Essex Grammar Schools
Complete 11 Plus Guide.
Complete list of all 11 selective grammar schools across Essex. School details, CSSE exam information, addresses, entry requirements, and 11 Plus preparation advice for every area.
Everything You Need to Know About Essex Grammar Schools.
Essex is home to 11 grammar and selective schools across three main areas — Chelmsford, Colchester, and Southend-on-Sea. Ten of these schools use the shared CSSE (Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex) entrance exam, while Chelmsford County High School for Girls runs its own independent test.
The CSSE test consists of two papers — English and Mathematics — each lasting 60 minutes. A standardised score of 303 or above is typically required to qualify. At Eleven Ace, we provide personalised 1:1 online tuition and small-group batch classes tailored specifically to the CSSE exam format.
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One of the most academically prestigious state schools in England. Founded in 1551, KEGS is a boys’ grammar school with academy status that consistently achieves exceptional results. Co-educational sixth form available. Priority area of 12.5 miles from the school applies to 120 of the 150 places.
A highly selective girls’ grammar school and academy rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Notably, CCHS is the only Essex grammar school outside the CSSE consortium — it administers its own entrance test provided by FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise). Girls applying to both CCHS and CSSE schools must sit two separate tests.
Founded in 1206 and holding a Royal Charter from Henry VIII, CRGS is one of the oldest schools in England. A fully selective boys’ grammar school with academy status. Uniquely, it offers state boarding places for approximately 30 sixth form students — one of very few state boarding schools in the country.
A fully selective girls’ grammar school and academy located in northern Colchester. One of the largest girls’ grammar schools in Essex by intake, admitting approximately 192 girls into Year 7 each year. Consistently high-performing across all subjects.
The Southend-on-Sea and Westcliff-on-Sea area has the highest concentration of grammar schools in Essex, with four fully selective grammar schools and three schools offering selective grammar stream places. The priority postcode area for these schools covers SS0–SS9.
A fully selective boys’ grammar school and academy in Southend. Has a strong academic tradition and is one of the larger boys’ grammar schools in the area. 150 of its 180 places are prioritised for children in the SS postcode district. Co-educational sixth form available.
A fully selective girls’ grammar school and academy with the largest Year 7 intake of any Essex grammar school at approximately 224 places. Draws primarily from the Southend priority postcode area and provides a broad academic curriculum.
A fully selective boys’ grammar school and academy in Westcliff-on-Sea. One of the larger selective schools in the Southend area with a strong reputation for academic achievement and a wide range of extracurricular activities. Co-educational sixth form available.
A fully selective girls’ grammar school and academy located on Kenilworth Gardens in Westcliff-on-Sea. Offers a strong academic programme and is one of four girls’ grammar schools in the Southend area, admitting approximately 184 girls into Year 7.
A Roman Catholic bilateral girls’ school and academy. St Bernard’s offers approximately 30 selective grammar stream places via the CSSE 11+ exam alongside its larger non-selective intake. Serves the Catholic community as well as girls who pass the grammar entrance exam. Co-educational sixth form available.
A Roman Catholic bilateral boys’ school and academy, the brother school to St Bernard’s. Approximately 30 of its 180 Year 7 places are allocated through the CSSE 11+ selective process, with the remaining places filled via non-selective Catholic admissions criteria. Co-educational sixth form available.
A large co-educational academy that is primarily a comprehensive school but participates in the CSSE consortium by offering approximately 30 selective pathway places for students who achieve the qualifying 11+ score. The only mixed-gender school in the CSSE consortium.
Preparing for Essex Grammar Schools with Eleven Ace.
Most Essex grammar schools use the CSSE consortium exam covering English and Mathematics. Eleven Ace provides personalised 1:1 online tuition and small-group batch classes specifically tailored to the CSSE exam format — plus preparation for the CCHS independent test for families applying to Chelmsford County High School for Girls.
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