How The Mount School York achieves consistently excellent exam results and what to ask at school open days

Head Anna Wilby explains how The Mount School achieves consistently A-Level results in York, is a Top 10 independent school for academic excellence (North) in the Sunday Times’ esteemed Parent Power list and was finalist in the Small Independent School of the Year two years’ running.

Register now for the Whole School Open Day on Saturday 4th October and Sixth Form College Information Evening on Monday 13th October.

What a year for The Mount, which saw girls achieve the best A Level results York for 2024 with strong A Level and GCSE results this summer of 2025 too.

In an exciting period of change, we recently welcomed boys into Year One in The Mount Prep School (Year Two from September 2026) and this happy, co-educational class is thriving.

Senior school remains proudly all girls. Educating girls since 1785, The Mount believes that teenage girls flourish in a single-sex environment and our fantastic exam results bear this out.

Our proudly Quaker education goes beyond academic achievement, preparing pupils for rewarding lives. Mount pupils enter society combining responsibility and independence with an open-minded, questioning attitude, becoming the change they wish to see.

Our pupils excel in so many ways, not just academically, as we think beyond the curriculum. Mount pupils test themselves beyond the school gates, such as at the Bath Model United Nations for public speaking, regional competitions in all academic fields including the UK Maths Trust and Physics Olympics, and performing arts contests like The Great Dance Off finals.

In Sixth Form we have just proudly introduced a brand new award programme called Ignite where girls are awarded gold, silver or bronze for life skills alongside academic studies such as volunteering. This helps them stand out when applying for next steps.

We equip our pupils for life, urging them to be ‘peaceful disruptors’ for good in a nurturing ethos of equality and respect.

Nothing beats a visit

Come and hear from current pupils about what makes The Mount School York so unique. Visit the Whole School Open Day on Saturday 4th October, at 10am-1pm. Or the Sixth Form College Information Evening is on Monday 13th October at 6-8pm.

Open Day tips

One of the most important decisions you will ever make with your child – choosing a school – should not be entered into lightly. Some parents are enticed by status and reputation but others have learnt that ensuring the school suits your child is the best way to ensure they excel and are happy.

Preparation is key: Agree what your key priorities are and what you are not willing to compromise on. Then ask specific questions. Good schools welcome intelligent probing from diligent families.

Look out for golden indicators: Polite, articulate children with personalities, not scripts, the sounds of laughter, true pupil voice in the classroom, opportunities for children to participate and lead, and then trust your instincts.

Exam results are indicators but never the whole story. Pupils need to be happy and settled in order to thrive.

A tour with a pupil guide is essential, and alarm bells should ring if you are not offered interaction with existing pupils, who will give you the real picture.

At The Mount, our open days are deliberately not flashy. You will get delicious home-baked refreshments and be led on tours by both sparky, articulate pupils, and shyer ones, but you won’t be given prospectuses embossed in gold (against our Quaker sustainability values) for the sake of it.

We want to give a full picture so we can all establish if there’s a true fit in the interests of the child. With a small admissions team, you will have bespoke conversations with the Registrar. We are ready to welcome new pupils where that decision will work for both sides and we are never just about numbers.

A Quaker school where pupils live adventurously, amidst equality and respect, we will be open and transparent as we potentially start an exciting journey together. Let’s take it from there . . .

Register for Open Events now

The Mount is an exceptional independent day and boarding school in the heart of historical York, only 10 minutes’ walk from York train station.

To register for the upcoming Whole School Open Day on Saturday 4th October or Sixth Form College Information Evening on Monday 13th October, visit the website