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Westcliff High School for Girls

Secondary Ages 11-18 1,354 pupils Westcliff-On-Sea
Ofsted: Outstanding

Westcliff High School for Girls is an academy converter in Westcliff-On-Sea for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has 1,354 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Westcliff High School for Girls is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2024. In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 73.8, and 96% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE. Pupils turn up more reliably than at most other secondary school: they missed just 4.7% of sessions in 2024/25, against 8.4% nationally.

Ofsted inspection: March 2024. GCSE results: 2026. A-level results: 2025.

Type Secondary / Academy converter
Age Range 11-18
Religion Unknown
Address Kenilworth Gardens
Westcliff-on-Sea
Essex
SS0 0BS
Phone 01702476026
Reference Number 136490

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1354
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 4.87%
Girls: 95.13%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 8.4%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 15.3%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 25.2

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 Unknown 192 192
8 Unknown 185 185
9 Unknown 186 186
10 Unknown 186 186
11 Unknown 180 180
12 35 176 211
13 31 183 214

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 32%
Indian 17.3%
African 15.5%
Asian, Other 8.3%
Pakistani 4.8%
White, Other 4.2%
White & Asian 2.3%
Chinese 1.9%
Mixed, Other 1.8%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.7%
Unclassified 0.7%
White & Black (African) 0.5%
Caribbean 0.4%
Irish 0.2%

Westcliff High School for Girls has been rated as outstanding in all aspects of its performance during its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school's strong leadership and management, high-quality education, and excellent support for students' personal development contribute to a positive and respectful learning environment. Pupils display exemplary behavior and attitudes, which reflect the high expectations set by the school. The school effectively prepares students for their future endeavors, ensuring they are well-supported throughout their education.

Overall Ofsted Rating Outstanding
 >  Quality of education Outstanding
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Outstanding
  >  Personal Development Outstanding
  >  Leadership & Management Outstanding
  >  Sixth Form Provision Outstanding
Last Report Date 06 Feb 2024
Date Report
06 Feb 2024 School inspection:
14 Feb 2012 Academy conversion letter
06 Oct 2010 Full inspection:
Previously as Westcliff High School for Girls
27 Feb 2009 Monitoring visit
20 Feb 2008 Full inspection:
19 Jan 2004 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Outstanding quality of education with a well-sequenced curriculum
  • High aspirations and ambition for pupils to excel
  • Exemplary pupil behavior and positive attitudes towards learning
  • Effective support for pupils with special educational needs
  • Extensive extra-curricular opportunities available
  • Strong focus on personal, social, health, and economic education

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
73.8

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 96.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 97.3%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade B C C+
Average Grade (best 3) B C+ C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 24.8%
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Year 7 admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 296 21
Third Preference 182 3
From another Local Authority 613 100

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Westcliff High School for Girls had 1,345 pupils for 1,348 places. 3 places (0.2%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Year 7 intake in the “Southend on Sea Secondary” planning area

Southend-on-Sea counted 2,480 Year 7 pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 2,315 in 2031–32, down 7%.

20112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 1,2241,0531,2241,2241,2241,2241,2241,2241,2241,2241,3481,3481,3481,348
Pupils 1,0411,0891,0971,0901,1281,1451,1721,2271,2671,3001,3441,3291,2971,345
Unfilled 15.0%0.0%10.4%10.9%7.8%6.5%4.2%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.3%1.4%3.8%0.2%

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Westcliff High School for Girls attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 9.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 2.4%1.7%2.0%1.8%2.1%2.4%2.3%5.4%4.3%4.0%4.4%
Unauthorised absence 0.4%1.2%0.7%0.8%1.1%0.4%0.3%0.4%0.3%0.3%0.3%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%0.0%0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%0.0%0.4%0.2%0.2%0.5%

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.9% of pupils at Westcliff High School for Girls were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 1.10.90.50.10.31.10.90.40.91.01.21.62.12.42.2
Permanent exclusions 000000000000100

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Westcliff High School for Girls had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 12.912.112.714.315.215.617.417.717.918.919.418.317.817.215.3
Teachers who left state teaching 5.5%7.5%9.7%8.7%11.1%10.1%9.6%17.2%7.2%9.0%8.2%6.0%15.2%8.6%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 69.0%50.0%51.9%50.0%48.6%44.1%58.1%46.1%–30.9%59.1%75.3%58.1%64.3%–
Sick days per teacher 4.62.52.53.14.36.55.23.3–2.03.97.610.05.2–

