Belfairs Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,558 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.5
Academy converter
St Thomas More High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,243of 1,050 places
- Free school meals
- 13.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 179
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 7 March 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Thomas More High School for Boys (URN 115363, until 17 August 2011).
What the data says
Of the 176 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Thomas More High School in 2023, 69% stayed on in St Thomas More High School’s own sixth form (Southend-on-Sea average 58%), 27% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 158 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 70% went to university (Southend-on-Sea 32%, England 37%), and 17% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Media Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 21% of the year group took it, against 4% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 52.3 against 46.1 across England and 52.2 in Southend-on-Sea, with 64% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Southend-on-Sea and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | St Thomas More High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 176 | 2,303 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 98% | 94% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 95% | 91% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 69% | 58% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 27% | 30% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 1% | 4% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | St Thomas More High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 158 | 3,676 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 70% | 32% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 17% | 19% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 7% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 32% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | St Thomas More High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 52.3 | 52.2 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 64% | 57% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 75% | 71% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 13% | 50% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.28 | 4.64 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 15% | 22% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 43.3 | 35.7 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 53.9 | 56.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 22% | 13% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religious Studies | 177 | 99% | 31% | 24% | 32% | 79% |
| English Literature | 177 | 99% | 86% | 25% | 21% | 87% |
| English Language | 177 | 99% | 89% | 19% | 20% | 84% |
| Mathematics | 177 | 99% | 88% | 31% | 22% | 80% |
| Combined Science | 129 | 72% | 65% | 15% | 9% | 68% |
| Business Studies | 73 | 41% | 18% | 21% | 20% | 73% |
| History | 72 | 40% | 41% | 22% | 26% | 68% |
| Geography | 61 | 34% | 41% | 21% | 25% | 67% |
| Computer Science | 50 | 28% | 13% | 28% | 30% | 84% |
| Chemistry | 48 | 27% | 23% | 60% | 47% | 98% |
| Biology | 48 | 27% | 23% | 35% | 45% | 94% |
| Physics | 48 | 27% | 23% | 50% | 46% | 96% |
| Spanish | 40 | 22% | 19% | 25% | 27% | 85% |
| Media Studies | 38 | 21% | 4% | 0% | 20% | 58% |
| Film Studies | 38 | 21% | 1% | 0% | 20% | 47% |
| 3D Design | 36 | 20% | 2% | 11% | 16% | 61% |
| Physical Education | 34 | 19% | 11% | 15% | 24% | 74% |
| Art and Design | 17 | 9% | 7% | 6% | 24% | 71% |
| Music | 12 | 7% | 5% | 25% | 33% | 92% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 9 | 5% | 8% | 0% | 21% | 67% |
| Polish | 3 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Astronomy | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 29% | — |
| Italian | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 24 | 17% | — |
| Sports Studies | 8 | 6% | — |
| Mathematics | 1 | 1% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | St Thomas More High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 297 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 139 | 1,263 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 31.91 | 37.71 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 8% | 22% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology | 46 | 33% | 13% |
| Business Studies | 44 | 32% | 13% |
| Psychology | 41 | 29% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 34 | 24% | 31% |
| History | 27 | 19% | 13% |
| Politics | 22 | 16% | 6% |
| Media Studies | 20 | 14% | 4% |
| Geography | 19 | 14% | 10% |
| Chemistry | 18 | 13% | 17% |
| Biology | 18 | 13% | 20% |
| Computer Science | 18 | 13% | 5% |
| English Literature | 17 | 12% | 11% |
| Physics | 15 | 11% | 12% |
| Religious Studies | 12 | 9% | 4% |
| English Language | 9 | 6% | 4% |
| Film Studies | 7 | 5% | 2% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 38 | 27% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 25 | 18% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 21 | 15% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 10 | 7% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 9 | 6% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 6% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 7 | 5% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 4% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Southend-on-Sea
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Chase High School
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Shoeburyness High School
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Southchurch High School
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Southend High School for Boys
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Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.