About SHSB

The school was founded in 1895 and provided the first secondary education within the Borough of Southend-on-Sea. It moved to its present spacious site on Prittlewell Chase in 1939.

Southend High School for Boys is a Foundation school within Southend-on-Sea Local Authority. It is a grammar school, with entry dependent upon performance in selective tests set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).

Since 2001 the school has been a Language College , promoting modern foreign languages both inside and outside the curriculum as well as within the local community. It was a founder member of Southend Excellence Cluster, supporting and collaborating with nearly thirty primary and secondary schools. In 2006, as a high-performing specialist school, we were invited to become a Leading Edge school, promoting innovation in teaching and learning in liaison with local partner schools.

Pupil numbers have been increasing over recent years and currently there are just over 960 pupils on roll with over 220 in the Sixth Form, including some girls in the Sixth Form.

The aims of the school simply put are:

•  The pursuit of academic excellence

•  Stress upon the personal and social development of the individual

•  The fostering of a positive set of values

•  Preparation of pupils for a responsible and enriching role within society.

The school was last inspected in February 2006 when the main conclusion of OFSTED (the Office
for Standards in Education) was:

“ Southend High School for Boys is an outstanding school with a very strong ethos and a distinctive
character. Its pupils are justifiably proud to belong to it, make very good progress and achieve
exceptionally high standards. The school successfully balances an emphasis on academic achievement
with a concern for pupils' personal development and well-being. This ensures that pupils are well
prepared for their place in society.”