Southend High School for Boys strives to provide an excellent education for all its students.

Cultivating learning is at the heart of school policy. All members of staff and students are responsible for promoting a culture in which everyone, irrespective of age or experience, is recognised as having potential for learning. Students are encouraged to become members of a learning society and staff to be reflective practitioners.

Aims

We aim for our students to be:

• High achieving through fulfilling their potential
• Independent learners and strategic thinkers
• Passionate about learning where their unceasing curiosity leads to lifelong learning
• Emotionally intelligent
• Outward looking, embracing all aspects of modern life and playing a role in the community
• The leaders of tomorrow

Principles

• In accordance with the school’s Equal Opportunities Policy, all students have a right to an education suited to their needs and aspirations which will help them to realise their potential
• Self-esteem is fundamental to successful learning for all students. Therefore all students are genuinely valued for themselves as well as for their achievements.

The key principles of learning are:

• Learning involves making sense of information
• Learning involves building on existing understanding
• Learning takes place at a level just beyond current understanding.

Student Progress

Student progress is rigorously assessed, tracked and monitored. Assessments carried out in Year 7 enable us to begin the target-setting progress and this is checked throughout the academic year. Parents/carers are given regular information about their child’s progress through regular reports and parents’ evenings. There is a wide range of intervention strategies available to support students who are not on track for any reason. Our Inclusion team offers support for students with additional educational needs. We also ensure that students with a particular gift or talent are stretched and challenged.

Parental Involvement

We actively encourage parents to get involved in their child’s education. Throughout the year we offer briefing sessions on the latest developments in education, we conduct workshops on how to support your child’s study at home and we also run a parent forum where parents can help improve school policies and procedures. Parents are regularly invited to review our learning and the curriculum offer.

YEARS 7-8

In the first two years of education at Southend High School for Boys, all pupils follow a broad general course which builds upon the skills and experience of primary school (Key Stages 1 and 2) and prepares the ground for the more specialised studies that will follow (at GCSE and in the Sixth Form).

During Key Stage 3 the National Curriculum core and foundation subjects are studied together with Religious Education (RE), Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship. In addition, all pupils have time with their Tutor during the week.

During the academic year, in Year 7 the allocation of 1-hour periods to the various subjects per fortnight is as follows:

Teaching takes place principally within a pupil's form group during the first two years.

YEARS 9-11

Our aim at school is to ensure an appropriate and balanced curriculum for each individual so that educational and careers needs are sensibly catered for during the Key Stage.

The Government has stated that the following subjects remain compulsory:

• English (which leads to GCSE entries in English and English Literature)
• Mathematics
• Science (either Combined Science, leading to two GCSE awards or three separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics).

The school has decided that in addition, pupils should study the following:

• At least one Modern Foreign Language (either French or German or Spanish)
• Religious Education
• At least one Humanity (Geography or History) is also strongly recommended

Pupils choose their non-compulsory GCSE subjects from the following list:

• Art & Design
• Geography
• History
• Music
• French
• Physical Education
• German
• Drama
• Food Science
• Spanish
• Economics & Business Studies
• Design & Technology
• Computer Science

Some pupils follow additional courses such as GCSE further Mathematics.

In addition to the external examination courses, all pupils follow a programme of PSHE, Citizenship and PE/Games.           

SIXTH FORM (YEARS 12-13)

Students study four, or in a few cases, five subjects to Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level then most continue on to study three, or in a few cases four or five, subjects at A Level.

AS is a stand-alone qualification with external exams at the end of Year 12. The range of AS Level subjects offered to the current Year 12 is: Art & Design (Fine Art), Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design & Technology (Product Design), Drama & Theatre Studies, Economics, English Language & Literature,  English Literature, French, Geography, German, History, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music, Music Technology, Physical Education, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Spanish. 

All Sixth Form students have tutor times, elements of Religious Education, a programme of personal development lessons (following the PSHE Association curriculum for key stage 5) and a health and wellbeing programme of enrichment activities.

RE AND COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

There is provision for religious education for all pupils; it is non-denominational and in accordance with the Essex Agreed Syllabus. There is a regular act of collective worship for all pupils, with a mixture of whole school, year, form and House assemblies. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE and collective worship if they wish. Any parent intending to exercise this right is invited to raise this in writing in the first instance with the  Deputy Headteacher.

PERSONAL, SOCIAL & HEALTH EDUCATION (including Relationship & Sex Education & Citizenship)

Much of what takes place in school can contribute to the personal and social development of pupils, from the subjects of the academic curriculum to the system of pastoral care, from the provision of assemblies to the programme of extra-curricular activities. However, schools also identify certain timetabled lessons where the emphasis is more specifically upon enabling pupils to develop essential knowledge and skills in preparation for adult life. In this school, such lessons are entitled Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE).

There is a programme of PSHE throughout the main school, whilst in the Sixth Form, the personal development programme tackles similar issues. Within the PSHE programme, there are modules on such matters as drug education. Careers education, sex and relationship education and Citizenship are now expected of all schools.

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from Relationships and Sex Education.  Any parent wishing to exercise this right should raise this in writing in the first instance with the Headteacher.

The school offers a broad programme of careers education and guidance from Year 7-13. For more information, please see the "Careers Provision" section of the website.

THE CHALLENGE AWARD

In July 2022, Southend High School for Boys achieved, for the fifth time, re-accreditation of the Challenge Award, a prestigious award from the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE).  The school achieved the Award initially in 2007 and achieved re-accreditation in 2011, 2015 and 2019.  SHSB was the first school in the world to receive the award for the fifth time: an endorsement that recognises and celebrates the outstanding provision for the most able students at this school. The assessors spoke of the extraordinary professionalism and dedication of our staff and of our school community.