At a Glance
Assessment: CSSE
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Girls Only
Places per year: 184
Introduction
Westcliff High School for Girls is a single sex academy based in Essex. It is the sister school of Westcliff School for Boys and prides itself on providing an outstanding education for children of its surrounding area. Academia is at the heart of Westcliff, focusing not only on results, but the development of the ‘next generation of leaders’ learning skills of independence, resilience and creating students who take charge of their own learning.
As aforementioned, academia is at the heart of Westcliff, with a consistently high output of GCSE results. In 2019, 98% of students at Westcliff achieved at least a grade 5 in both English and Maths (equivalent to a high C to A* under the previous GCSE marking criteria). Further, 100% of pupils finishing their GCSEs entered into full-time employment or stayed in full-time education. A high academic output was consistent through 2020 and 2021, with 100% of students achieving at least a grade 5 in English and Maths. Westcliff High School for Girls additionally boasts an equally successful Sixth Form, which many of the High School students progress to following their GCSE examinations. 2020 and 2021 saw a pass rate of 99% or higher in both years, with 2022 equally as high, with one student achieving 5 A*s in all of her A-Level examinations, set to continue her education in Law at Cambridge University.
As a result of consistently high results and a stimulating learning environment, admission to Westcliff High School for Girls is tough and competitive, with the school extremely popular in Essex and often heavily oversubscribed. The girls’ school selects students based on their performance in the CSSE 11+ Examination. This is the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex. It is a multiple choice test, made up of two papers. One test in English and one in Mathematics. Each paper is designed to test a candidate beyond their ordinary primary education, with both formatting and question difficulty. Our resources with 11 Plus Hero help prepare your child for the CSSE 11+, providing them with a toolkit to have the best chance to succeed for admission into Westcliff High School For Girls. We also provide information to help guide yourself and your child through the admissions process, so that you and your child can confidently and competently apply to your chosen schools.
Westcliff High School For Girls Key Information
Under this section we list key information useful to students and their parents about Westcliff High School for Girls, including addresses, contact details and more.
School Address
Full Address:
Westcliff High School for Girls, Kenilworth GardensWestcliff-on-Sea
Essex
SS0 0BS
Contact Information
Parking in the school
Notably, Westcliff High School for Girls has very limited parking, use of public transport is advisable. Where driving is necessary, please use the alternative parking listed below. All are within a 30 minute walk.
Additional parking off site
North Street, 20 North Street, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1QE (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
Elm Road, 69 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1SL (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
Additional parking off site
North Street, 20 North Street, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1QE (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
Elm Road, 69 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1SL (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
Key Information for Westcliff High School For Girls
PAN* for Year 7 intake (2021)
Total Student Capacity Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Total Students Years 7 to 13 (2018)
Percentage Capacity (2022)
Latest Ofsted Rating (2010)
Selection Test
Westcliff High School For Girls Key Dates and Application Information
In the admissions process to Westcliff High School for Girls, deadlines are essential to keep in the application process. At 11 Plus Hero, we understand this can be a lot for prospective students and parents, especially alongside exam preparation. For this reason, we regularly update key dates below.
CSSE Entrance Test Registration Opening (Available Online)
Entrance Test Deadline
Open Days
Reasonable Adjustments Deadline
Letter posted to parents informing them of the test arrangements
11+ Entrance Examination Date
Results Date
School Application to Local Authority (school preferences must be finalised by this date)
School Offer
Application Documents for Westcliff High School For Girls
Below are multiple links with specific information for Westcliff High School for Girls, regarding the application process and method of testing. There is also further information regarding the CSSE and other grammar schools in Essex.
