Hello,

Does anyone know of private coaches/ transport from Colchester to Southend High School for Boys?

Thanks

Please say that you are asking as a worst-case scenario temporary stop-gap, in case your planned move to Southend doesn't go as smoothly as you hope?

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Asking as a worst case scenario, hopefully doesnt get to that but also testing if its possible..

It's about 40 miles. From where I am, 2 miles from SHSB to where I quite often had to be in Colchester, prior to late March last year, occasioned an 88-mile claim on my expenses form. And that's in a volunteer rôle, with personal control over how often I had to make the journey, not five days a week for three quartersof the year.

Much as I love SHSB (our younger DS has just left, having been there all the way from year 7), even if poor unloved Colchester Academy was the only non-grammar school in town that my DC would stand a chance of getting, I would think twice about putting him in for that kind of travel on top of very full school days. And homework / extracurricular activities / 5am departures for school trips etc.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Thank you so much. This was very helpful and would help us in considering our options thoroughly.

Hello, can I ask what is the main difference between westcliff for boys and Southend for boys? I have heard westcliff is more academic, more ooc kids. We have only seen Southend for boys and like it. Travelling distance is the same. If I put westcliff as second and Southend third and got in westcliff, can I change my mind and ask to go On Southend? Don’t know how it works but concerned if I put the right orders in ? Thanks

if you get your first choice then your second and third won't be considered. If however you are allocated your second and it is Westcliff then you can sometimes ask to be put on the waiting list of a lower school on your list but you would have to check that that is possible with your LEA. Accept the place you are given first though!

thank you.

wish we could see Westcliff for boy to compare. Southend for boys seem very laid back but always academic. from what i heard they probably not as pushy as kegs and westcliff. I think it will suit my son more cause it's hard to tell if my son is grammar school type! it wasn't his idea to take the exam .it's all mine as our local school wasn't that great. as you can image he did argue for homework as no-one else does it in his class...

I may be overthinking it. his score probably not enough for westcliff ooc anyway.

Admitting to bias here, but if you (assuming a collective 'you', your DS included) have visited SHSB and liked the school and haven't visited WHSB, travel being equal, I would go with SHSB...

Please don't imagine, though, that it's 'more laid-back' vibe isn't underpinned by very high expectations re behaviour, however.

Out of curiosity, when you say that travel is the same, are we talking Basildon-distance OOC here, or the other side of Colchester-distance?

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

thank you.

I probably will drive my son to Westcliff during half term even just to see the school from outside.

if my son gets in any of these two, it will be school bus. drop off westcliff first and then southend. we are bicknacre way.