St Thomas More High School

What the figures show

• For Year 7 in 2026 there were 202 first-choice applications for 179 offers: 143 offers went to first-choice families, and 59 first-choice families (29%) were not offered a place.
• The Year 7 2026 figure was 1.1 first choices per offer, the 6th highest of 12 Southend-on-Sea secondary schools, and 36 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
• For Year 7 in 2026, 187 of the 569 applications (33%) came from families living outside Southend-on-Sea, and 45 offers went to them.
• In 2024/25, 64% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), the 4th highest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Southend-on-Sea.

Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Southend-on-Sea schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.

Key facts

Address

Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0BW

Type

Academy converter

Phase

Secondary

Ages

11–18

Admissions policy

Non-selective

Religious character

Roman Catholic

Council

Southend-on-Sea

Pupils on roll

1,243 January 2026 school census

Free school meals

13% of pupils eligible

Pupils per teacher

18.4

Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026

Ofsted

School remains Good Inspected 7 March 2024

Strengths

• “At St Thomas More High School pupils are supported to achieve, both academically and personally as individuals.”
• “The school has built strong relationships between its pupils, staff, and parents and carers.”
• “Leaders have developed a caring community where pupils and staff feel part of a family.”

To improve

• “Some staff have not given enough thought to supporting pupils to be able to use essential skills to best demonstrate what they have learned, for example developing pupils’ writing skills.”
• “When this is the case, pupils are not as effective in expressing their ideas and demonstrating what they have learned.”
• “This means pupils are less able to show how well they are achieving.”

Safeguarding: Effective

Quoted from the Ofsted report published 14 May 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Exam results

Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Applications and offers

• 2026 Year 7 entry: 202 first-preference applications, 179 offers in total, 143 offers to first-preference applicants.

Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance, in Southend-on-Sea.

• Westcliff High School for Boys Academy 0.2 mi Outstanding Last distance published
• Westcliff High School for Girls 0.2 mi Outstanding Last distance published
• The Eastwood Academy 0.7 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
• Chase High School 0.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
• Southend High School for Boys 1.1 mi Outstanding Last distance published
• Belfairs Academy 1.3 mi Requires improvement Last distance published
• St Bernard's High School 1.7 mi School remains Good Last distance published
• Cecil Jones Academy 2.7 mi Good Last distance published

More in Southend-on-Sea

• All 110 schools and nurseries in Southend-on-Sea
• Southend-on-Sea secondary schools in a table, sorted by results, Ofsted and offers
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