●● What happens if GCSE options ‘clash’? How We are pleased to be able to accommodating is the school when this bring you information about this happens? year’s secondary school open days ●● How many local / overseas trips do the for students who will be starting children take in their first year? And in secondary school in September 2020. subsequent years? What is the charge and is subsidy / part-funding available? ●● What clubs are available / Are they easy to To help you make informed decisions on your get into – is there a charge for these clubs? possible 5 preferred schools, we are delighted ●● If your child is entitled to free school meals, that all twelve state funded secondary schools what additional support does the school have joined us to provide you with information provide to pay for computer equipment / about their school, and the date and time of trips / uniform etc? their prospective Year 7 information events. This leaflet does not replace the comprehensive Sometimes you might have an information about admissions arrangements opportunity to speak to existing pupils – which is available online before September 1st find out from them what they enjoy about 2019 so that you can review it ahead of your attending the school… application deadline on 31st October 2019. ●● How much homework do you get each day and is your weekend occupied with If you are attending one of the open homework as well or do you have time for days, have you thought about the your out-of-school activities? questions you need to ask? ● Is there a good choice on the lunch menu and There is a great deal of information available ● do you queue for a long time to get served? on open evenings / days but this is also an opportunity for you to ask questions to find ●● Are the library and computer rooms open out if the school is right for your child. Think during break time, lunch and after school? about your child’s personality and what he / ●● How easy is it to find a member of staff if she enjoys – use the open evening visit as you have a query/problem? an opportunity for you to find out if it is the ●● How much did the school influence you in right school and whether they will be happy your GCSE options? attending. Do prepare some specific questions ●● What does the school do to help you decide that you could ask the staff and pupils which on your career path? will help you get the information that you need. ●● What are the best things about lessons? / Here are some examples of general What are the worst? questions you could ask but you will ●● What is your most difficult subject? Why? also want to think about ones that are relevant to your child: We wish you all the very best with making ●● How do you settle year 7’s into the school – this important decision and join with do they get a mentor / buddy? you in wishing your children the best of ●● How does the school cater for gifted and luck as they near the end of their time in talented children or those with learning primary school. difficulties? School Open Days 2019

Belfairs Academy

“Shaping the Future” Open Evening: Wed 10th July • 5pm – 7pm Open Evening: Thurs 4th July • 6pm – 8pm www.ceciljonesacademy.net www.belfairsacademy.org.uk • Tel: 01702 509000 Tel: 01702 440000 is committed to providing educational excellence Parents/Carers and prospective Year 7 students are invited to visit for your child in an innovative learning environment. We aim to the Cecil Jones Academy to meet the new Executive Headteacher, inspire and empower students, building confidence and self-belief in subject teachers and our students. their ability to achieve. The school will be open from 5pm to 7pm and the Executive Life at the Academy is exciting, challenging and on a resolute path Headteacher will be speaking at 6pm. that is paved with endeavour, tenacity and support. The path has Additional Open Morning tours will be conducted on the mornings of been carved with the sole aim of shaping the future; and nothing Friday 12th July, Tuesday 16th July and Wednesday 17th July and can is more important to us than the future of each and every student either be booked at the Open Evening or by contacting the school coming through our Academy doors. office on 01702 440000. We look forward to welcoming you to our open evening and open mornings.

Chase High School & 6th Form A member of SECAT

“Aspirations, Care and Excellence” “A Community Academy and Member of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex” Open Evening: Tues 25th June • 6pm – 8:30pm Selective Parents’ Open Evening: Thurs 13th June • 6pm – 7.30pm www.chasehigh.org • Tel: 01702 354441 Full Prospective Parents’ Evening: Thurs 26th Sept • 6pm – 8.30pm would like to welcome you to our open evening General Tours: Tues 1st Oct and Wed 2nd Oct • 9am – 10.30am in order to see our impressive suite of resources, meet our dedicated Choosing a selective place tours: Wed 16th Oct and Thurs 17th Oct • 9am–10.30am staff and students, and to find out more about life at the school www.shoeburynesshigh.co.uk • Tel: 01702 292286 including the many exciting opportunities that are available to everyone during their time with us. You will be able to visit the Shoeburyness High School is a very successful, large and heavily various rooms, talk with students who already study with us, and oversubscribed Community Academy. We have a record of high ask questions of the staff who teach in the areas that interest you. attainment with year on year improvement, a fully selective pathway Making the move from primary to secondary school is very important and large academic sixth form. and we are here to help ensure the transition is a happy one and a We are a place of learning and high aspiration but we add value to springboard to your success. this core purpose with our focus on developing the whole individual; there is something for everyone at Shoeburyness High School and we remain very proud of our fully inclusive ethos.

