At a Glance
Assessment: Individual
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Girls Only
Places per year: 63
Introduction
St Bernard’s High School is a Catholic girls secondary School in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex which also accepts boys into the sixth form. The school is bilateral meaning that it has both a selective stream which can only be entered by passing their selective 11+ entrance examination, as well as a general intake which is not academically gated. St Bernard’s High School holds specialist status in Science and Arts, attracting additional funding for these schemes, and converted to academy status in 2011.
At its most recent full inspection in 2012 Ofsted rated St Bernard’s High School as ‘Good’ in all areas except the behaviour and safety of pupils which was ‘Outstanding’. The overall ‘Good’ rating was sustained at a more recent follow up in 2016 with inspectors commenting ‘Robust leadership and increasingly effective teaching have ensured that outcomes in key stages 3 and 4 are typically very strong. In 2015, many pupils made significantly better progress than other pupils nationally.’ This trend appears to have been sustained judging by the more recent statistical analysis from 2019 where the school receive a Progress 8 score of 0.88 placing St Bernard’s High School in the highest category, ‘Well above average’, and amongst the top 100 schools in the country. Progress 8 is a comparison between UK schools which describes how much progress children who enter a school with similar Key stage 2 results has made by their Key stage 4 results. A positive score such as this implies that on average, across 8 of their best GCSE’s, children attending St Bernard’s High School will receive 0.88 of a grade higher than national expected given where they started academically.
If you are thinking about making an application to grammar schools in Essex and Southend-on-Sea then we at 11 Plus Hero are here to help. On this page we can provide you will all of the key school information, application and admission requirements, as well as resources to prepare for the selective admissions test to gain entry to St Bernard’s High School. As a member of The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) St Bernard’s High School carries out the CSSE 11+ Entrance examination to determine if girls would benefit from a grammar school education. We can provide vital familiarisation materials and practise papers so that there are no nasty surprises for your daughter come test day!
St Bernard’s High School Key Information
To help you stay informed we at 11 Plus Hero regularly update on the most important information for St Bernard’s High School including who to contact at the school!
School Address
Full Address:
St Bernard’s High SchoolMilton Road
Westcliff-on-Sea
Essex
SS0 7JS
Contact Information
Parking in the school
- Parking is not available on the sire during the day and there is limited availability on nearby roads. For evening events cars may park on the school playground but this must be arranged with the school.
Additional parking off site
- Shorefield Road Car Park, 5 Shorefield Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS0 7RQ. Mon to Sun, 24h.
- North Road Car Park, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1PW. Mon to Sun, 24h.
Additional parking off site
- Shorefield Road Car Park, 5 Shorefield Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS0 7RQ. Mon to Sun, 24h.
- North Road Car Park, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1PW. Mon to Sun, 24h.
Key Information for St Bernard’s High School
PAN* for Year 7 intake (2023)
Total Student Capacity Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Total Students Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Percentage Capacity (2022)
Latest Ofsted Rating (2016)
Selection Test
St Bernard's High School Key Dates and Application Information
There are additional dates and deadlines to be aware of if you are applying to the selective stream rather than the general intake at St. Bernard’s High School. 11 Plus Hero have compiled this chronological list so that you can keep on track!
CSSE Entrance Test Registration Opens (Available Online):
CSSE Entrance Test Registration Closes
Open Days
Reasonable Adjustments Deadline (Medical circumstances or special needs requirements)
Letter posted to parents informing them of the test arrangements
11+ Entrance Examination Date
Alternative 11+ Entrance Examination Date Exclusively for religious, illness or exceptional circumstances
Results Date:
School Application to Local Authority (School preferences must be finalised by this date):
National School Offer date
Application Documents for St Bernard’s High School
We here provide some of the most important sources of information that 11 Plus Hero uses to collect the information keeping us, and by extension you, as up to date as possible.
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test Format
St Bernard’s High School, along with every other selective school in Essex and Southend-on-Sea, is a member of The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) which uses its own selective entrance examination – The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test. Passing the test once at any location will make a child eligible for admission to all other schools in the consortium. Knowing how to prepare for the selective entrance examination can be a daunting task but luckily 11 Plus Hero is here to help guide you through the process with details on the format of the exam and practise paper materials to ensure that there are no surprises come test day!
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test: Overview
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test is made up of two papers which assess your child’s progress towards Key Stage 2 targets in English and Maths with some content stretching slightly beyond to help discriminate between the top performing children.
The Maths Paper contains a mixture of questions requiring written responses rather than multiple choice answers as is common in other selective admission tests. The English Paper contains questions in three sections – Comprehension, Applied reasoning and Continuous writing. The Comprehension exercise asks children to read a passage of text and answer questions in either multiple choice or short written answer format. The Applied Reasoning section asks children to look for patterns in words and with letters, similar to Verbal Reasoning sections of other selective entrance examinations. The Continuous Writing section provides children with two short prompts for them to respond to with an extended written response, both of which should be answered. Children must here show the quality of their writing in terms of structure, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation and ideas or imagination.
