INDEPENDENT fee-paying schools in the county dominate the A-level leagues published this week.

Of the top ten secondary schools in Kent, seven are private. The exceptions are Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls; the Judd School and Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar. All ten select their pupils.

Top of the pile was Tonbridge School, the independent boys school, with an average point score of 107.6, compared to a national average of 76 points.

Second best was Benenden School, the private girls school, with a point score of 102.5.

Across the country, independent schools generally fared much better than state schools and that trend was mirrored in Kent.

Kent’s grammar schools also did well and most were among the higher placed schools in the tables.

Of the non-selective schools, among the best performers were Hillview School for Girls in Tonbridge (75.7 points); the Bennett Memorial School in Tunbridge Wells (69.5) and Northfleet School for Girls in Gravesend (80.5).

The publication of the tables was delayed because of the row over A level results last year.

The data is different from previous years and comparisons with results from those years cannot be made. For the first time, the tables show the combined results of AS levels and A2 exams taken over two years.