THE head of one of Southend’s highest-performing schools has credited its success to “academic rigour” and treating children as “more than numbers” as Government figures hailed it as among the best.

St Bernard’s High School, in Milton Road, Westcliff, is the top ranked non-grammar secondary school in Southend, with only Westcliff High School for Boys and Westcliff High School for Girls ranked above it.

This ranking is based on data released by the Department for Education, with ranking focused around the “progress 8” score, which measures academic progress made my students between the end of primary school and the end of secondary school.

Schools are also assessed on how many students take an EBacc subject - English, maths, any sciences, history, geography and languages - as well as how many are staying in education and how many students are achieving more than a five in English or maths.

St Bernard’s is ranked “well above average,” with students likely to achieve over half a grade higher in each qualification than average compared to other pupils across the country, with 68 per cent of pupils at St Bernard’s achieving a grade five or higher in English or Maths and 95 per cent of pupils staying in education or entering employment.

St Bernard’s headteacher, Allison Moise-Dixon, said: “We are clear that we want our students to have the academic rigour to be innovative, ethical leaders in the future who understand their social responsibilities. We are a school that values self-discipline and order so that all can flourish, excel and grow in a community where we understand that we are called to a higher purpose.”

Southend’s other top-rated schools include Southend High School for Boys and Southend High School for Girls, the Eastwood Academy and St Thomas More, which are rated above average.

Southend High School for Boys head, Michael Skelly, said: “We are very pleased for our students, the staff work very hard and its nice they get rewarded with this success.”