Visit the best non-selective school for GCSE results in South Essex

April 22, 2026

Thorpe Hall School’s next open morning on 30th April will give parents a chance to see why the school’s GCSE results have soared in recent years – and why they’ve been confirmed as the best performing non-selective school in south Essex.

The academic performance of south Essex schools in the 2024/25 GCSE exams was recently released in the annual secondary school performance tables released by the Department of Education.

Out of the 61 secondary schools in south Essex with published data, the highly selective Southend- based grammar schools took the top four places. Thorpe Hall School was next on the list, with 87.9 per cent of pupils achieving a standard grade 4-9 pass in English and maths. This result places the local independent school at the top of the leader-board for non-selective schools.

Headteacher, Mr Stephen Duckitt, says,

“The school is incredibly proud. Being non-selective and fully inclusive, this places Thorpe Hall at the top of the list for non-selective schools in south Essex.  This is a direct result of the hard work of our students and staff, in overhauling the school’s academic approach.” 

He states further that the ‘Raising Standards’ agenda and ‘Expect More’ initiatives he has introduced since joining the school in 2021 are now reaping their rewards, and this ranking shows the ultimate benefits to attainment for all pupils across the board.  Furthermore, Mr Duckitt is confident to predict that results will continue to significantly increase in future years, and in particular when the school’s first grammar cohort (part of the Grammar Plus scheme launched in 2022) take their GCSEs in 2027.

Local families who wish to consider Thorpe Hall School for their child are encouraged to visit the school at their upcoming open morning on Thursday 30th April. More information can be found on their website.

https://www.thorpehall.southend.sch.uk/admissions/open-mornings-senior-school/

Thorpe Hall School is an independent, non-selective school for ages 2 -16 in Southend.