School admissions in Southend-on-Sea
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 10 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Southend-on-Sea in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 15 schools in Southend-on-Sea first 825 times for 851 places: 0.97 first choices per place. 5 of the 15 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.28 miles (Hinguar Community Primary School) to 0.84 miles (Friars Primary School and Nursery).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 5 schools in Southend-on-Sea first 1,061 times for 1,004 places: 1.06 first choices per place. 2 of the 5 had more first choices than places. For 2024 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Shoeburyness High School, to 3.50 miles.
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
15 schools. 5 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bournes Green Infant School | 1.53 | 60 | 0.5 miles |
| St George's Catholic Primary School | 1.21 | 29 | not published |
| Great Wakering Primary Academy | 1.18 | 60 | not published |
| Greenways Primary School | 1.10 | 89 | 0.769 miles |
| Hamstel Infant School and Nursery | 1.04 | 120 | 0.773 miles |
| Friars Primary School and Nursery | 0.95 | 60 | 0.84 miles |
| Hinguar Community Primary School | 0.93 | 30 | 0.276 miles |
| Bournemouth Park Academy | 0.90 | 59 | not published |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School | 0.88 | 52 | not published |
| Temple Sutton Primary School | 0.84 | 81 | not published |
| St Mary's, Prittlewell, CofE Primary School | 0.79 | 58 | not published |
| Porters Grange Primary School and Nursery | 0.75 | 60 | not published |
| Thorpedene Primary School & Nursery | 0.72 | 25 | not published |
| Richmond Avenue Primary and Nursery School | 0.66 | 50 | not published |
| Barling Magna Primary Academy | 0.56 | 18 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
5 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southend High School for Boys | 1.74 | 177 | not published |
| Southend High School for Girls | 1.25 | 217 | not published |
| Cecil Jones Academy | 0.82 | 188 | not published |
| Shoeburyness High School | 0.78 | 310 | 3.505 miles |
| Southchurch High School | 0.75 | 112 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.