Belfairs Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,558 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.5
Academy converter
St Bernard's High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,001of 1,030 places
- Free school meals
- 16.5%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 167
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 22 March 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Bernard's High School and Arts College (URN 115381, until 17 August 2011).
What the data says
Of the 143 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Bernard's High School in 2023, 74% stayed on in St Bernard's High School’s own sixth form (Southend-on-Sea average 58%), 22% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 67 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 66% went to university (Southend-on-Sea 32%, England 37%), and 11% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Food Preparation and Nutrition is unusually popular at GCSE: 32% of the year group took it, against 8% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 54.9 against 46.1 across England and 52.2 in Southend-on-Sea, with 59% 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 Bernard's High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 143 | 2,303 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 99% | 94% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 97% | 91% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 74% | 58% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 1% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 22% | 30% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 1% | 4% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 0% | 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 Bernard's High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 67 | 3,676 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 85% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 66% | 32% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 11% | 19% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 7% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 32% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | St Bernard's High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 54.9 | 52.2 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 59% | 57% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 83% | 71% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 8% | 50% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.25 | 4.64 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 15% | 22% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 50.4 | 35.7 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 55.6 | 56.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 18% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 168 | 100% | 88% | 15% | 22% | 83% |
| English Language | 167 | 100% | 89% | 35% | 20% | 92% |
| Religious Studies | 165 | 99% | 31% | 39% | 32% | 89% |
| English Literature | 165 | 99% | 86% | 36% | 21% | 94% |
| Classical Civilisation | 162 | 97% | 1% | 8% | 40% | 49% |
| Combined Science | 131 | 78% | 65% | 11% | 9% | 72% |
| Psychology | 81 | 49% | 3% | 17% | 22% | 75% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 54 | 32% | 8% | 9% | 21% | 94% |
| Geography | 53 | 32% | 41% | 34% | 25% | 92% |
| Business Studies | 52 | 31% | 18% | 23% | 20% | 75% |
| History | 39 | 23% | 41% | 59% | 26% | 87% |
| Physics | 36 | 22% | 23% | 28% | 46% | 94% |
| Chemistry | 36 | 22% | 23% | 31% | 47% | 97% |
| Biology | 36 | 22% | 23% | 42% | 45% | 97% |
| Drama | 35 | 21% | 7% | 17% | 27% | 91% |
| Graphic Communication | 30 | 18% | 1% | 37% | 23% | 87% |
| Fine Art | 23 | 14% | 9% | 43% | 28% | 83% |
| Physical Education | 21 | 13% | 11% | 33% | 24% | 81% |
| Spanish | 19 | 11% | 19% | 47% | 27% | 84% |
| Textiles | 19 | 11% | 2% | 47% | 27% | 95% |
| Computer Science | 16 | 10% | 13% | 6% | 30% | 44% |
| Dance | 13 | 8% | 1% | 31% | 27% | 92% |
| Music | 7 | 4% | 5% | 14% | 33% | 71% |
| Polish | 3 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Italian | 3 | 2% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| German | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Chinese | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | St Bernard's High School | Southend-on-Sea | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 155 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 61 | 1,263 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 30.52 | 37.71 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 4% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 25 | 41% | 23% |
| Biology | 15 | 25% | 20% |
| Chemistry | 13 | 21% | 17% |
| Business Studies | 13 | 21% | 13% |
| Economics | 11 | 18% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 9 | 15% | 31% |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 15% | 4% |
| Geography | 9 | 15% | 10% |
| History | 8 | 13% | 13% |
| Graphic Communication | 8 | 13% | 2% |
| Politics | 7 | 11% | 6% |
| Classical Civilisation | 6 | 10% | 1% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
| Textiles | — | — | 1% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| Media Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 13% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 8 | 13% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 7 | 11% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | 6 | 10% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Southend-on-Sea
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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.