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test Format
The CSSE 11+ is the method of selective testing used by Westcliff High School For Girls and the other grammar schools in the Essex consortium. The assessment consists of two papers: English and Maths, made up of both multiple choice and open answer questions. The English test includes reading comprehension, vocabulary questions, literacy questions and creative writing, while the Maths questions test students on content similar to what they will have learnt at KS2, but pushing them a little further. The test is designed with difficult formatting and challenging questions. The unfamiliar format and its difficulty can seem daunting; for this reason, 11+ Hero is here to help. We understand and are accustomed to the content of the CSSE 11+ Entrance, the question methodology and how to score marks highly. We can provide a toolkit to your child, familiarising them with the test format and ensuring they have the best chance to succeed in admission to Westcliff High School for Girls.
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test: Overview
The CSSE 11+ consists of two test papers, one testing English and the other Maths. The test will include both multiple choice and open answer questions. For an in depth breakdown of the CSSE 11+, please visit our article ‘ – Selective Tests in Essex – the CSSE CEM 11+ Test’.
Paper One
Maths
Paper Two
English
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test - 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| Verbal Reasoning | Non-verbal Reasoning | English (some verbal reasoning is included) | Maths | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XX | XX | ✔✔ | ✔✔ | n/an/a |
Pass Mark
Test scores are received in mid-October of the preceding year of entry; for example, for entry in 2023, test scores will be received by mid-October 2022. The scores are also ‘weighted’, meaning children are given different results depending on their age, so they are not penalised for it. For admission to Westcliff High School For Girls, there is a pass mark which is set annually, sent out with a child’s results in October of the preceding year of entry. It is notable that, for Westcliff High School For Girls, no child will be admitted if they score below this pass mark in the entrance test.
Pass Mark
Test scores are received in mid-October of the preceding year of entry; for example, for entry in 2023, test scores will be received by mid-October 2022. The scores are also ‘weighted’, meaning children are given different results depending on their age, so they are not penalised for it. For admission to Westcliff High School For Girls, there is a pass mark which is set annually, sent out with a child’s results in October of the preceding year of entry. It is notable that, for Westcliff High School For Girls, no child will be admitted if they score below this pass mark in the entrance test.
Catchment Area
There is no official catchment area for Westcliff High School For Girls. However, the oversubscription criteria DOES operate on priority postcodes. This means that girls who pass the test and live in the priority postcodes have a higher chance of admission. The priority postcodes are outlined below:
- SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7, SS8 and SS9
Additional Eligibility
The school determines admission in the order of priority set out below:
- Looked After or Previously Looked After* children who have exceeded the pass mark in rank order of marks;
- Children who exceed the pass mark, reside within the priority area codes and are entitled to ‘preferential consideration’**;
- Others resident in the priority area codes, who have exceeded the pass mark in rank order of marks;
- Pass mark exceeded children resident outside the priority area codes who are entitled to preferential consideration;
- Others resident outside the priority area codes, who have exceeded the pass mark in rank order of marks
*A Looked After or Previously Looked After child has been in or previously been in state authority care
**Preferential consideration, in the context of Westcliff High School for Girls, are children who are Looked After or Previously Looked After or are in receipt of Free School Meals. In the oversubscription criteria outlined above, it gives them priority over other potential candidates.
The admissions criteria is complex. For a full and detailed breakdown of the Westcliff High School for Girls admissions policy please visit the link on their website
Westcliff High School For Girls FAQs
The pass mark for Westcliff High School For Girls is subject to change every year. It is sent out with each child’s aggregate score on the CSSE every October of the preceding year of entry. In the oversubscription criteria, girls are also ranked in order of their scores, with the highest scoring girls having most priority for admission.
Westcliff High School For Girls tests candidates using the CSSE 11+, used by all the schools in the Essex Consortium of Grammar Schools. It assesses a candidate’s competence in Maths and English, and is designed to push them past their primary level education.
- The CSSE website hosts familiarisation materials, allowing children to better understand the format of their exams.
- Please find these on the CSSE website
- This familiarisation material should include Maths and English questions. Please note, the Maths questions will be of a similar standard to the difficult standard of questions on the KS2 curriculum.
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