A council (local authority) in the East of England
Council
111 schools and nurseries
31,214 pupils
In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Southend-on-Sea at a glance
Ahead of England on results at 16
How Southend-on-Sea's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries11133 primary · 12 secondary · 51 nurseries
Primaries Good or better96%England 96%
Met the standard at 1162%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths55%Attainment 8 51.9, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary25%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Southend-on-Sea
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority in the East of England with 33 mainstream primary schools and 12 mainstream secondary schools. It has 4 grammar schools, which choose pupils by a test. Most state schools here are academies or free schools (87%), so many set their own term dates and admissions rules.
Good to know in Southend-on-Sea
Southend recommends using all 5 preferences on a secondary school application. Source
Southend families must register separately for aptitude tests such as The Eastwood Academy's, and complete a Supplementary Information Form for faith schools. Source
Southend has a postcode or street search to find which primary and secondary catchment area you live in. Source
Southend advises parents to accept the school place currently on offer even if they plan to appeal. Source
From Southend-on-Sea council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
Key dates each year
31 October
Secondary school applications close
15 January
Primary school applications close
1 March
Secondary school offers
16 April
Primary school offers
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
87.8%got their first-choice primary school in Southend-on-Sea in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 134 of 151 councils. 97.8% got one of their top three.1.8% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
78.3%got their first-choice secondary school in Southend-on-Sea in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 106 of 151 councils. 95.1% got one of their top three.9.1% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
1 of 22 primary appeals heard in Southend-on-Sea succeeded in 2025. 6 of 95 secondary appeals heard in Southend-on-Sea succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-SeaEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 27 primaries with one.
96%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
9 of the 9 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
62%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
55%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
25%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 41 schools that have one.
95%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding7
Good32
Requires improvement0
Inadequate2
How it has changed
Southend-on-Sea in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1162% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths55% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Southend-on-Sea
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
95%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
62%
62%
Attainment 8
51.9
46.2
Persistent absence
18%
18%
Pupils per teacher
18.1:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£7,450
£8,120
In education or work after 16
92%
91%
Went on to higher education
64%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
19%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
15%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
23%
27%
DfE local authority code 882, ONS code E06000033.
Living here
What it's like for families
Southend-on-Sea has 111 schools and nurseries.
There are 8% more pupils than in 2018.
25% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Southend-on-Sea's state schools each January.
29.0k2018
29.8k2019
30.6k2021
31.0k2022
31.3k2023
31.6k2024
31.5k2025
31.2k2026
Up 8% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Southend-on-Sea25%
Keep up with schools in Southend-on-Sea
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Southend-on-Sea has 111 schools, including 43 primary schools, 22 secondary schools, 51 nurseries, 7 independent schools, 8 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Southend-on-Sea?+
The highest-ranked schools in Southend-on-Sea on Eduscope are Westcliff High School for Boys Academy, Westcliff High School for Girls, Southend High School for Boys. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Southend-on-Sea are rated Good or Outstanding?+
95% of inspected schools in Southend-on-Sea hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 7 schools rated Outstanding and 32 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Southend-on-Sea perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Southend-on-Sea, 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Southend-on-Sea?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Southend-on-Sea is 18.1:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Southend-on-Sea schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Southend-on-Sea is 17.7%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Southend-on-Sea?+
There are 31,214 pupils enrolled across schools in Southend-on-Sea, with 15,247 in primary and 15,967 in secondary. 23.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Southend-on-Sea?+
There are 7 independent schools in Southend-on-Sea. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Southend-on-Sea on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Southend-on-Sea?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 111 schools in Southend-on-Sea by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
