A plain-English guide to the CSSE 11+ for families in Leigh-on-Sea and Southend: the schools, the test, the key dates and how to prepare from Year 4.
If your child is in Year 4 or Year 5 and you’re starting to think about Southend grammar schools, the Essex 11+ can look confusing at first. There’s a test to register for, a separate school application, and dates that change slightly each year. This guide explains how the CSSE 11+ works for Leigh-on-Sea families, step by step.
Please note: dates and arrangements change each year. The dates below are from the official CSSE Information Guide for 2027 entry (the test sat in September 2026). Children now in Year 5 will follow the 2028 entry timetable, which CSSE says will be published by Easter 2027. Always check csse.org.uk.
The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) runs one shared entrance test for ten Essex schools. Your child sits the test once, and the result is used for every CSSE school you apply to. CSSE runs the test only. Applications, offers and appeals are handled by your council and the schools.
For families in Leigh-on-Sea, the seven Southend-area schools are usually the main focus:
The same test also covers Colchester County High School for Girls, Colchester Royal Grammar School and King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford. Each school sets its own admissions policy, so read the policy for every school you’re considering. St Bernard’s and St Thomas More also ask you to complete their own Supplementary Information Form.
Children sit two written papers on the same day:
There are no verbal or non-verbal reasoning papers. The Applied Reasoning questions that used to appear in the English paper were removed from September 2024. Each paper is standardised and worth 50% of the total, and scores are adjusted for age, so younger children in the year group are not disadvantaged. Children may bring only a pen, pencil, ruler and eraser. Calculators are not allowed.
Because the papers cover the whole of Key Stage 2, some topics (in Maths especially) may not have been taught at school by the time of the test in September of Year 6. This is one of the main reasons families start preparing in Year 5.
The pattern is similar every year, but the exact dates change. For 2027 entry, the official dates were:
Check csse.org.uk for the current year’s dates. They change each year.
This is the step that catches families out. There are two separate forms:
Results arrive in mid-October, before the 31 October deadline, so you can choose your preferences knowing your child’s score. List schools in your genuine order of preference. CSSE’s historical guidance sheet shows the scores of the last places offered in previous years. CSSE schools do not offer places to any child who scores below a total standardised score of 303, although places offered on appeal or under special considerations fall outside this. Check csse.org.uk and each school’s admissions policy, as the figures and rules can change.
Many families start with relaxed foundation work in Year 4, then step up in Year 5, so preparation is steady rather than rushed.
No. The test is English and Maths only. Applied Reasoning was removed from the English paper from September 2024.
No. You must also name the schools on your council’s Common Application Form by 31 October of Year 6.
It varies by school and by year. Use the CSSE historical guidance sheet as a guide only, and read each school’s admissions policy. Check csse.org.uk.
No. The CSSE schools have a joint policy of not re-marking papers. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal after National Offer Day.
Contact the test centre. With medical evidence, CSSE can arrange the reserve test date.
This guide is for general information. Better Learning UK is not connected with CSSE or any school. Last reviewed: October 2026.
