Westcliff High School for Boys Academy
Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0BP · Southend-on-Sea · Grammar school
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1st of 12 secondary schools in Southend-on-Sea we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to the 212 schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 8.8/10 among them, against 9.8/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 94 | 35% | 3.29 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 98.9 · 99 | 30% | 2.97 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.93 · 97 | 25% | 2.42 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 77.2 · 99 | 10% | 0.99 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Westcliff High School for Boys Academy overview
How it's doing
The school achieved an Attainment 8 score of 77.6 in 2024/25, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.93 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. 97.7% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in 2024/25. Ofsted rated the school Outstanding in January 2024. Narrow the comparison to the schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 8.6 out of 10 among them, against 9.8 out of 10 nationally.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join Poetry, Robotics, Debating, Medicine, Chess, and Wargaming clubs. Music provision includes choirs, string ensembles, jazz bands, a Big Band, and a Symphony orchestra. Inter-house sporting competitions are held, and trips include theatre visits, Iceland, Barcelona, China, battlefields in Belgium and France, ski trips, and foreign exchanges.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,309 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,300. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How many places are there in the entry year, and how many families applied last year?
What Ofsted said about Westcliff High School for Boys Academy
Overview
The report describes a school where pupils “consistently rise to meet” high expectations and “achieve exceptionally well.” Leaders provide “inspirational” guidance, fostering a culture where students are “proud of the school” and develop into “effective leaders and communicators.”
Strengths
- The curriculum is “highly ambitious and well-thought-out,” being “academically rigorous” and going “far beyond the requirements of the national curriculum.”
- Teachers are “experts in their subject” who deliver lessons that are “challenging, yet well-pitched,” encouraging pupils to “debate and discuss their ideas” respectfully.
- Pupils demonstrate “high standards of conduct” and “extremely positive learning attitudes,” both in lessons and outside the classroom.
- There is a “strongly shared love of reading,” supported by regular opportunities to engage with “challenging texts” across the curriculum.
- The sixth form is “integral to the main school,” with older students supporting younger pupils through tutoring and peer mentoring, creating a “strong sense of community.”
Areas to improve
The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.
Safeguarding
The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 77.3 |
| 2024/25 | 77.6 |
| 2025/26 | 77.2 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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