Kenilworth School and Sixth Form named in the Sunday Times top 20 schools list

It was one of only three comprehensives to make it onto the list, with all those ahead of it, except one, being grammar schools, which allow only the most academically able 11-year-olds to join their ranks.

Kenilworth School headteacher Hayden Abbott is thrilled that the school beat off competition from hundreds of other institutions across the region and shared the accolade with no fewer than 17 selective schools.

The selection was based on each school's GCSE and A level success rate, with only grades 7, 8 and 9 at GCSE (previously A and A*) and A*, A and B at A level taken into account.

Sixty-six per cent of Kenilworth's sixth formers gained A*, A or B at A level, with 36.8 per cent achieving a 7, 8 or 9 at GCSE.

Mr Abbott said: "This is an incredible achievement. We offer places to students of all abilities, so the fact that more than a third of our students have reached these incredible grades is pretty amazing."

He added that the school's performance is, in real terms, even better than demonstrated in the Sunday Times.

Mr Abbott added: "One thing the league tables don't take into account is the level of improvement the school has shown. Department for Education figures show that we are in the top 5 per cent of schools nationally in terms of our progress from primary level to GCSE.

"This is done by looking at where pupils sit academically when they arrive at 11 and measuring the level of improvement from there to the point at which they take their GCSEs.

"We also accept students into our sixth form with a lower admission requirement than some of the schools on the list.

"Some demand six GCSEs at grade 6 and above while we only require six grade 5s, which again means the level of improvement between 16 and 18 is higher than that in schools with a higher entry level requirement.

"Our students deserve this recognition and our dedicated teachers always ‘go the extra mile' to support them in so many different ways in lessons and in enrichment activities so that they can achieve their full potential."

This is the second year running in which Kenilworth School has made it to the Sunday Times Top 20 list.

Last year it came 20th and was the only non-selective school to make it to the league table.

Mr Abbott said the value added to students' lives is beyond that measurable by exam results.

As well as being 18th in the West Midlands, Kenilworth School came 182nd in the country.