Latest confirmed data reveals the top 10 local schools for GCSE results in Wales. Just over half of all grades were A*-A at the best school
The best maintained schools in Wales for GCSE results is shown in Welsh Government data. The figures show how schools in Wales compare in terms of their grades. The statistics show the schools and local authorities performing best. The data shows which schools get the best results for A*-A, A*-C and overall pass rates A*-G.
The latest GCSE results for Wales last week recorded a slight rise in top grades. The most recent Welsh Government figures comparing schools are for the 2023-2024 academic year.
That data shows the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff High as the best for GCSE results in Wales. It is closely followed by another city school – Cardiff High. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here
Confirmed data for each school for last week’s 2025 GCSE results is yet to be published but Cardiff and Swansea, which both have schools in the top five best in Wales for GCSE grades, beat the national results for 2025 last week. Here’s how Cardiff schools performed. You can check how Swansea schools did here.
The 2024 rankings are for the first year exams returned to “normal” pre-pandemic conditions without teacher assessed grades or extra support for “lost learning”. Comparisons are tricky because of that and the most useful comparable year is 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
Read more: Thousands of teenagers in Wales to sit important test next term
Figures show the school with the highest percentages of A*-As may not have the highest percentages of A*-C or overall pass rates A*-G. This may be an indication of a focus for top results rather than overall grades A* to G. The gold standard are A* to C grades. You can check which councils have the best GCSE results in Wales here.
Below we look at the top 10 schools in Wales for GCSE results run with public money, although some are church schools and have differing entry criteria. Five of the 10 are in Wales’ largest local education authority, Cardiff and three are church schools.
All but one are in the three same local authorities, Cardiff, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan. One is in Wrexham.
Comparing exam results comes with the caveat that they are only one measure of how schools perform. Schools have widely differing demographics and church schools have different entry criteria.
It is notable that the top schools for GCSE results tend to be in more affluent areas of Wales.
Top 10 maintained schools in Wales for GCSEs 2023-24
Bishop Of Llandaff Church In Wales High, Cardiff
The Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School, Cardiff. Picture by Peter Bolter
Entries 1,935
A*-A 50.1%
A*- C 94.4%
A*-G 100.0
Cardiff High
Entries 2,422
A*- A 49.1%
A*-C 90.2%
Bishopston Comprehensive, Swansea
Entries 2,282
A*-A 46.1%
A*-C 86.2%
A*-G 99.8%
A*-G 99.3%
Cowbridge Comprehensive, Vale of Glamorgan
Entries 2,276
A*-A 43.9%
A*-C 86.8%
A*-G 99.7%
Stanwell School, Penarth,Vale of Glamorgan
Entries 3,502
A*-A 42.9%
A*-C 87%
A*-G 99.1%
Olchfa School, Swansea
Entries 2,650
A*A 41.8%
A*-C 81.8%
A*-G 98.4%
Corpus Christ Catholic High, Cardiff
090508
Corpus Christi Catholic High School , Cyncoed , where pupils are upset after being told they have to leave the school today instaed of next Tuesday , leaving them with less time to revise for exams.
Pictured left to right as the caretaker locks them out for the last time are Chloe Stewart , Megan Hayes , Lauren King , Samantha Blackshaw , and Esi Baisie , all aged 16
Entries 2,116
A*-A 41.4%
A*-C 84.5%
A*-G 98.7
Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff
Entries 2,552
A*-A 35%
A*-C 84.2%
A*-G 99.4
Radyr Comprehensive, Cardiff
Entries 2,306
A*-A 34.3%
A*-C 80%
A*-G 98.1
St Joseph’s Catholic and Anglican High, Wrexham
Entries 1,446
A*-A 33.8%
A*-C 77.4%
A*-G 99.2%
The all-Wales results for summer 2025?
- Grades A*– A 1.1 percentage points higher than 2019 and three percentage points higher than 2024
- Grades A*– C 0.3 percentage points lower than 2019 and 0.3 percentage points higher than 2024
- Grades A*– G 0.3 percentage points lower than 2019 and 0.3 percentage points higher than 2024.
- 2019 was the last pre-pandemic exam year and 2024 was the first year of return to pre-pandemic exam rules.
Grades rosr slightly in 2025 GCSE results last week compared to 2024 and remain similar to before the pandemic in 2019, as was broadly the case last year. Grades at A or above are higher than 2019, although other grades were slightly lower.
