic following. Those who dislike team sports can enjoy tennis, dance and yoga, and all students have free access to a local gym.
Curriculum: A-levels
If you are new to London and want to know more about the city’s school system, then our blog on a beginner’s guide to choosing a school in London may be of interest to you. For more information on Ashbourne College, please read our dedicated blog here.
To discuss admission to London sixth form colleges or to discuss your A level choices, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
