Westcliff is situated about two miles to the west of Southend-on-Sea and is one of a number of residential areas in the locality each well served by road and rail links.

London is 36 miles away and there are direct and regular rail services to Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street from a number of local stations. A fast train takes around 40 minutes and many residents of the Southend area commute daily to the Capital. Links by road are also direct using either the A13 or the A127 (much of which is dual carriageway) and the M25 can be reached in under 30 minutes. Each district near to Southend such as Westcliff, Leigh-on-Sea, Southchurch or Thorpe Bay, has its own shopping facilities and Southend and the locality offer Department stores, exclusive shops and popular street markets.

Southend is one of the driest and most sunny regions of England and offers many recreational opportunities. Sport is well served through public and private facilities for swimming, tennis and golf and with seven miles of seafront windsurfing, angling and sailing are popular. There are three local yacht clubs. The town’s pier, over 1¼ miles in length and serviced by its own trains, is one of the town’s oldest landmarks.

The town’s parks and gardens are well-known features and Belfairs Park and Nature Reserve is popular with bird-watchers and nature lovers. Within a short distance of Westcliff is the open countryside with many places of interest to visit. Cultural facilities are a strength with museums, art galleries and a modern library close to the town centre. Chamber and orchestral music is offered at a number of local venues such as the Plaza Centre or the Cliffs Pavilion and the Palace Theatre regularly offers professional theatre in an impressive auditorium.

In addition, the cultural facilities of London are very easily accessible and the School itself organizes regular visits to live theatre, classical music and opera. The Southend Campus of the University of Essex has expanded appreciably in recent years and the Southend University Hospital likewise. Southend’s four Grammar Schools are an integral part of the town and enjoy strong local support.