Esher College and Hampton School are two well-known sixth form providers in South West London and Surrey, but they represent very different types of institutions. Hampton School is a highly selective independent boys’ school, while Esher College is a large state sixth form college with a much broader intake. As a result, their A level results differ significantly in terms of the proportion of top grades achieved.
At A level, Hampton School consistently produces extremely strong academic results. In recent years around 85 to 90 percent of grades have been awarded at A* to B, with roughly 70 percent at A* or A. A significant proportion of students achieve multiple A* grades, and the school regularly sends pupils to highly competitive universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and other Russell Group institutions. The strong academic results reflect Hampton’s selective admissions process and its long tradition as one of the leading independent schools in the country.
Esher College also achieves strong A level outcomes, particularly considering its much broader intake and large student body. Around half of grades are typically awarded at A* to B, with roughly 20 to 25 percent at A* or A. The college has a strong reputation for helping students progress to university and offers a very wide range of A level subjects as well as vocational courses. Many students go on to respected universities across the UK, and the college is well known locally for supporting students of different academic backgrounds to achieve good results.
Another important difference between the two institutions is their size and structure. Hampton School is a traditional independent boys’ school with smaller class sizes and a highly selective intake. Esher College, by contrast, is a large co-educational sixth form college with several thousand students and a wide range of academic pathways.
Because of these differences, comparing the headline percentages of top grades does not tell the whole story. Hampton School achieves a higher proportion of A* and A grades largely because it admits pupils with very strong GCSE results. Esher College, meanwhile, focuses heavily on value-added progress and supporting students with a wide range of GCSE backgrounds.
Overall, Hampton School produces significantly higher proportions of the very top A level grades and consistently ranks among the strongest performing independent schools. Esher College, however, remains one of the largest and most successful sixth form colleges in the region, offering strong outcomes and university progression for a much broader range of students.
Educational Choices 