Principals: Tom Arrand and Dr Julian Davies
Deputy Head (Pastoral) & Designated Safeguarding Person: Lisa Morton
Deputy Head (Academic): Paula Downey
Director of Marketing and Admissions: Henrietta Lightwood
Financial Director: Sharon Wright
Age range. 14–19 Co-educational.
Number of students. 479.
Cardiff Sixth Form College’s results are outstanding. In 2025, 94% of students received A*–A grades, with 9.67% of students achieving A*–B grades. These results saw the college top the league table as the best independent school in the UK as reported by The Times newspaper. Excellent teaching, one-to-one support, superb academic materials, nearly double the amount of teaching hours of any other school and developing academic students with programmes designed to enhance their careers are what really make the difference. The staff offer outstanding one-to-one support, tutorials and academic enrichment on top of their extensive teaching programme. There are two campuses at the school: one in Cardiff and one in Cambridge. Cambridge also runs an 18-month A level programme as well as the two-year A levels at both campuses.
Cardiff also runs one-year and two-year GCSE courses. GCSE results in 2025 were outstanding, with 75% of students achieving 9–7 grades and 86% 9–6. This course provides a unique opportunity for younger students, many of whom aspire to progress on to the award-winning Sixth Form, to be able to take advantage of the inspirational teaching, excellent career development and modern boarding environment at the top school in the UK. Designed as a four-way career path into top universities, this new course gives students the opportunity to study up to 11 key academic subjects, as well as to improve their English proficiency in small class sizes with intensive teaching.
Cardiff Sixth Form College has an enviable careers department with five full-time careers advisors, personal tutors and a full-time work experience coordinator. In addition, the College is part of Dukes Education with expertise in medical applications, Oxbridge and Russell Group university placements, giving its students access to top industry specialists from across the professions and work placement programmes. A two-year super programme of UCAS support, assistance with university entrance exams, lectures and work experience programmes, interview technique and one-to-one tutoring for personal statements ensure that Cardiff students are expertly prepared for the competitive courses to which they are applying.
The College also offers a wide range of super-curricular activities. Internationally, students undertake voluntary and work placement programmes in Malaysia, Tanzania, India and Europe, join medical, architectural or finance societies and enter national academic competitions such as science Olympiads, Model United Nations and Maths challenges. The Debating Team’s performance this year has been outstanding, coming first in the South Wales round of the Oxford Union Schools Debating Competition and, for five years in a row, Cardiff students have won NASA’s International Space Settlement Design Competition in Florida.
From an extracurricular perspective, students have plenty of opportunities to get involved with sports, performing and creative arts, with highlights including an annual Sports Day, the Cultural Event, Talent Show and annual Glee production. Many are talented musicians and gold awards have been won this year in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
Pastoral care is award-winning with boarding staff and progress tutors constantly monitoring each student. Boarding accommodation is outstanding with every student having a university-style single bedroom or studio apartment.
For more information or to find out about upcoming Open Days and the application process, please go to www.ccoex.com.
Fees per annum (2025-2026). Day: £30,120; Boarding: £72,000.