Essex 11 plus (CSSE) guide

Thinking about a grammar school in Essex for your child? This guide walks you through how the system works, key dates for entry, and how to support your child through the 11+.

In this guide, you’ll find:

• How the Essex grammar school system works
• Key 11+ dates and deadlines for 2027 entry
• Which schools use the CSSE 11+
• What your child will be tested on
• How the exam is scored and how places are allocated
• Practical ways to support your child’s 11+ preparation
  

Essex grammar schools

There are 11 grammar schools in Essex. 10 of these schools are members of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), and all use the same 11+ test. 

• King Edward VI Grammar School (boys)
• Colchester County High School for Girls (girls)
• Colchester Royal Grammar School (boys)
• Shoeburyness High School (boys and girls)
• Southend High School for Boys
• Southend High School for Girls
• St Bernard’s High School (girls)
• St Thomas More High School (boys)
• Westcliff High School for Boys (boys)
• Westcliff High School for Girls (girls)

Chelmsford County High School for Girls is not a member of the CSSE. It uses a separate 11 plus exam which is provided by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE).

Key dates for 2027 entry

• Tuesday 12th May 2026: CSSE 11+ test registration opens
• Registration closing date: to be confirmed. Check the CSSE website for updates.
• Saturday 19th September 2026: CSSE 11+ test day
• Mid-October 2026: parents receive test results
• Saturday 31st October 2026: secondary school common application deadline
• Monday 1st March 2027: national school offers day
  

Dates can vary, so always check with your target schools!

What is the CSSE 11+?

The CSSE 11+ is the 11+ exam used by the 10 grammar schools that are members of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex.

Your child only needs to take it once, even if you’re applying to multiple CSSE grammar schools.

The test is taken in September of Year 6. Children born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016 will sit the test on Saturday 19th September 2026 for entry to Year 7 in September 2027.

The test is designed to assess a child’s academic ability across maths and English. Grammar schools offer places to children performing towards the top end of the national ability range for their age group.

What’s in the CSSE 11+ exam?

The CSSE 11+ consists of two written papers, both taken on the same day.

CSSE English paper

The English paper lasts one hour, with an additional 10 minutes for reading. It consists of two sections.

The first section is a reading comprehension task. Children have 10 minutes to read a passage of text which could be fiction, non-fiction or poetry. They then answer questions to demonstrate their understanding of what they have read.

The second section is a creative writing task. This involves writing a response to a prompt. Children are assessed on vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, grammar, the originality of their ideas, and the use of varied structure.

CSSE maths paper

The maths paper lasts one hour. Questions are based on the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum your child learns at school, but may be a little more challenging than they’re used to.

The key topics are number and place value, operations, fractions (including decimals and percentages), ratio and proportion, measurement, geometry, and simple statistics. Your child will be assessed on their arithmetic, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

How is the CSSE 11+ exam scored?

After the test, your child’s English and maths papers are marked by CSSE examiners.

Each paper is marked out of 60, and the two papers are given equal weight, meaning each one contributes 50% to your child’s overall score.

Once marking is complete, scores are age-standardised. This means results are adjusted to take account of a child’s date of birth, so children born later in the school year are not disadvantaged.

Your child’s results will be sent to you in mid-October 2026. If they meet the qualifying standard for your target school, you can then apply for that school through your secondary school common application form (CAF).

What’s the pass mark for the CSSE 11+?

To be considered for a place at a CSSE grammar school, your child will need to achieve a total standardised score of at least 303.

Some grammar schools set higher qualifying scores than this, as each school applies its own admissions criteria when allocating places.

Meeting the qualifying score does not guarantee that your child will be offered a place. CSSE grammar schools are often oversubscribed, with many children achieving the required score.

When this happens, schools use their admissions criteria to decide which children are prioritised for places. This can include factors such as living within a defined priority (catchment) area.

How to apply for Essex grammar schools

1. Register for the CSSE 11+

To be considered for a place, you must register your child to take the CSSE 11+.

• Registration opens: Tuesday 12th May 2026‍
• Registration closes: the registration closing date has not been released.

2. Apply for school places

Test results are sent in mid-October 2026.

If your child meets the qualifying standard for a school, you can list it on your secondary school common application form, which must be submitted to your local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.

Before listing a school, check the admissions policy to make sure your child meets all criteria.

3. National Offer Day

On Monday 1st March 2027, you’ll be informed which secondary school your child has been allocated.

If your preferred school isn’t offered, your child will receive another local school place, and you’ll be given information about how to appeal.

How can I help my child prepare for the CSSE 11+?

The CSSE 11+ can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn’t have to be stressful.

Here are some practical ways to support your child in a calm, structured way.

Stay on track with a clear CSSE 11+ revision plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation isn’t motivation – it’s knowing what to work on, when, and how to stay consistent without it taking over family life.

A clear plan helps your child build skills in the right order and avoid last-minute cramming.

With Atom’s Exam Plan, you enter your child’s exam date and target schools, and Atom builds a personalised weekly plan based on the key skills they’ll be tested on. It adapts as they improve and shows them exactly what to focus on each week.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path to exam day.

Build 11+ exam technique with realistic practice papers

Once your child feels secure with the main topics, paper practice tests help them feel more confident with the exam format.

Atom’s 11+ practice papers are designed to reflect real test conditions. Parents simply photograph their child’s answer sheets and upload them to Atom for instant marking.

You’ll get:

• a Standardised Age Score (SAS)
  
• clear insight into strengths and areas for improvement
  
• a comparison with other children applying to the same schools
  

The papers are unlimited, meaning your child can practise again and again with new questions each time.

Encourage regular reading for 11+ English success

Strong reading skills underpin almost every part of the 11+.

Encourage your child to read for 10–15 minutes a day, focusing on variety – fiction, non-fiction, different genres and authors.

This helps build:

• vocabulary
  
• comprehension and inference
  
• confidence with unfamiliar texts
  

If you’re looking for ideas, Atom’s recommended reading lists for Years 3–6 include a wide range of age-appropriate books.

Celebrate progress, not just 11+ scores

When you’re supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they’re moving in the right direction.

Atom’s progress tracking gives you a clear, simple view of how your child is doing across topics and how their performance is developing over time.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement – not just one-off test results.