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St Bernard's High School catchment area

Westcliff-on-Sea · girls grammar school · ages 11 to 18
Admissions
Catchment area
(distance priority)
Intake
Girls · ages 11 to 18
11+ test
CSSE
Year 7 places
175
Location
Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
Catchment, explained

How catchment works at St Bernard's High School

St Bernard's High School draws its intake using a designated catchment or distance priority around Westcliff-on-Sea. To be considered your child first needs to pass CSSE, which makes them eligible but does not guarantee a place.

Up to 30 CSSE selective places go to priority-area girls who pass; the remaining places to 175 are non-selective on faith and distance criteria. The qualifying distance shifts every year with demand, so a postcode that was inside the catchment one year can fall outside it the next.

Bottom line: for St Bernard's High School, both things matter, your child must pass the 11+, and you generally need to live close enough to clear that year's distance cut-off.
Grammar schools near Westcliff-on-Sea
Essex
Nearby options

Other grammar schools near Westcliff-on-Sea

St Thomas More High School
Westcliff-on-Sea · Catchment area
0.6 miles away
Westcliff High School for Boys
Westcliff-on-Sea · Part-catchment
0.6 miles away
Southend High School for Girls
Southend-on-Sea · Part-catchment
0.7 miles away
Westcliff High School for Girls
Westcliff-on-Sea · Part-catchment
0.8 miles away
Southend High School for Boys
Southend-on-Sea · Part-catchment
0.9 miles away
Shoeburyness High School
Shoeburyness · Catchment area
4.1 miles away
Applying

Sitting the 11+ for St Bernard's High School

1

Register

Sign up for CSSE with the school or local authority, usually by early summer before Year 6 begins.

2

Sit the test

Your child takes the test in September of Year 6. Results follow in October, before the 31 October secondary application deadline.

3

Get your place

Pass, then your home distance decides. List Westcliff-on-Sea schools by preference on the application.

FAQs

St Bernard's High School catchment, your questions answered

Does St Bernard's High School have a catchment area?+
Partly selective, and its up-to-30 selective places are only offered to girls living within the priority area.
Is St Bernard's High School super-selective?+
No. St Bernard's High School is a selective grammar with a catchment or distance priority, so both a qualifying mark and your home address affect whether you get a place.
How is the catchment for St Bernard's High School measured?+
Up to 30 CSSE selective places go to priority-area girls who pass; the remaining places to 175 are non-selective on faith and distance criteria. Distances are normally measured in a straight line from your home to the school, and the cut-off moves each year with demand.
What test does my child sit for St Bernard's High School?+
Children applying to St Bernard's High School sit CSSE, usually at the start of Year 6. Register with the school or local authority before the summer deadline in Year 5.
How many places does St Bernard's High School offer?+
St Bernard's High School admits 175 pupils into Year 7 each year. With far more qualifiers than places, the score needed in practice is well above the basic pass mark.
Can we apply to St Bernard's High School from outside the area?+
Yes, you can always apply. In quieter years out-of-area children are offered places, but in-catchment families take priority, so it is less predictable.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a place at St Bernard's High School?+
No. Passing qualifies your child, the place then depends on the admissions priorities, most often home-to-school distance.
When do we register for the CSSE?+
Registration usually opens in the spring or early summer of Year 5 and closes before the test, which is sat in September of Year 6. Results come back in October, the secondary application deadline is 31 October, and offers are sent on national offer day, 1 March. Always confirm the exact dates with St Bernard's High School or your local authority.

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Catchment and admissions details change every year. This page is an indicative guide for parents, always confirm the current catchment area, distances, places and test arrangements directly with St Bernard's High School and your local authority before applying.