Every School has its own traditions, its own ethos, its own identity, and its own purpose.  The purpose of Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB) is to provide an excellent education for our pupils, supporting them in their journey to adulthood by developing character and intellect within a happy and scholarly community.

To this end WHSB provides exceptional teaching and a wealth of extra-curricular activities to develop the Learner Profile attributes in our pupils through a unique education filled with exciting, challenging and enjoyable experiences.

It is one hundred years or so since some members of the local community came together to drive the creation of a new school.  On the first day the School opened its doors, it was under the name of The Commercial School, based in a converted building in Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea. This was a co-educational school for the town’s rapidly expanding population.  In just two years, the School’s name was changed to Westcliff High School and, by 1926, the boys had moved to our present site which then became Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB), whilst the girls (Westcliff High School for Girls) remained at Victoria Avenue until the 1930s when they relocated to the current site.

Today, we continue our proud tradition as a Grammar School serving pupils within the local community and actively promoting the wonderful opportunities we are able to offer to local children and their families.

Many of our current pupils will be the first member of their family to attend WHSB, whereas many others will have followed in the footsteps of their father, grandfather, or possibly even great-grandfather in attending our School.   Whatever the length of a family’s connection with WHSB, we encourage our pupils to appreciate that each generation attending the School owes so much to the work and determination of previous generations of Old Westcliffians.

We hope you find the information in this section helpful in understanding more about WHSB; its ethos, culture and values. A good education is not just a timetable of subjects, lessons and a list of grades.  Amongst other things, a good education equips one with the resilience and true sense of self-worth to meet life’s challenges and make reasoned decisions.  It is about self-discovery and developing the potential that lies within. That is at the heart of what we do each day at WHSB.

M A Skelly
Headmaster