Waldegrave School in Twickenham is the best state secondary school in the country, according to the Sunday Times.

The school was ranked best in the country following very strong performance in their first year of A-level results.

The newspaper will reveal the academy has taken the top prize in this Sunday’s edition.

In 2016, 85 per cent of pupil scored A* - C in their GCSE exams, while 75 percent of pupils scored A* - B at their A-levels.

The school, which has consistently ranked in the guide’s top ten, despite previously not having a sixth form, also sent five students to either Oxford or Cambridge this year.

Waldegrave headteacher Philippa Nunn said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been given this prestigious award.

“I am very pleased that the dedicated staff who have worked so hard to make Waldegrave such a fantastic school are getting the recognition they deserve.

“Thanks must also go to our wonderful students, governors and parents for their commitment and support. Without them this would not have been possible.

Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times’ schools guide, said: “Opening a new sixth form is a huge challenge for any school with no guarantee that success will carry over from GCSE to A-level.

“Outstanding teaching and dynamic leadership have ensured that previous GCSE success at Waldegrave was translated to A-levels.

“That the school manages to rank among the top 10 comprehensives in Britain at the first time of asking is nothing short of remarkable and a considerable feather in the cap of teaching staff and students alike.”

The Sunday Times Schools Guide, Parent Power, which has been running since 1993, ranks the top 2000 schools in the UK.