Southchurch High School Southend High School for Boys

“Working together to achieve success” “Outstanding” OFSTED Report 2015 Open Evenings: Tues 2nd July • 5:30pm – 8pm Open Evening: Thurs 27th June • 4:30pm – 8pm Tues 24th Sept • 5:30pm – 8:30pm (Headteacher’s presentation at 5.45pm, 6.45pm www.southchurchschool.com • Tel: 01702 415300 and 8pm) No appointment necessary is an oversubscribed school, working with Partnership Learning Trust. Working in partnership with parents and www.shsb.org.uk • Tel: 01702 606200 carers, our team of staff is dedicated to ensuring that your child Ofsted 2015: “Attitudes to learning and relationships between acquires the skills and qualifications necessary to make a positive staff and students are exemplary. Parents, staff and students are all contribution to society and to secure themselves a bright and extremely positive about all aspects of the school.” productive future. “Students talk about their school with pride and describe the care and We look forward to welcoming you to our open events. Come along commitment of staff in helping them achieve well.” and see our new building, where you will have the opportunity to talk “Students thrive in lessons because teachers have very high to both students and teachers, whilst taking a tour of our modern expectations. Students excel academically, but also contribute facilities. extremely well to society.”

Please contact the secondary schools directly or visit their websites for further information about their open days. It is recommended that you ensure you visit your catchment School

Southend High School for Girls St Bernard’s High School

“For over 100 years SHSG has provided a “St Bernard’s High School is an outstanding rigorous academic education for able girls” Catholic school… Attainment and progress of students is outstanding, with very little variation between Open Evening: Thurs 4th July • 5pm – 8pm different groups of students due to pro-active monitoring (Headteacher’s talk at 6pm, 6.30pm and 7pm) and intervention by teachers.” Open Days: Mon 8th July • 9am – 10:50am A Catholic Academy for Arts and Science Tues 9th July • 9am – 10:50am Open Evening: 3rd July • 6pm – 9pm Mon 15th July • 9am – 10:50am Opportunity to tour the school during a normal working day (Headteacher’s talk at 9:45am) (parents only): See the school’s prospectus at www.shsg.org • Tel: 01702 588852 8th, 9th and 10th Oct • 9:30am – 11am Southend High School for Girls welcomes all year 5 girls seeking a Please contact the school in Sept 2019. broad, balanced and challenging academic education alongside www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk • Tel: 01702 343583 significant opportunities for creative expression and sporting success. St Bernard’s High School offers non-selective places according to Whatever your strengths, I am sure that you will find that SHSG has Faith based admission criteria and selective places based on success the capability to help you to achieve more. in the CSSE selective tests.

St Thomas More High School The *

“God’s Servant First” “Believe, Succeed, Together” Open Evening: Thurs 11th July • 6pm – 9pm Open Evening: Mon 24th June • 7pm – 9:30pm www.st-thomasmore.southend.sch.uk • Tel: 01702 344933 www.eastwoodacademy.co.uk • Tel: 01702 524341 ‘St Thomas More is an Outstanding Catholic School…’ ‘…leadership Locally, the Academy is the highest performing non-selective school at all levels is highly effective…’ ‘…Pastoral care is a significant and regularly outperforms the selective schools. Nationally, the strength…’ ‘…Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the care Academy has been in the top 10% (for pupil progress) of schools over and education their children receive from their varied starting the last 3 years. points…’ ‘…pupils’ standards of attainment and progress are at The culmination of the Academy’s sustained achievements came in least good, with many making outstanding progress…’ ‘…Outcomes December 2018 when it was subject to a section 5 Ofsted inspection reflect the schools ambitions for each pupil…’ ‘…Pupils make an and achieved 'outstanding' in all categories. outstanding contribution to the Catholic life of the school and derive huge benefits from attending St Thomas More’. The Academy’s ethos ‘Believe, Succeed, Together’ is reflected in an uncompromising belief that all pupils can and will succeed in a Ofsted 2018 learning community which supports and values everyone and their achievements.

