Wilson’s School in Wallington has been named the UK’s state secondary of the year for 2018 by national newspaper The Sunday Times.

The selective boys’ grammar school, in Mollison Drive, took this year’s award as 86 percent of their GCSE results were A* and A grades.

A further 97 percent of their A-Levels were A*, A, or B grades.

They ranked top among secondary schools in south London and third overall across the capital, behind Queen Elizabeth’s School and The Henrietta Barnett School – both in Barnet, north London.

This is Wilson’s School’s highest finish in The Sunday Times’ Parent Power top 10 list following a fourth-place finish in the 2017 national rankings.

Headteacher Nathan Cole said: “Founded in 1615, Wilson’s has a long history of excellence. We have continued to build on this in recent years, with A-Level results in 2018 which are almost unsurpassed by independent or state schools across the UK.

“Whilst our boys are able and you would expect them to perform highly, government measures show that they make greater progress from their starting points with us than is typical almost anywhere else.

“Set against a backdrop of sustained increases in costs and significant reductions in sixth form funding, it is testament to the increased efforts of parents, boys and staff that we continue to achieve such wonderful outcomes.

“At Wilson’s our focus is as much on the character of the young men we send out into the world, and I am delighted that The Sunday Times award has acknowledged our emphasis on kindness, courtesy and good old fashioned hard work.

“I am very proud to lead Wilson’s and congratulate all on this award.”

But there was also praise for Sutton Grammar School, in Manor Lane, and Nonsuch High School for Girls, in Woodcote Road, as they ranked ninth and 10th respectively in Parent Power.

For Sutton Grammar School, 81 percent of their GCSE results were A* or A grades, while nearly 85 percent of their A-Levels were from A* to B.

And Nonsuch High School for Girls had 82 percent of their GCSEs between A* and A, with 80 percent of their A-Levels from A* to B.

The former jumped a huge 31 places, from 50th to 19th, over the course of a year as the latter dropped three spots to 24th.

It comes as The Sunday Times publishes its 26th edition of Parent Power this Sunday (November 25), identifying the 2,000 highest-achieving schools in the UK when ranked by recent exam results.

Alongside assessments of academic results, you can compare performances of a given school with others in the same town, local authority, or nationally.

The fully searchable database is available to The Times and Sunday Times subscribers at: thesundaytimes.co.uk/parentpower