Located in Prittlewell chase in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, Southend High School for Boys (SHSB) is a selective grammar school with 1318 pupils. The schools teach boys aged between 11 to 18, and girls are admitted from the sixth form.
In February 2011, the SHSB was converted to Academy status and had independent control. SHSB has been a specialist language school and academies trust since 2001 and promoting modern foreign language both inside and outside their curriculum and within the local community.

Being a grammar school, SHSB gives special attention to academic success through an extensive support and guidance program. SHSB aims to develop happy, confident, and successful young people. The school consistently provides good GCSE results and is one of the few schools that were rated as outstanding in its last Ofsted inspection. It has a large six form with over 200 places.
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General information
Registered address: Southend High School for Boys, Prittlewell Chase, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SSO ORG
General enquiries: 01702 606200
Website: https://www.shsb.org.uk/
Email: enquiries@shsb.org.uk
Gender of Entry: Boys
Day/boarding type: Day
Age Range: 11 – 18
Exam board type/format: CSSE (Essex 11 Plus)
Admissions policy: Selective
Pupils: 1318
Places in Year 7: 150 places
Ofsted Report: Outstanding (Ofsted Report)
Headmaster: Dr Robin Bevan
Admissions in boys southend high school
Admission to Southend High School for Boys year 7 depends on the child’s performance in the 11 plus exam, which the borough council administers.
When the school is oversubscribed, the priority in admission is given to –
- Children who are ‘looked after’ or ‘previously looked after’.
- Children who pass the selection tests and who have named the school in the EHCP form.
- Children that residents within the catchment area.
To understand more about the school we suggest you visit one of the Open Evening organized by Southend High School for Boys, this will help you know more about the school and staff. You can get more details about the open evenings from the school’s website.
For more information about the admission process in Southend High School for Boys, check the admission page on the school’s website.
How to apply for Southend High School for Boys
As we know, admission to Southend High School for Boys is through the 11 plus entrance exam; therefore, parents must register their child for the CSSE 11 plus exam by filling the CSSE Supplementary Information Form (SIF) before the deadline. Parents can fill and return the supplementary information form to the consortium office or can fill this form online through the CSSE website.
For their child to be considered for the place at SHSB, they must fill the preference for SHSB on the Local authority single application form. If you put another school as a higher choice and fulfil that school’s criteria you will be allotted that school.
If your child needs any special adjustments, you can submit your application to the CSSE. You need to check with your LA about the deadline and submit the form before it. For more information about the admission process, visit the Southend Borough Council for information on secondary admissions.
Catchment Area of Boys Southend High School
Southend High School for Boys has a catchment area with priority based on distance from the school, covering the given postcodes areas: SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7, SS8, and SS9.
School life in the secondary school of Southend high
Moving from primary schools to secondary schools can be difficult for students; at Southend High School for Boys, SHSB aims to make this change smooth for their new students.
Each student in year six is given a year seven booklet to familiarise with the school and its day-to-day running. To know more about the pupils due to come to the school, the leader of year seven will attempt to meet them all in their own primary school or through an invitation to visit SHSB. They will also interact with the pupil’s primary school teacher to better understand the individual needs of each student.
The 11 Plus Exam Format for Southend High School for Boys
The CSSE 11 plus exam for admission in Boys Southend High School year 7 includes two written papers of one hour each with 10 minute reading time.
- English and Verbal Reasoning – This section involves comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, creative writing, and reasoning (literacy and verbal).
- Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning – The Mathematics paper will consist of questions based on the KS2 National curriculum and non-verbal reasoning.
The exam scores are age-standardized to ensure fairness to all students. Many parents are confused about the standardized score and how to calculate it; you can learn more about the standardized score and how to calculate your child’s standardized score with our Essex 11+ pass mark calculator using your practice score.
How to prepare for Southend High School for Boys
To get admission to Southend High School for Boys, we suggest your child starts early preparation and honing his skills. As the maths section is based on the Key stage 2 syllabus, your son needs to be well-versed in it. Know more about the 11 Plus Maths Exam and how to prepare for it.
Other than that, for English, your child needs to focus on improving his comprehension, vocabulary, creative writing, and verbal reasoning skills. For comprehension and vocabulary, you can encourage your child to read regularly. Comprehension is the ability to understand the complexity of the text and what the author is trying to convey; teach your child these seven comprehension strategies to improve their comprehension skills. You can also try our 11+ vocabulary module for improving your vocabulary, which is specially designed for the 11 plus exam.
Past papers useful for Southend High School for Boys
List of Grammar Schools
For a comprehensive list of Grammar schools visit the Comprehensive List of Grammar Schools and Consortiums