The best state schools according to Tatler

Despite what ex-private school students would have you think, the best education isn’t always the most expensive one. They don’t always get the best results either.

Tattler’s notorious education guide has covered state schools this time around, making visits and sending spies to the places we all did our A-levels. Last time they ranked public and private schools, but this time around their criteria is “Stellar exam results, charming well-disciplined pupils, inspiring teachers, a boggling range of extracurriculars and high expectations” – all for free.

You heard it from Tatler – The Grey Coat Hospital is one of the best in the country, exactly what an “excellent state school” looks like, with Camden School for Girls right behind.

There were top grammars in there too, with Tonbridge and Pate’s both getting mentions.

For all-boys schools, Queen Elizabeth came out as the best in fourth, with the co-ed Holland Park in third.

As always, the top five was dominated by London schools. The best private school in the country according to the magazine is King’s Wimbledon too,  but a handful of schools in Cumbria and Somerset got a shout.

Tatler gave a heavy focus to extracurricular activities, with the more unusual trips abroad doing better. Bohunt were praised for sending pupils to Kyrgyzstan to trek and drink mare’s milk, Cherwell for taking a trip to Swaziland.

The most sporty was by far Beechen, which Tatler reports as having two Olympic gold medallist alumni, seven international rugby players and four-minute-mile runner Roger Bannister. Take that Millfield.