Applying to Southend High School for Boys for September 2028? This guide covers the CSSE 11+, the qualifying score, how the 180 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.
Number of places in Year 7: 180 (2027-entry figure — Southend High School for Boys confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
Qualifying score: The school sets a pass mark each year, keeping the entrance standard comparable to 1990 to 1994, but the number isn't published in its policy. The CSSE makes no offers below a total standardised score of 303.
11+ test:CSSE 11+ (two written-answer papers: English, 60 minutes plus 10 minutes' reading time, and maths, 60 minutes)
Catchment or priority area: yes — postcode districts SS0 to SS9 (up to 150 of the 180 places)
Source: Southend High School for Boys Admission Criteria and Arrangements for Entry 2027. Last checked October 2026.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
Southend High School for Boys confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from Tuesday 12 May 2026 to Friday 19 June 2026, the test took place on Saturday 19 September 2026 and results were due on Monday 12 October 2026 (by email, after close of business). We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.
The CSSE says it will publish the 2028-entry dates by Easter 2027.
Key dates for Southend High School for Boys 11+ entry in September 2028, with expected windows where the school has not yet confirmed exact dates.
Date
What happens
Mid-May 2027
CSSE test registration expected to open
Mid-June 2027
CSSE test registration expected to close
Mid-September 2027
CSSE 11+ test, usually on a Saturday
Mid-October 2027
Results expected by email
Sunday 31 October 2027
Deadline to apply for secondary school places through your home local authority. This date falls on a Sunday.
Wednesday 1 March 2028
National offer day for secondary school places
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Southend High School for Boys is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.
Register your son for the CSSE 11+ by completing the CSSE Supplementary Information Form and returning it to the CSSE by its published deadline. Free School Meals or Pupil Premium eligibility must be indicated on that form to be considered for preferential places.
Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Southend High School for Boys on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.
Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.
What will my child be tested on?
The CSSE 11+ is set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex and shared by its ten member schools, so your son sits it once to be considered for any of them. He will usually sit it at the CSSE school you nominate when you register.
There are two papers, both based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum: English (60 minutes, plus 10 minutes' reading time) and maths (60 minutes). The English paper includes a continuous writing task, marked on ideas, vocabulary and spelling, grammar, structure and punctuation. Since 2025 entry it has had no applied reasoning questions. The consortium sets its own papers, and answers are written out rather than chosen from multiple-choice options.
Each paper is standardised for age and weighted equally, at 50% each, to give a total standardised score.
The table below shows what each paper covers.
The CSSE 11+ papers for September 2028 entry: length and content of each paper.
Paper
Length
What it covers
English
60 minutes, plus 10 minutes' reading time
Key Stage 2 English, including a continuous writing task
Maths
60 minutes
Key Stage 2 maths
How are places allocated at Southend High School for Boys?
If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 180 Year 7 places, Southend High School for Boys offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for Entry 2027. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.
Southend High School for Boys oversubscription criteria in priority order, from the Entry 2027 admissions policy.
Priority
Who it covers
1
Looked after and previously looked after boys who pass the selection tests
2
Up to 15 of the 150 catchment places for boys living in postcode areas SS0 to SS9 who receive Free School Meals or the Pupil Premium Grant ('preferential consideration')
3
The rest of the 150 catchment places, in score order, for boys living in SS0 to SS9
4
Up to 3 of the remaining 30 places for boys living outside SS0 to SS9 who are entitled to preferential consideration
5
The remaining places, in score order, for boys living outside SS0 to SS9
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Within each category, places go in rank order of marks, highest first. Free School Meals or Pupil Premium Grant eligibility counts only if it applied at test registration and was indicated on the CSSE Supplementary Information Form.
Does Southend High School for Boys have a catchment area?
The catchment area is the postcode districts SS0 to SS9. Up to 150 of the 180 places are reserved for boys living there, and the school publishes a Priority Admissions Area map on its website.
If boys tie for the last place, a boy entitled to preferential consideration comes first, then the boy living nearest the school in a straight line. If the distance is the same, a computerised random allocation, supervised by someone independent of the governors, decides.
If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?
A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.
How can I help my child prepare for the test?
The CSSE 11+ can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child prepare for test day.
Stay on track with a clear plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.
A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's exam date and target schools, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation — particularly for the CSSE, where both the comprehension and creative writing sections reward confident, well-read students.
Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will broaden their vocabulary, improve comprehension and inference, and build confidence in tackling unseen texts. And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.
Looking for inspiration? Atom's recommended reading lists have suggestions spanning fiction and non-fiction for Years 3–6.
Celebrate progress, not just scores
When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