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 5.5% of pupils at Westcliff High School for Girls were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Other difficulty or disability 27 0
Autistic spectrum disorder 15 4
Social, emotional and mental health 13 0
Specific learning difficulty 6 0
Physical disability 5 0
Hearing impairment 4 0
Speech, language and communication needs 2 0
Vision impairment 1 1
Multi-sensory impairment 0 1
No specialist assessment of need 1 0

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Westcliff High School for Girls received £6,793 and spent £6,886 for each of its 1,342 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,339,000 (£998 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of South East Essex Academy Trust, income was £7,331 and spending £7,262 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2019202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £710,000£920,000£1,261,000£1,616,000£1,397,000£1,427,000£1,339,000
per pupil £559£725£969£1,199£1,048£1,098£998
In-year balance -£385,000£378,000£563,000£363,000£105,000£103,000-£125,000
per pupil -£303£298£432£269£79£79-£93

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

Name Distance
Darlinghurst Academy
Pavilion Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3JS
0.19 miles
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
Manchester Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3HS
0.21 miles
Blenheim Primary School
School Way, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4HX
0.39 miles
Chalkwell Hall Infant School
London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3NL
0.48 miles
Chalkwell Hall Junior School
London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3NL
0.48 miles
Saint Pierre School
16 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 1LE
0.62 miles
Leigh North Street Primary School
North Street, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 1QE
0.82 miles
Eastwood Primary School & Nursery
Rayleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 5UT
0.88 miles
West Leigh Infant School
Ronald Hill Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2JB
0.92 miles
West Leigh Junior School
Ronald Hill Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2JB
0.92 miles
Earls Hall Primary School
Carlton Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0QN
1.04 miles
St. Michael's School
1.19 miles
Fairways Primary School
The Fairway, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4QW
1.19 miles
Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery
Hornby Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0LG
1.22 miles
Heycroft Primary School
Benvenue Avenue, Eastwood, Benvenue Avenue, LEIGH-on-SEA, Essex, SS9 5SJ
1.23 miles
The Westborough School
Macdonald Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 9BS
1.38 miles
Edwards Hall Primary School
Macmurdo Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 5AQ
1.58 miles
Milton Hall Primary School and Nursery
Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7AU
1.61 miles
Beis Chinuch Lebonos Westcliff
121 - 127 North Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7AH
1.62 miles
St Helen's Catholic Primary School
North Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7AY
1.68 miles
Name Distance
Westcliff High School for Boys Academy
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BP
0.05 miles
St Thomas More High School
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BW
0.19 miles
Estuary High School
820 London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3NH
0.38 miles
The St Christopher School
Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4AW
0.49 miles
The Eastwood Academy
Rayleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 5UU
0.79 miles
Kingsdown School
Snakes Lane, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6XT
0.89 miles
Chase High School
Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0RT
0.93 miles
Lancaster School
Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0RT
0.93 miles
Southend High School for Boys
Prittlewell Chase, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0RG
1.19 miles
Belfairs Academy
Highlands Boulevard, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3TG
1.19 miles
St Bernard's High School
Milton Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7JS
1.68 miles
Compass Community School Boleyn Park
8 Trinity Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7PU
1.77 miles
South Essex College of Further and Higher Education
Luker Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1ND
2.02 miles
Sutton House Academy
Wentworth Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, SS2 5LG
2.23 miles
Cecil Jones Academy
Eastern Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 4BU
2.8 miles
The Deanes
Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2TD
3.12 miles
The King John School
Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1RQ
3.14 miles
St Nicholas School
Philpott Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 4RL
3.17 miles
The King Edmund School
Vaughan Close, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1TL
3.35 miles
Southend High School for Girls
Southchurch Boulevard, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 4UZ
3.39 miles

All schools in Westcliff-On-Sea · Southend-on-Sea local authority: places and applications

Westcliff High School for Girls is part of South East Essex Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

What is Westcliff High School for Girls's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Westcliff High School for Girls is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Westcliff High School for Girls last inspected by Ofsted?

Westcliff High School for Girls was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Westcliff High School for Girls have?

Westcliff High School for Girls has 1,354 pupils on roll.

What age range does Westcliff High School for Girls cover?

Westcliff High School for Girls for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Westcliff High School for Girls's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 73.8, and 96% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Westcliff High School for Girls?

Westcliff High School for Girls is at Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BS.

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