St Thomas More High School 11 plus

St Thomas More High School is a Roman Catholic bilateral (partially-selective) school for boys with a mixed sixth form in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.

The school's aim is to provide a disciplined, caring and stable environment that produces confident young people who are prepared to make a difference in the wider world.

Ofsted, who ranked the school as ‘Good’, supported this with their assessment that ‘pupils are supported to become active, mature, articulate and responsible young citizens in society; that is the measure of a Tommy More boy.'

11 plus information for St Thomas More High School

• Address: St Thomas More High School, Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BW

• County: Essex

• Admissions info: [email protected], 01702 390201

• School type: partially-selective Catholic Academy

• Number of pupils: 1,179

• Number of places in Year 7: 180 (30 selective)

• Open day date: normally in October

• Exam board type: Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE)

• Registration for entry in 2023: 17th May 2022

• Exam date for entry in 2023: 17th September 2022

• Deadline for applications for entry in 2023: applications must be submitted by 31st October 2022 to the child's home Local Authority

• Offers for entry in 2023: 1st March 2023

St Thomas More High School term dates

The term dates for 2022-23 at St Thomas More High School are not yet available. However, they are likely to follow the dates for 2021-22, which are:

• Autumn term: 3rd September - 17th December

• Half term: 25th - 29th October

• Spring term: 5th January - 31st March

• Half term: 14th - 18th February

• Summer term: 19th April - 21st July

• Half term: 30th May - 3rd June

How and when to apply to St Thomas More High School

As a bilateral Catholic school, St Thomas More High School offers both non-selective and selective places. Applications are made through local authority websites in Year 6. For selective places, applicants need to apply through the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) and submit supplementary forms to the school itself.

Registration for CSSE opens in May 2022 and closes in June 2022. The exam date is 17th September 2022 with results on 21st October and St Thomas More High School expects supplementary forms by 31st October.

St Thomas More High School 11 plus admissions process

St Thomas More High School uses an 11 plus exam for its 30 selective places: the CSSE Exam, which is set by the Consortium itself.

The pass mark changes from year to year according to previous success rates. In the past, there has been a minimum score of 303. The average standardised score on both papers is 300 so applicants typically must exceed the average, although individual schools can modify criteria.

In cases of oversubscription St Thomas More High School applies the following criteria:

• The 30 selective places are based on residence in postcodes SS0 - SS9 and then tiebreakers are applied with the remaining criteria

• Looked after boys from Catholic families and previously looked after children who were adopted by Catholic families

• Baptised, practising Catholics in a number of Catholic parishes.

• Other baptised, practising Catholics

• Baptised Catholics

• Other looked after and previously looked after boys

• Practising Christian boys attending Catholic primary schools

• Practising Christian boys whose parents desire a Catholic education for them.

• Families desiring a Catholic education for their son.

• Within each category preference is given to boys with a sibling at the school at the time of admission and then distance from the school

The CSSE 11 plus exam format and content

Pupils take two papers on the same day:

• Paper 1: English - reading comprehension, verbal reasoning and creative writing

• Paper 2: Maths - non multiple-choice questions testing arithmetic, reasoning and problem-solving

The pass mark changes from year to year but in previous years a minimum of 303 has been required, compared to an average standardised score of 303.

How to prepare your child for the CSSE 11 plus

With places at St Thomas More and the other CSSE schools much sought after, and the test being a challenging one, we recommend that preparations begin at least a year in advance. Prospective St Thomas Morel pupils should prepare for English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex has released familiarisation materials to assist pupils with their preparations for the exam.

How Atom can help your child prepare for the St Thomas More High School 11 plus

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