Westcliff High School for Boys Westcliff High School for Girls

“Designated Outstandingly Successful on “To be an outstanding school with high moral four occasions” values and a national standing for its scholarship, producing citizens who are leaders and thinkers, imbued Open Evening: Tues 25th June • 5pm – 9pm with initiative, enterprise and a quest for lifelong learning” (Headmaster’s talk at 6:30pm and 7:30pm) No appointment necessary Open Evening: Tues 9th July • 5:45pm – 9pm (Headteacher’s talk at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm) www.whsb.essex.sch.uk • Tel: 01702 475443 www.whsg.info • Tel: 01702 476026 email: [email protected] Westcliff High School for Girls is a selective Grammar School with a Westcliff High School for Boys welcomes Year 5 pupils and their sixth form of about 350 students. Our status as a National Teaching parents to our annual Open Evening. We look forward to providing School allows us to share the development of high quality Teaching you with an opportunity to meet our pupils and staff and to look at and Learning across South East Essex. our facilities. We look forward to welcoming you at our Open Evening when pupils We encourage you to come along and find out more about us. and staff will be present, and there will be an opportunity to look around the school.

*Registration for Sports or Performing Arts aptitude tests is due by 1st September 2019. Tests will be conducted during the following dates: Monday 9th – Friday 13th September – (Performing Arts), Saturday 14th September – (Sports – Football, Basketball, Athletics), Thursday 19th and Friday 20th September (Sport – Multi-stage Fitness Test). Parents will be notified of the outcome by Friday 11th October 2019. Please refer to the Academy website for further information. Please contact the secondary schools directly or visit their websites for further information about their open days. What do I need to know as a Year 5 parent/carer?

We know that parents/carers have lots of questions about their options for a secondary school for their child so we’ve listed below some of the ones that are asked most often. When can I apply for my child’s secondary Grammar School Myth Buster school and if I apply early will I be more likely to get my ‘first’ choice? Why consider a Grammar school? The online secondary school application form (for A Grammar school or selective place provides for children the parents/carers of all pupils living in Southend whose ability is approximately in the top 25% nationally. If your child is currently working at a level above national who are due to start in Year 7 in September 2020) expectations, a state grammar school could be a good will be open on www.southend.gov.uk/admissions option for them. If you want to consider a Grammar from 1st September 2019 and the closing date school you will need to register for your child to take the is 31st October 2019. Paper application forms 11+ exam by 1st July 2019 – see www.southend11plus.uk will also be available. School places are NOT for more information about grammar schools and offered on a ‘first come first served’ basis, but selective places in Southend. are considered in line with the admission criteria for each school. However, if you apply after 31st I can’t afford the fees for a Grammar school October 2019 then you may be disadvantaged. Grammar schools are not independent or private schools. There are no fees to pay! They are state funded and your When and how will I find out my child has child will be entitled to exactly the same entitlements and a secondary school place support that are offered at any other state Secondary school. Parents/carers will be informed on 1st March Grammar schools are expensive and only for 2020 via email or first class post (depending well–off families on whether the application was made online or If your child is entitled to free school meals you can get on paper) of the school place that their child is financial support from the grammar school including being offered. support for home broadband internet connection and Can my child still have free school meals computer equipment costs. You may even get help with transport costs or free school trips. at secondary school? Yes! It is really easy to apply either in person at Transport is too difficult – my child cannot walk the school or using our online service at www. like they could to our local comprehensive southend.gov.uk/fsm. If you are eligible for free Transport support such as a free bus pass may be school meals you will save between £12 and £15 available for your child. per week. The 11 plus test is too difficult Where can I find out about school uniform? The assessment is aimed at pupils who are working All of the schools have uniform suppliers listed above national expectations and is based on work they should have covered in school. However, in addition, on their website. If you do not have internet there are lots of opportunities for extra support available access then please contact the school directly to prepare your child for the test such as 11plus practice who will be able to give you more information. some of which is free to access on our website Some schools offer support up to the total cost www.southend11plus.uk of a uniform for lower income families who are eligible for free school meals.

A comprehensive information booklet explaining everything you need to know to apply for your child’s secondary school place will be available online at www.southend.gov.uk/admissions by 1st September 2019.