Westcliff High School for Boys

Westcliff High School for Boys

School badge

Front entrance, viewed from the north
Location
Kenilworth Gardens

Westcliff-on-Sea
,
Essex
,
SS0 0BP

England
Coordinates51°33′10″N 0°40′09″E / 51.5529°N 0.6693°E / 51.5529; 0.6693
Information
Other nameWHSB
TypeSelective boys academy, with co–educational sixth form
MottoFide Et Fortitudine
(By faith and fortitude)
Established1920 (1920) (founded), 1926 (current premises)
Local authoritySouthend-on-Sea City Council
TrustWestcliff High School for Boys Limited
Department for Education URN136272 Tables
OfstedReports
ChairFiona Colwell and Anthony Cole[1]
HeadmasterMichael Skelly
GenderBoys; co-educational sixth form
Age range11–18
Enrolment1,267[2]
Capacity1,300[3]
Houses  Osprey
  Merlin
  Harrier
  Kestrel
Colours  Rugby
  Football
  Basketball
PublicationThe Westcliff Diary (termly)
AlumniOld Westcliffians
Websitewww.whsb.essex.sch.uk

Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB) is an 11–18 selective boys academy grammar school in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England. In September 2001 the school was awarded ‘Beacon’ status[4] for its breadth of achievements and quality of work. The school was classed as a humanities college in early 2007 and received a further specialism in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) on 1 April 2009.[5] The school converted to academy status in 2010.

History

During the 20th century, members of the local community in Westcliff–on–Sea began a drive for the establishment of a new school in the area. The new school was known as The Commercial School and was based in a converted building on Victoria Avenue in Southend-on-Sea. The Commercial School was a co-educational school for the town’s rapidly expanding population.[6] Two years later, the school's name changed from The Commercial School to Westcliff High School and by 1926, boys attending the school had moved to the school's present site on Kenilworth Gardens, becoming Westcliff High School for Boys. The school was evacuated to Belper, Derbyshire, in 1940 and shared accommodation with Herbert Strutt School until its return to Westcliff in 1942.[7]

The accompanying girls' school, Westcliff High School for Girls, remained on the Victoria Avenue site until 1930, following their relocation to the same site as Westcliff High School for Boys on Victoria Avenue.[8]

Overview

Westcliff High School for Boys performs well in regards to academic attainment, with academic performance in Key Stage 4 consistently being above 90% in various areas, with 98% of students achieving a strong pass (grade 5) or higher in English and Mathematics. Westcliff High School for Boys is in the highest 16% and highest 20% for all schools in progress and attainment scores respectively.[9] Ofsted's 2023 inspection of the school gave an 'Outstanding' rating across all areas.[10] WHSB's Progress 8 score for the academic year 2023-24 is 0.93, which puts the school in the 'Well above average' performance band.[11]

In The Sunday Times Good Schools Guide 2026, WHSB was ranked 190th among the top joint state and independent secondary schools in the UK.[12] The school achieved 14.8% A* grades at A level, with 50.2% of entries graded A*-A and 77.9% graded A*-B, placing it 253rd nationally for A-level performance. At GCSE, 74.9% of grades were awarded at grades 9-7 (≈ A**-A), resulting in a joint 150th national ranking.

As of September 2025, the school is constituted of 1,292 pupils, with 1,217 boys (94.2%) and 75 girls (5.8%).[13] The sixth form is a mixed sex cohort.

Headmasters

  • 1920 – 1942, Herbert Glynne Williams
  • 1943 – 1946, Eric Ayres
  • 1947 – 1970, Henry Cloke
  • 1970 – 1990, Peter Clarke
  • 1990 – 2012, Andrew Baker[14]
  • 2012 – present, Michael Anthony Skelly [15]

Notable Old Westcliffians

References

  1. ^ "Governing Board".
  2. ^ "Westcliff High School for Boys Academy". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Westcliff High School for Boys Academy - GOV.UK".
  4. ^ Westcliff High School For Boys Southend-on-Sea: Read Parent Reviews & Rankings
  5. ^ Ofsted Report
  6. ^ "Key Information". Westcliff High School for Boys. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Essex Archives Online - Catalogue: E/E 23". www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Key Information". Westcliff High School for Boys. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  9. ^ "School performance". compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  10. ^ "WHSB Ofsted review 2023". oftsed.gov.uk.
  11. ^ "Westcliff High School for Boys' financial benchmarks and insights". education.gov.uk.
  12. ^ "Sunday Times Top Schools 2026". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  13. ^ "Westcliff High School for Boys Data". compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk.
  14. ^ Retired teaching staff member
  15. ^ "Companies House Listing". Companies House. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
  16. ^ Profile: John Hutton, BBC News, 2005-11-03. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  17. ^ "Westcliff boys set to hit the top of British music". Echo. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  18. ^ Anon (2015). "Parkhill, Prof Julian". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U281946. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  19. ^ Eric Sams, obituary, theguardian.com/news/2004/sep/22/guardianobituaries.obituaries
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