Chase High School, Westcliff-on-Sea

Ofsted's report card from its 27 January 2026 inspection grades Chase High School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Because the school is a happier place, with more effective teaching, pupils come to school more often."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have rapidly improved systems to support pupils."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have taken highly effective action since the previous full inspection to address significant issues with the quality of education, provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils' behaviour and safeguarding at the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils are effectively prepared for life in modern Britain."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils at Chase High School do not always achieve well enough."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The curriculum is not consistently well taught."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Students, like pupils in the rest of the school, receive an inconsistent quality of teaching."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should strengthen how strategies for pupils with barriers to learning are implemented consistently well, enabling staff to identify needs quickly and adapt support effectively so barriers are addressed swiftly and securely. • Leaders should guide teachers to use what they know about pupils' needs and starting points to teach concepts and skills clearly and consistently, so pupils experience high-quality learning. • Leaders should improve pupils' achievement, both in terms of their foundational knowledge and their attainment and progress in national tests and examinations. • Leaders should help teachers give pupils clearer guidance on how to improve their writing, so pupils build the confidence and skills they need to write well in every subject. • Leaders should build on current systems by understanding more clearly what stops pupils attending, so they can act strategically to help attendance improve further. • Leaders should ensure careers education is better aligned to pupils' needs to strengthen their confidence and social skills, helping them understand the steps they can take towards future opportunities. • Leaders should refine the post-16 curriculum and range of qualifications on offer, ensuring teachers are well equipped to deliver these effectively so that students' achievement improves".

From the headteacher's welcome: "The ambitious and appropriately challenging curriculum, taught by outstanding and highly qualified teachers, underpins our pursuit of excellence in a secure environment where all members of the school’s community are treated with respect, tolerance and understanding."

In 2026, pupils at Chase High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 55 in Southend-on-Sea and 47 across England.

27% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 59% in Southend-on-Sea and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 39.2.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.93: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.7, against 43.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 113 families put Chase High School as their first choice and 362 named it as one of their preferences, for 182 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Chase High School are Southend High School for Boys (0.3 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 75.1); St Thomas More High School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.9); Westcliff High School for Boys Academy (0.9 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 77.2); and Westcliff High School for Girls (0.9 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 73.8).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Chase High School.

Chase High School is one of 5 schools run by Discovery Educational Trust, an academy trust.

179 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Chase High School (as of April 2026): 69% would recommend the school, 70% say their child is happy there and 39% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (74%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (39%).

Of the 175 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 94 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 25% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 33% into work. 2% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

37.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

Chase High School has a resourced provision (12 places, 12 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (12 places, 12 pupils on roll) for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Prittlewell Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Southend Hospital South, 170 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 534 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Southend-on-Sea (318), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Chase High School issued 478 suspensions, 36.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 9 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Chase High School are Earls Hall Primary School (0.3 miles), Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery (0.5 miles), The Westborough School (0.6 miles) and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.