About the school
Westcliff High School for Boys, known as WHSB, is a selective boys’ grammar school with academy status in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, Essex, with a co-educational sixth form. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, it educates boys aged 11 to 18 and has a long tradition of academic excellence in humanities and STEM.
Founded in 1920 as The Commercial School in Southend-on-Sea, the school moved to its present site on Kenilworth Gardens by 1926 and became Westcliff High School for Boys. It offers a broad curriculum alongside an extensive extracurricular and sporting programme.
Westcliff High School for Boys is a member of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex and selects pupils through the shared CSSE 11 plus for Year 7 entry. The school has a published admission number of 185 places for Year 7.
School type
Boys' Grammar (co-ed Sixth Form)
Exam date
Sat 19th September 2026 (CSSE)
Exam board
CSSE (Essex 11 Plus)
Address
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BP
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Westcliff High School for Boys entrance test is the CSSE 11 plus, shared across the selective schools in Essex. Here is everything you need to know about the Westcliff High School for Boys admissions criteria and exam structure.
Westcliff High School for Boys selects pupils through the CSSE 11 plus, the entrance test administered by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex and shared by ten selective schools across the county. The test is bespoke, written and set by the Consortium, and consists of two written papers, one in English and one in Mathematics, with no verbal or non-verbal reasoning component.
The English paper lasts 60 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes of reading time, and covers comprehension and creative writing, while the Mathematics paper lasts 60 minutes and covers topics from the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. Both papers are sat on the same day and are age-standardised, with the marks combined into a single standardised score. The minimum qualifying score is 303, although this does not guarantee a place.
Parents register their child for the CSSE 11 plus by completing the Supplementary Information Form on the CSSE website. For September 2027 entry, registration opens on 12th May 2026 and closes on 19th June 2026. Parents must also name Westcliff High School for Boys on their local authority Common Application Form, which is due by the 31st October.
CSSE results are sent to parents in mid-October, after which families confirm their secondary school preferences through their local authority. School place offers are confirmed on National Offer Day, 1st March 2027. Reaching the qualifying score does not guarantee a place, as the school is heavily oversubscribed and applies its own admissions criteria.
Key admissions details
Westcliff High School for Boys has a published admission number of 185 places for Year 7.
Westcliff High School for Boys has a priority area covering the postcodes SS0 to SS9, with up to 80 per cent of places reserved for boys living within this area who pass the selection test. Boys from outside the priority area can still be offered places but usually need a higher score, with distance from the school used as a tie-break.
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Westcliff High School for Boys is located on Kenilworth Gardens in Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, Essex, SS0 0BP. It is a selective boys’ grammar school with academy status and a co-educational sixth form, rated Outstanding by Ofsted, serving boys aged 11 to 18.
Westcliff High School for Boys was founded in 1920 as The Commercial School in Southend-on-Sea, moving to its present site on Kenilworth Gardens by 1926 and becoming Westcliff High School for Boys.
Westcliff High School for Boys uses the CSSE 11 plus, a bespoke test set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex. It consists of two written papers, English and Mathematics, with no verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
Westcliff High School for Boys has a priority area covering postcodes SS0 to SS9, with up to 80 per cent of places reserved for boys living within it. Boys from outside the area can still apply but usually need a higher score.
For September 2027 entry, registration for the CSSE 11 plus opens on 12th May 2026 and closes on 19th June 2026, completed on the CSSE website. Parents must also name Westcliff High School for Boys on the Common Application Form, which is due by the 31st October.
The minimum qualifying CSSE score is 303, but this does not guarantee a place. As the school is heavily oversubscribed, the actual score required is usually higher, particularly for boys living outside the priority area.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Essex and the wider region access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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