School Updated 26 April 2026

Southend-on-Sea / Southend-on-Sea 11+

Westcliff High School for Girls

Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0BS

A selective girls grammar school in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,342 pupils on roll.

Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form CSSE

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #46
Admissions
Girls only
Assessment
CSSE
Places in Year 7
192
Competition
4.8 applicants per place
Catchment
SS0 to SS9 forms the local priority area; up to 154 places are reserved for that area, including up to 15 preferential-consideration places.
Ofsted
Outstanding

Overview

A selective girls grammar school in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,342 pupils on roll. Families looking at Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex will usually see Westcliff High School for Girls as a selective option for girls aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,342 pupils on roll and 184 Year 7 places.

For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes CSSE, with 184 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.

On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.90 and Attainment 8 at 76.9. 97.7% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 24.8% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 76% moving into higher education.

Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Drama, Duke of Edinburgh. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Westcliff High School for Girls is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.

Key points

Assessment route
CSSE across a 2-stage process, covering English and Maths.
Places and demand
192 places in Year 7 and 4.8 applicants per place
Catchment
SS0 to SS9 forms the local priority area; up to 154 places are reserved for that area, including up to 15 preferential-consideration places.
Results
100% grade 5+ in English and maths and 75.6 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 24.8% AAB or better and 76% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Southend-on-Sea and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Westcliff High School for Girls, Southend-on-Sea, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
75.6
Grade 5+ English and maths
100%
EBacc APS
7.28
EBacc entry
92.4%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Southend-on-Sea and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Westcliff High School for Girls, Southend-on-Sea, and England. 100 80 60 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Southend-on-Sea and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Westcliff High School for Girls, Southend-on-Sea, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

School type
Academy converter
Admissions
Girls only
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Miss Emma Matthews
Pupil roll
1,342 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
South East Essex Academy Trust
FSM
8.5%
EAL
16.1%
EHCP
0.2%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Drama Duke of Edinburgh

Location and contact

Address

Address
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
Postcode
SS0 0BS
Area
Southend-on-Sea
Exam area
Southend-on-Sea 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Miss Emma Matthews

School contact

School phone
01702476026

Admissions contact

Admissions team
General enquiries
Admissions phone
01702476026

Admissions

Year 7 places
192 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed
882 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
302 first preferences (2025 entry)
Applicants per place
4.8 applicants per place
Catchment picture
SS0 to SS9 forms the local priority area; up to 154 places are reserved for that area, including up to 15 preferential-consideration places.
Residence requirement
Yes, home address evidence is part of the published admissions checks
Pass mark note
A pass mark is set annually; CSSE offers are not made below a total standardised score of 303.

SS0 to SS9 forms the local priority area; up to 154 places are reserved for that area, including up to 15 preferential-consideration places.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked after and previously looked after children

    Applies to candidates who pass the selection tests.

  2. 2

    SS0-SS9 local quota

    Up to 154 places are reserved for candidates living in SS0 to SS9, including up to 15 preferential-consideration places.

  3. 3

    Outside priority area

    Places remaining after the local quota include up to 4 preferential-consideration places for candidates outside SS0 to SS9.

  4. 4

    Rank order

    Within each area category, higher passing marks are allocated before lower passing marks.

Exam and test format

The CSSE 11+ entrance test format

two-stage process at the same appeal.

Assessment route
CSSE
Papers and stages
2 papers
Format
Written papers
Weighting
English 50% / Maths 50%
Age standardisation
Published as age-standardised

This school uses the shared Essex (CSSE) consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.

Open Essex (CSSE) guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    English

    CSSE English paper

    Sixty-minute English paper with additional reading time.

  2. Paper 2

    Maths

    CSSE Mathematics paper

    Sixty-minute mathematics paper.

What the test includes

English and Maths are included in the published format.

Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • English

  • Maths

Not listed

  • Verbal reasoning

  • Non-verbal reasoning

  • Science

  • Creative writing

Application

Key dates

  1. CSSE registration opens

    12 May 2026

  2. CSSE registration closes

    19 June 2026

  3. Special adjustments deadline

    26 June 2026

  4. CSSE 11+ tests

    19 September 2026

  5. Tuesday test day

    29 September 2026

  6. CSSE results emailed

    12 October 2026

  7. Common Application Form deadline

    31 October 2026

  8. National Offer Day

    1 March 2027

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register with CSSE

    Complete CSSE registration by 19 June 2026.

    Open CSSE guide
  2. 2

    Sit the CSSE tests

    The CSSE test has separate English and mathematics papers.

    Open CSSE guide
  3. 3

    Submit the Common Application Form

    Name Westcliff High School for Girls on the home local authority form by 31 October 2026.

    Open CSSE guide

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8
+0.90 Progress 8
Attainment 8
75.6 Attainment 8
GCSE results
100% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths
100% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score
7.28 EBacc APS
A-level results
24.8% AAB or better
A-level average points
40.74 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression
76% in higher education
Apprenticeships
3% in apprenticeships
Employment
9% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths
97.8% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English
98.9% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences
95.1% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages
91.8% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

Westcliff High School for Girls Grammar schools England
Overall GCSE performance across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Westcliff High School for Girls, grammar schools, and England. 100 85 70 55 40 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 79.5 74.2 49.4
2022/23 78.5 71.8 47.0
2023/24 76.9 72.1 46.7
2024/25 75.6 72.3 46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

Westcliff High School for Girls Grammar schools England
Average A-level result across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Westcliff High School for Girls, grammar schools, and England. 50 pts 45 pts 40 pts 35 pts 30 pts 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 B+ average (44.8 points) 44.0 points 37.5 points
2022/23 B average (39.5 points) 40.5 points 33.7 points
2023/24 B average (41.6 points) 41.3 points 34.5 points
2024/25 B average (40.7 points) 41.8 points 35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

Westcliff High School for Girls Grammar schools England
Where pupils go after Year 11 across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Westcliff High School for Girls, grammar schools, and England. 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 98% 99.1% 94.1%
2022/23 99% 98.9% 93.9%
2023/24 99% 99.0% 93.3%
2024/25 98% 97.8% 91.4%

Latest year breakdown

In education 98%
In apprenticeships 0%
In employment 0%

Inspection

Outstanding

Latest inspection: 7 February 2024

Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Westcliff High School for Girls use?

Westcliff High School for Girls currently uses CSSE.

How do I apply to Westcliff High School for Girls?

1. Register with CSSE: Complete CSSE registration by 19 June 2026. 2. Sit the CSSE tests: The CSSE test has separate English and mathematics papers. 3. Submit the Common Application Form: Name Westcliff High School for Girls on the home local authority form by 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for Westcliff High School for Girls?

CSSE registration opens: 12 May 2026. CSSE registration closes: 19 June 2026. Special adjustments deadline: 26 June 2026. CSSE 11+ tests: 19 September 2026. Tuesday test day: 29 September 2026. CSSE results emailed: 12 October 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest Ofsted picture look like for Westcliff High School for Girls?

Westcliff High School for Girls is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 7 February 2024.