They were extremely popular, and the following year the newly created Southend Corporation purchased land in Clarence Road to build a Technical Institute.

The Technical Instruction Committee urged the Council to build a new school in 1896, with pupil numbers expected to grow to 400 by 1907.

However, plans were developed to build a new school, library and town hall on land owned by the council at Victoria Circus.

[6] A design by H. T. Hare was chosen, with an estimated price of £16,350, with a grant of £5,000 provided by Essex County Council towards the cost.

[9] By 1905, an extension was added to cope with the demand of both the day technical school and the college of art which was located in the top floor.

[14] Land was purchased on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Carnarvon Road to build a new further education college to host both the school of art and the evening class institute.

[17] In 1936, the council purchased a site on the Earls Hall Garden Estate, and employed architect Frank W. Smith, who designed new buildings with an estimated cost of £65,000.

It was a founder member of Southend Excellence Cluster, supporting and collaborating with nearly thirty primary and secondary schools.

Students may earn a form of award called Colours for significant achievement in academics, sport, debating or music and drama.

In 1992, QE1 and QE2 classrooms were built inside the East End quadrangle to cope with the demand arising from extra pupils.

[20][21] Owing to such a long time in sub-standard accommodation in Music and Physical Education (as mentioned by the OFSTED report of 2001),[22] a bid was made to Southend Borough Council for a grant to be awarded for a new Sports Hall and Music Centre (following the construction of a top quality facility at St Bernard's High School for Girls).

[23] The school began a development appeal to raise a further £475,000 in order to equip the centre with the latest fitness machines and recording studio.

In November 2008 two temporary classrooms were installed to the east of the main buildings between the music centre and the rear exit.

The planning application was granted subject to the condition that the rooms are removed once the extension to the Sports Hall is completed.

[24] In May 2009, a planning application was submitted to Southend Council to extend the Sports Hall & Music Centre on its western side, effectively infilling the underused grass area.

The four classrooms will be used to house the Mathematics department and include 111 square metres of circulation space as well as ample storage and an office.

A connection will be created from the fitness suite to the upstairs of the new extension, but will only come into use during emergency evacuations or disabled people using the lift in the main Sports Hall.

The OSA has the motto "sustaining friendships", and is one of the oldest and largest Boys Associations in the country, with 2,470 members as of October 2011.

Its pupils are justifiably proud to belong to it, make very good progress and achieve exceptionally high standards.

The school successfully balances an emphasis on academic achievement with a concern for pupils' personal development and well-being.

[3]Students at Southend High School for Boys are split into four houses; Athens (motto: nulli secundus, lit.

Students compete in sports, music, debating and other fields to secure house points to establish the victor.

Usher was shocked to find that the song was rarely sung and had changed somewhat due to it being passed on through oral tradition.

A few years later a copy of Hutchings' melody resurfaced in an old school newsletter from the 1940s and Usher was delighted to find that he had only mis-remembered one note and a slightly spread chord.