School Chooser

Southend-on-Sea schools in numbers

How Southend-on-Sea's 59 schools compare with East of England and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).

Schools59open, all types
Pupils32,438on roll
Primary schools33
Secondary schools12

Who the pupils are

MeasureSouthend-on-SeaEast of EnglandEnglandRank
Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 52 schools26.2%21.5%26.3%66thof 151
Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 52 schools27.5%22.4%27.1%70thof 151
Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 52 schools14.4%15.5%18.6%90thof 151
Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 52 schools13.0%14.2%14.5%120thof 151
Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 52 schools16.9%10.6%11.6%3rdof 151

Classrooms and teachers

MeasureSouthend-on-SeaEast of EnglandEnglandRank
Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 44 schools27.125.125.0150thof 151
Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 44 schools17.5%10.4%10.6%148thof 151
Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 52 schools18.719.019.059thof 151
Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 50 schools12.6%15.6%15.0%21stof 151
Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 52 schools£50,636£50,052£51,37795thof 151
Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 50 schools4.64.34.776thof 151

Attendance and behaviour

MeasureSouthend-on-SeaEast of EnglandEnglandRank
Attendance2024/25 · 48 schools93.4%93.8%93.8%110thof 151
Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 48 schools17.5%15.4%15.8%94thof 151
Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 48 schools6.87.47.088thof 151

Money

MeasureSouthend-on-SeaEast of EnglandEnglandRank
Spend per pupil2024/25 · 51 schools£9,188£9,032£9,273
Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 51 schools£4,487£4,257£4,22948thof 151
Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 51 schools15.6%9.8%8.3%2ndof 151
Schools in deficit2024/25 · 51 schools2.0%10.7%14.1%2ndof 151

Results

MeasureSouthend-on-SeaEast of EnglandEnglandRank
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 12 schools60.3%46.7%46.1%10thof 150
Average GCSE score2024/25 · 12 schools54.747.147.09thof 150
Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 27 schools63.1%61.3%63.1%83rdof 151
Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 27 schools10.9%8.0%8.3%33rdof 151

Ofsted, score and places

MeasureSouthend-on-SeaEast of EnglandEnglandRank
Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 46 schools11%11%13%96thof 151
Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 35 schools94%94%94%89thof 151
Scored above similar schoolsnow · 42 schools48%33%35%32ndof 151
Places taken2024/25 · 43 schools91.9%85.9%86.2%18thof 151
Academies and free schoolsnow · 54 schools83%57%52%11thof 154
Free breakfast clubsnow · 54 schools16.7%8.6%12.0%47thof 154

Trends

Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
Southend-on-SeaEngland
Southend-on-Sea 2016: 95.9%95.9%Southend-on-Sea 2017: 96.1%96.1%Southend-on-Sea 2018: 94.9%94.9%Southend-on-Sea 2019: 94.5%94.5%Southend-on-Sea 2021: 93.7%93.7%Southend-on-Sea 2022: 92.6%92.6%Southend-on-Sea 2023: 92.6%92.6%Southend-on-Sea 2024: 92.9%92.9%Southend-on-Sea 2025: 93.4%93.4%England 2016: 95.6%England 2017: 95.5%England 2018: 95.3%England 2019: 95.4%England 2021: 95.5%England 2022: 92.9%England 2023: 93.2%England 2024: 93.4%England 2025: 93.8%201620172018201920212022202320242025
Since 2016: -2.5%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
Southend-on-SeaEngland
Southend-on-Sea 2019: 17.6%17.6%Southend-on-Sea 2021: 24.2%24.2%Southend-on-Sea 2022: 25.5%25.5%Southend-on-Sea 2023: 27.6%27.6%Southend-on-Sea 2024: 26.8%26.8%Southend-on-Sea 2025: 26.1%26.1%Southend-on-Sea 2026: 26.2%26.2%England 2019: 16.0%England 2021: 21.2%England 2022: 22.6%England 2023: 24.4%England 2024: 25.0%England 2025: 25.8%England 2026: 26.3%2019202120222023202420252026
Since 2019: +8.6%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
Southend-on-SeaEngland
Southend-on-Sea 2017: 65.2%65.2%Southend-on-Sea 2018: 66.6%66.6%Southend-on-Sea 2019: 62.5%62.5%Southend-on-Sea 2022: 64.7%64.7%Southend-on-Sea 2023: 60.4%60.4%Southend-on-Sea 2024: 58.5%58.5%Southend-on-Sea 2025: 60.3%60.3%England 2017: 45.4%England 2018: 45.1%England 2019: 44.7%England 2022: 50.6%England 2023: 46.0%England 2024: 46.9%England 2025: 46.1%2017201820192022202320242025
Since 2017: -4.9%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
Southend-on-SeaEngland
Southend-on-Sea 2016: 51.1%51.1%Southend-on-Sea 2017: 67.8%67.8%Southend-on-Sea 2018: 69.2%69.2%Southend-on-Sea 2019: 69.2%69.2%Southend-on-Sea 2023: 62.4%62.4%Southend-on-Sea 2024: 61.3%61.3%Southend-on-Sea 2025: 63.1%63.1%England 2016: 55.8%England 2017: 63.4%England 2018: 66.3%England 2019: 66.6%England 2023: 60.7%England 2024: 61.7%England 2025: 63.1%2016201720182019202320242025
Since 2016: +12.0%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
Southend-on-SeaEngland
Southend-on-Sea 2007: 0.10.1Southend-on-Sea 2008: 0.3Southend-on-Sea 2009: 0.20.2Southend-on-Sea 2010: 0.1Southend-on-Sea 2011: 3.63.6Southend-on-Sea 2012: 3.5Southend-on-Sea 2013: 2.82.8Southend-on-Sea 2014: 2.6Southend-on-Sea 2015: 2.72.7Southend-on-Sea 2016: 5.2Southend-on-Sea 2017: 2.92.9Southend-on-Sea 2018: 7.8Southend-on-Sea 2019: 8.98.9Southend-on-Sea 2020: 3.2Southend-on-Sea 2021: 3.03.0Southend-on-Sea 2022: 4.9Southend-on-Sea 2023: 5.45.4Southend-on-Sea 2024: 7.1Southend-on-Sea 2025: 6.86.8England 2007: 2.7England 2008: 2.6England 2009: 2.5England 2010: 2.4England 2011: 2.7England 2012: 2.6England 2013: 2.6England 2014: 2.7England 2015: 3.1England 2016: 3.3England 2017: 3.6England 2018: 3.9England 2019: 4.0England 2020: 2.8England 2021: 2.9England 2022: 4.4England 2023: 5.8England 2024: 7.0England 2025: 7.02007200920112013201520172019202120232025
Since 2007: +6.7