Essex Grammar School Directory
Essex Grammar SchoolsComplete 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.
11
Grammar Schools
3
Areas
11+
Entry Age
CSSE
Consortium
Essex 11 Plus
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.
Exam Board
CSSE Consortium
- 11 Grammar Schools
- 3 Areas
- 11+ Entry Age
2027 entry · verified August 2026
CSSE key dates and how selection works
One registration covers all ten CSSE consortium schools. Registration for 2027 entry has now closed; the figures below are taken from csse.org.uk. CSSE does not publish a pass mark — the standard shifts each year with the strength of the cohort and the number of places, so treat any number you see quoted elsewhere as a guess.
Test date
19 Sept 2026
Saturday. One sitting for all candidates.
Registration
Closed
The window for 2027 entry has passed. The 2028 window opens in spring 2027.
Consortium
10 schools
KEGS, CCHS, CRGS, Southend Boys & Girls, Westcliff Boys & Girls, St Bernard's, St Thomas More, Shoeburyness.
English paper
60 min
Plus 10 minutes' reading time before the paper starts.
Maths paper
60 min
No separate reading time.
Pass mark
Not published
CSSE publishes no qualifying score. Each school sets its own admissions standard.
School Directory
All Essex Grammar Schools
Chelmsford Grammar Schools
2 SchoolsKing Edward VI Grammar School (KEGS)
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.
- Address
- Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 3SX
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~150 Year 7 places
Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS)
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.
- Address
- Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1RW
- Exam Board
- FSCE (independent of CSSE)
- Places
- ~180 Year 7 places
Colchester Grammar Schools
2 SchoolsColchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS)
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.
- Address
- 6 Lexden Road, Colchester, CO3 3ND
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~128 Year 7 places
Colchester County High School for Girls (CCHSG)
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.
- Address
- Norman Way, Colchester, CO3 3US
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~192 Year 7 places
Southend & Westcliff Grammar Schools
7 SchoolsSouthend High School for Boys (SHSB)
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.
- Address
- Prittlewell Chase, Southend-on-Sea, SS0 0RG
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~180 Year 7 places
Southend High School for Girls (SHSG)
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.
- Address
- Southchurch Boulevard, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 4UZ
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~224 Year 7 places
Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB)
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.
- Address
- Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0BP
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~185 Year 7 places
Westcliff High School for Girls (WHSG)
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.
- Address
- Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0BS
- Exam Board
- CSSE — English & Maths
- Places
- ~184 Year 7 places
St Bernard’s High School
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.
- Address
- Milton Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7JS
- Exam Board
- CSSE (for selective places)
- Selective Places
- ~30 grammar stream places
St Thomas More High School
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.
- Address
- Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 0BW
- Exam Board
- CSSE (for selective places)
- Selective Places
- ~30 grammar stream places
Shoeburyness High School
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.
- Address
- Caulfield Road, Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea, SS3 9LL
- Exam Board
- CSSE (for selective pathway)
- Selective Places
- ~30 selective pathway places
Eleven Ace Tutoring
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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FAQs
Essex 11 Plus FAQs.
Essex has 11 grammar and selective schools — 8 fully selective grammar schools and 3 schools offering selective grammar stream places (bilateral or selective pathway). They are located across three main areas: Chelmsford (2), Colchester (2), and Southend/Westcliff (7).
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