We are excited to share the school's new Christmas range depicting the famous Moose that holds pride of place in the dining hall.
The range includes Christmas cards, wrapping paper and Christmas baubles! See more details here, and place your order now in time for Christmas!
All proceeds will go to the school to better support our students now and in the future.
To read about the story behind the moose, see this article from the 2009 Magazine.
Please contact if you have any questions.
The Association has published a list of notifications of passing received since the summer magazine's distribution, alongside additional obituaries here. The Association offers its sincere condolences to family and friends.
The Annual General Meeting of the Association will take place at The Southendian Club, Garon Park, on Thursday 6th November 2025, commencing at 7.45pm, and all members of the Association are invited to attend and participate.
Please note the change of day due to double-booking of the venue. Apologies for any inconvenience caused: this revised notice will be circulated to the Association by email.
Apologies for absence may be sent to Keith Spenceley (General Secretary) via
The Notice and Agenda for the Meeting is available here. Minutes from the 2024 AGM are available here.
UPDATE Monday 3rd November 2025: A full document pack for the 2025 AGM incorporating agenda, previous minutes, accounts, and other reports for the Meeting (additional to those offered in the 2025 Magazine) is now available here. Attendees are advised to bring their own copies or a digital device on which to view the reports.
The Events Sub-Committee has just published its Newsletter detailing events for the second half of 2025, which may be downloaded here.
The newsletter also contains details of an Organ Society concert on Saturday 11th October, a "save the date" for next year's OSA Festival of Music, and a note from Andy Berry about getting involved with music for this event and the Association's Big Band "The Old Boys".
Please contact if you have any queries.
Celebrating a Remarkable Milestone Together
Just a quick note as we wrap up another school year to say a huge thank you to every one of you who has supported the Southend High School for Boys Charitable Trust.
Your generosity and encouragement have made an enormous difference, and we’re delighted to let you know that along with our other fund-raising efforts we will have approximately £100,000 in the bank by the end of July!
That’s a fantastic achievement in such a short period, and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without your ongoing support and belief in what we’re working towards.
Thank you once again for everything you’ve done and continue to do. Wishing you all a restful summer and looking forward to what we can achieve together next year!
Paul Husselbee (Troy, 1972-1980), Chair of Trustees, SHSB Charitable Trust
www.shsbcharitabletrust.org
A message from OSA Executive Committee Chair, Andy Crow (Athens, 1974-1981)
At the Old Southendian Annual Reunion Dinner last November, our now Head Teacher Mrs Worth, spoke of the formation of the new the Southend High School for Boys Charitable Trust (SHSBCT) with a mission is to raise funds to help the school to “remain independent and maintain its distinctive identity and provision of high-quality education now and for future generations.”
The Trust is completely separate to the OSA, but I know many of you will be keen to offer support, either financially or with your time.
The Trust is being formed in response to further real terms funding cuts which have made it extremely challenging to meet the day-to-day costs without compromising the outstanding, world class education that is given. In particular, the staff body are predominantly long-term employees, and experts in their subjects which drives the academic excellence.
Supporting the Trust is crucial for maintaining the school’s distinctive identity, the high-quality education and all those traditions (House system as a prime example) that are unique to the school.
Any donations or time will help to secure a bright future for students now and for generations to come, ensuring that the school remains a cornerstone of academic excellence and a nurturing environment where every student can thrive.
If you have any questions, you can either ask me or Nicki Weller, Director of Development at SHSBCT via www.shsbcharitabletrust.org
You can also donate now via the Trust's secure donations page. Your support will be gratefully received.
The Charity are holding a launch event at the school from 6.00-8.00 pm on Friday 25th April for a limited amount of people. If you would like to attend, please let me know by reply to ASAP so as not to be disappointed.
Clive Shiret, as your President for 2025, has written his own message of support for the Trust, which you may be interested to read in full. He concludes:
I am wholeheartedly recommending that every member considers the start the School gave them and responds to the messages from the Southend High School for Boys Charitable Trust.
We owe it to current and future generations of students to allow them the same opportunities we had to flourish and achieve by supporting the Southend High School for Boys Charitable Trust.
Thank you all for your interest in and support of the SHSB Charitable Trust.
Andy Crow (Athens, 1974-1981), Executive Committee Chair
The Events Sub-Committee has just published its Newsletter detailing events for the first half of 2025, which may be downloaded here.
Please contact if you have any queries.
The Association is pleased to announce that Rachel Worth has been appointed as the new Headteacher at the School.
Rachel has worked at the School for twenty years and has been Deputy Head for the last six. She is only the 8th Headteacher at SHSB since its inauguration 130 years ago in 1895, and the first female Head.
Many of you will have had the pleasure of meeting Rachel either at the School or at the many OSA events that she has attended.
On behalf of the Association I would like to offer our congratulations and I know her appointment will maintain and enhance our strong ties with the School.
An article in the Echo newspaper reporting the appointment is available to read here.
Andy Crow (Athens, 1974-1981), Executive Committee Chair
The Annual General Meeting of the Association will take place at The Southendian Club, Garon Park, on Wednesday 6th November 2024, commencing at 7.45pm, and all members of the Association are invited to attend and participate.
Apologies for absence may be sent to Keith Spenceley (General Secretary) via
Update 30th Oct 2024: The formal Agenda for the Meeting is available here.
Minutes from the 2023 Annual General Meeting may be found here.
A full pack for the 2024 AGM, including the agenda, minutes from the 2023 AGM, reports, and accounts may be found here ahead of the meeting as part of our effort to reduce the need for printed copies.
As part of the Association’s ongoing efforts to build relationships with current students and help prepare them for life after SHSB, a database is being created of OSA members who are able to offer work experience or shadowing placements to current students of the school. The plan is to share the database with the school and to keep it constantly updated, so that current students who are interested in a particular field or career can be put in touch, through the school’s career service, with OSA members who are able to offer them guidance and/or a work experience placement.
Please refer to the latest news email from the Registrar for further details, or contact Karl Anderson, the OSA’s School Liaison Representative, for more information via via
The Events Sub-Committee has just published its Newsletter detailing events for the second half of 2024, which may be downloaded here.
Please contact if you have any queries.
As many of you will know if you follow the local news, Dr Robin Bevan is standing down this summer as Headteacher of the school after 17 years in the role.
In the final “Outstanding” Ofsted inspection of his tenure last month, the school was praised for its “culture of excellence” with Robin typically commending the school staff for their continued expertise and enthusiasm.
Robin has been a true advocate of the OSA and the recent growth in new younger members is largely down to his innovative ideas in promoting the Association.
His love for the school has been plain to see by everyone who has attended the Annual Reunion Dinners, where he has delivered his proud and passionate updates on the multitude of successes the students have achieved, all mixed with his dry humour.
I am sure I can speak on behalf of the entire OSA in wishing him every success and happiness in whatever direction the next chapter takes him, and hopefully we will see him at many events in the future.
Members will be delighted to learn that Deputy Head Rachel Worth will become Acting Head of the school from September, while arrangements are made to appoint a successor to Robin.
Andy Crow (Athens, 1974-1981), Chair, Old Southendian Association Executive Committee
Pictured: Dr Robin Bevan (Headteacher of Southend High School for Boys, 2007-2024) speaking at the Association's Annual Reunion Dinner in November 2023.
The Events Sub-Committee has just published its Newsletter detailing events for the first half of 2024, which may be downloaded here.
Please contact if you have any queries.
Looking for older news from the Association? See our News Archive.