Contents
Is Colchester County High School for Girls one of your preferred school choices for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about Year 7 entry to 2024, including key dates, how to register your child and what's on the 11 plus exam.
About Colchester County High School for Girls
Founded in 1909, Colchester County High School for Girls has long been considered one of the premier grammar schools in Essex and is currently ranked 19 out of all grammar schools in the country.
This is a school where young women are inspired to learn, lead and explore. It was one of the first nationally to become a science specialist school and later became a specialist modern language school too (girls are taught French, German and Latin).
Address: Colchester County High School for Girls, Norman Way, Colchester, Essex CO3 3US
Local authority: Essex County Council
School type: girls' grammar
Headteacher: Gillian Marshall
Number of pupils: 1,100+
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 19
A level results: 86.8% A*–B
GCSE results: 94% A*/A/9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 192
Open day date: not confirmed, but a virtual school tour is available to view
11 plus registration opens: Thursday 16th May 2023
11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023
Exam date: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Exam type: CSSE 11 plus
Results posted: 16th October 2023
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Colchester County High School for Girls term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at Colchester County High School for Girls are:
Autumn term: 4th September – 20th December 2023
Half term: 23rd–27th October 2023
Spring term: 4th January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 19th–23rd February 2024
Summer term: 15th April – 23rd July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
How to apply to Colchester County High School for Girls
Colchester County High School for Girls is a member of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE). You will need to complete two forms to register your daughter for a place:
Register for the 11 plus: firstly, you will need to register your child to take the CSSE 11 plus exam on the CSSE website. Registration opens on Thursday 16th May 2023 and closes on 30th June 2023.
Register for a school place: you will need to submit the common application form (CAF) and name Colchester County High School for Girls as your preferred school of choice. You will be able to complete the form on the Essex County Council website between 1st September and 31st October 2023.
The 11 plus at Colchester County High School for Girls
The 11 plus exam takes place on Saturday 23rd September 2023. All of the grammar schools in the CSSE take the same exam, which is created and administered by the CSSE itself.
The CSSE 11 plus consists of two papers:
English: one hour, with some additional reading time. It comprises questions that test reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and applied literacy and verbal reasoning. There will also be two pieces of creative writing.
Maths: one hour. Children will be tested on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum, with additional non-verbal and mathematical reasoning questions.
Find out more in our comprehensive guide to the CSSE 11 plus and access free resources to help your child prepare.
What is the pass mark for Colchester County High School for Girls?
After your daughter takes the CSSE exam, a team of independent professional markers will double-mark and check the papers. Some scores will be age-standardised and then the results for each school will be ranked in order.
The pass mark can vary from year to year. In 2022, the pass mark at Colchester County High School for Girls was 328.
The CSSE does not normally make secondary school offers to any child who has scored under a total standardised score of 303. However, some appeals outside of this criteria are successful.
Colchester County High School for Girls oversubscription criteria
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 192. When the number of children who are eligible for a place at the school exceeds 192, places will be awarded in rank order until all places are filled. Places will be allocated in this order:
Looked After or previously Looked After Children who score 320 or above in the CSSE 11 plus
Up to 20 places will be allocated to the highest-scoring candidates who are eligible for the Pupil Premium, and who receive a standardised score of 320 or above
The remaining places will then be allocated in descending order until all 192 places are filled.
There is no catchment or priority area for Colchester County High School for Girls.
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the CSSE 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the CSSE at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
CSSE 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to unlimited online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real CSSE 11 plus, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to grammar school today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
Personalised 11 plus support for you
We know how keen you are for your child to do well in the 11 plus, to give them every chance of securing a place at their school of choice. Our dedicated team of Education Experts are on hand to support you and your family every step of the way:
Ask us anything
We're happy to help with any questions you may have about admissions processes and helping your child prepare for entry to Essex grammar schools.
Exam prep WhatsApp groups
Why not join over 2,000 parents in our community WhatsApp groups? You’ll get access to free resources, advice and admissions updates.
Subscribe for the latest education advice
Subscribe to Atom’s mailing list and get free resources to help your child master core subjects, excel in their entrance exams and build academic confidence.
Get exclusive discounts for Atom Nucleus, invitations to parent webinars, and much more, direct to your inbox.
Contents