Research edition · Comparison · Eton · SPGS

How do Eton and SPGS compare on A-level grades at A*?

Comparison · A-level grades at A* · 2019, 2022–2023, 2025. Edition of 13 Nov 2026.

The answer

SPGS comes out higher than Eton on the share of A-level entries awarded A* when the available years are compared. The same school comes out higher in every period we checked.

Measure: Share of published A-level entries awarded A* in the named examination year. Years: 2019, 2022–2023, 2025.

Your briefing (0)

The figures

2019, 2022–2023, 2025

A-level grades at A* · 2019–2025
  • Eton
  • SPGS
A-level grades at A*, 2019–2025, on a scale of 20% to 80%. Eton: 4 years (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), latest 40.2% in 2025; circle marker, solid; SPGS: 4 years (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), latest 66.8% in 2025; square marker, long dashes. Each point links to its source record; the exact values are listed below the chart. Exam eras: 2019; 2020–21 (grades set by schools); 2022 (return to exams); 2023–25. The rule beneath the axis marks exam conditions, not schools.Eton 2019: 38.3%Eton 2022: 55.4%Eton 2023: 43.7%Eton 2025: 40.2%SPGS 2019: 52.1%SPGS 2022: 73.2% (provisional)SPGS 2023: 55.1%SPGS 2025: 66.8% (provisional)

Each school against the same scale and years.

Eton
A-level grades at A*, 2019–2025, on a scale of 20% to 80%. Eton: 4 years (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), latest 40.2% in 2025; circle marker, solid. Each point links to its source record; the exact values are listed below the chart. Exam eras: 2019; 2020–21 (grades set by schools); 2022 (return to exams); 2023–25. The rule beneath the axis marks exam conditions, not schools.Eton 2019: 38.3%Eton 2022: 55.4%Eton 2023: 43.7%Eton 2025: 40.2%
SPGS
A-level grades at A*, 2019–2025, on a scale of 20% to 80%. SPGS: 4 years (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), latest 66.8% in 2025; square marker, long dashes. Each point links to its source record; the exact values are listed below the chart. Exam eras: 2019; 2020–21 (grades set by schools); 2022 (return to exams); 2023–25. The rule beneath the axis marks exam conditions, not schools.SPGS 2019: 52.1%SPGS 2022: 73.2% (provisional)SPGS 2023: 55.1%SPGS 2025: 66.8% (provisional)

Exam eras: 2019; 2020–21 (grades set by schools); 2022 (return to exams); 2023–25. The rule beneath the axis marks exam conditions, not schools.

A break in a line means a year has no comparable figure; nothing is estimated. A hollow marker is a provisional figure the school may revise. The figures behind the chart are listed below.

A-level grades at A*: Eton and SPGS, each year both can be compared. The gap is Eton minus SPGS, in percentage points.
YearEton (%)SPGS (%)Gap (points)
201938.352.1−13.8
202255.473.2−17.8
202343.755.1−11.4
202540.266.8−26.6

Figures to two decimal places at most. A figure known only within the school’s rounding is shown as a range, never as its lower end.

Read this with the answer

  • These figures cover A levels alone. IB, Pre-U and combined-qualification results are kept separately. Teacher-assessed results from 2020–21 are left out unless you choose to include them. Where publications disagree and the difference remains unresolved, both figures stay in the source record and neither enters this comparison.
  • Published results describe different groups of pupils, chosen in different ways. They can’t show the effect of attending a school, or what one pupil would achieve.
  • Only the years both schools can be compared on are used: 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025. A missing or excluded year is not a zero result.
  • Fewer than five shared years, which is too few for the period check: it needs five.
  • These figures carry the record’s existing source checks, which are kept apart from background links. This edition didn’t reopen every original publication.
  • Historical results: the latest shared year is 2025. They can’t show 2026 results.

6 of the 8 recorded figures behind this comparison have an exact source check for that field and year; 2 are recorded or calculated figures with their support set out in Record details. This is not a fresh check of every source.

With research access

What the study means, and what to ask next

With research access, read our interpretation of the differences between the schools, see whether the choice of years changes the answer, and prepare questions for each school. It is added to your briefing with its sources, dates and qualifications.

Research access is open. Each licence’s price and terms are shown on the research access page before you pay.

Shown again, with the terms, before you pay

Where the figures come from

8 records

Each record gives the full definition, the documents it came from and what we checked.

  1. Eton College · 2019 · A-level results · official tables · 2019

    Publications differ on A*–A. Checked against the original: A*–B.

  2. St Paul’s Girls’ School · 2019 · Published examination results · 2019 · A-level

    This figure hasn’t been fully checked against the original yet.

  3. Eton College · 2022 · A-level results · official tables · 2022

    Publications differ on A*–A. Checked against the original: A*, A*–B and pass.

  4. St Paul’s Girls’ School · 2022 · A-level · published record · 2022 · A-level

    Checked against the original: 12 figures, including A* count, A* and A*–A.

  5. Eton College · 2023 · A-level · published record · 2023 · A-level

    Checked against the original: 10 figures, including A* count, A* and A*–A.

  6. St Paul’s Girls’ School · 2023 · A-level · published record · 2023 · A-level

    Checked against the original: 12 figures, including A* count, A* and A*–A.

  7. Eton College · 2025 · A-level results · official tables · 2025

    Checked against the original: A*, A*–A, entries and pass. Not yet checked: A*–B.

  8. St Paul’s Girls’ School · 2025 · Published examination results · 2025 · A-level

    Checked against the original: A*, A*–A, A*–B and entries.

Figure and sourceOpen full record ↗