Paper One
- An English test lasting 60 minutes with three sections
- Comprehension: 10 minutes reading followed by 30 minutes for answers
- Applied reasoning: 10 minutes
- Continuous writing: 20 minutes
Paper Two
- A Maths test lasting 60 minutes with written answers
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test - 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English (Minor Verbal Reasoning Element) | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pass Mark
Southend High School For Girls 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
To calculate your child’s score in the CSSE 11+ Entrance exam the raw marks for each paper are statistically standardised individually, to account for yearly differences in the difficulty of the papers, and results for the Maths and English papers combined with equal weighting to give a single score. These scores are analysed to determine if an adjustment needs to be made for the age of children, but in recent years this has not occurred. Parents will receive a letter with an overall score and breakdown of scoring in each section. Shortly afterwards the formula for calculating the final standardised score will be published online.
It is important to note there is no set passing threshold which holds true every year as the passing threshold is decided upon by analysing the results of the test within a childs year group. Schools in the Consortium of Selective schools in Essex do not necessarily have the same pass marks criteria, despite carrying out the same test. The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) published a ‘rough guideline’ for the percentage of marks necessary to pass the CSSE 11+ Entrance examination as of data from 2016. Those successfully gaining admittance to Grammar schools in Southend-on-Sea scored on average 55-60% or marks if they lived within the priority area and 65% for out of area places.
Pass Mark
Southend High School For Girls 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
To calculate your child’s score in the CSSE 11+ Entrance exam the raw marks for each paper are statistically standardised individually, to account for yearly differences in the difficulty of the papers, and results for the Maths and English papers combined with equal weighting to give a single score. These scores are analysed to determine if an adjustment needs to be made for the age of children, but in recent years this has not occurred. Parents will receive a letter with an overall score and breakdown of scoring in each section. Shortly afterwards the formula for calculating the final standardised score will be published online.
It is important to note there is no set passing threshold which holds true every year as the passing threshold is decided upon by analysing the results of the test within a childs year group. Schools in the Consortium of Selective schools in Essex do not necessarily have the same pass marks criteria, despite carrying out the same test. The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) published a ‘rough guideline’ for the percentage of marks necessary to pass the CSSE 11+ Entrance examination as of data from 2016. Those successfully gaining admittance to Grammar schools in Southend-on-Sea scored on average 55-60% or marks if they lived within the priority area and 65% for out of area places.
Catchment Area
The Governing body of St. Bernard’s High School has their own admissions criteria and so to make an application to the school parents must complete the school’s own Supplementary Information Form (SIF) in addition to the general form for your Local Authority. This additional form is linked to at the end of Section 3.
St Bernard’s High School operates a priority catchment area which comes into play in certain oversubscription categories as outlined below. These priority parishes are:
- Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh-on-Sea; St.Helen’s, Westcliff-on-Sea; Sacred Heart, Southend- on-Sea; St. Teresa’s, Rochford; St. George’s, Shoebury; St. Peter’s, Eastwood; St. John Fisher, Prittlewell; Holy Family, South Benfleet; Our Lady of Ransom, Rayleigh and Our Lady of Canvey, Canvey Island.
Additional Eligibility
St Bernard’s High School is a Catholic christian school and admits children of faith with priority. There are also a number of other social or health considerations that may allow children priority of admission. Any child without such priority status may apply, but does so with lowest priority. Those girls with a Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) and Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which specifically mentions St Bernard’s High School will be admitted.
- Girls who are either at the time of application or in theri past were in the charge of the local authority living in care will be granted entry.
- Girls who are practising Catholics and live in the above-mentioned priority catchment area. Application under this clause must be supported by a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their Parish Priest.
- Girls who are practising Catholics, evidenced by a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their Parish Priest, but do not live in the priority catchment area.
- Girls who have been baptised in a Catholic Church but who do not have a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their Parish Priest.
- Girls who are in the care of the local authority, or previously were, regardless of their religious background.
- Girls who are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church and who live in the above-mentioned priority catchment area. This must be evidenced by their priest.
- Girls who are practising christians and are attending Catholic Primary school. Applications under this clause must be supported by evidence from their minister.
- Girls who are practising christians, live in the above-mentioned priority catchment area but who aren’t attending Catholic primary school. Applications under this clause must be supported by evidence from their minister.
- Non-Christian girls who live in the above-mentioned priority catchment area and whose application is supported by their local religious leader.
Within each of the above categories priority will be given to applicants who:
- Have siblings in attendance of either St Bernard’s High School itself or the nearby boys school St. Thomas More High School.
- Those children who occupy permanent residence in closest proximity to a fixed point at the school as defined by the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data.
St Bernard’s High School FAQs
The exact threshold passing mark is determined on a years basis as it is dependant on how well the entire school year taking the test performed. As such it cannot be quoted before the test is marked and analysed. In previous years admission to grammar schools in Southend-on-Sea was gained by students who living in the priority catchment are who scored 55-60% of marks and 65% by those living out of priority area. For further details see the Pass Mark section.
- St Bernard’s High School is a member of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) and carries out the consortium’s CSSE 11+ selective entrance examination to assess if girls are suitable for a grammar school education. This test contain questions on Key Stage targets in English and Maths. Further details can be found in the Entrance Test Format section.
- The CSSE website hosts familiarisation materials, allowing children to better understand the format of their exams. These can be found in the Application Documents section.
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