SOUTHEND’S grammar schools scored highest in annual league tables.

Figures published by the Government show Southend’s grammar schools topped the results tables by a wide margin for both GCSEs and A-Levels, with 100 per cent of Southend High School for Girls and Westcliff High School for Boys pupils gaining at least five GCSEs graded A*-C including maths and English.

This was followed very closely by Southend High School for Boys and Westcliff High School for Girls at 99 per cent, with the next closest results coming from St Bernard’s High School in Southend at 83 per cent and Rayleigh’s FitzWimarc School, Billericay’s Mayflower High School and the Billericay School at 73 per cent.

At other Southend schools the picture was different however, with only 15 per cent of Futures College pupils gaining at least five GCSEs graded A*-C including maths and English and only 18 per cent at Chase High School.

In Basildon, Basildon Upper School came in at 28 per cent while Laindon’s James Hornby School scored 29 per cent.

Anne Jones, Southend councillor responsible for education, said the figures masked progress schools were making.

She said: “The grammar schools made expected outcomes, but not exceptional like the accelerated improvement we’ve seen in schools in Southend. My challenge to the grammar schools is to see greater progress.

“I’m really pleased with the results at Belfairs (62 per cent) and St Bernard’s, and the work Mike Schofield has done at Cecil Jones College (37 per cent) with the Shoebury Partnership is really useful.

“It’s unlikely to make a great impact with this year’s results, but the council has been working with Chase High, Futures and Cecil Jones to put additional leadership in each of those schools and, at Futures, a parent has told me you can see quite a significant change already and it’s filtering down to the pupils.”