Southend High School for Boys 11 plus is a key route for families looking for a selective boys grammar in Southend on Sea, Essex. The school sits on Prittlewell Chase, and for most families the commute and the pace of school life matter just as much as scores.
It usually feels more manageable once the process is split into two tracks. One is the CSSE registration and test. The other is the local authority application that comes later. Keeping both on one calm timeline stops deadlines from sneaking up. This simple page helps you map the process clearly: grammar school application UK timeline.
It also helps to understand how places are allocated. A large share of Year 7 places is reserved for children living in the local postcode area, with remaining places offered by score to children living further away.
| Key detail | Information |
| Address | Prittlewell Chase, Southend on Sea, Essex, SS0 0RG |
| School type | Selective boys grammar |
| Year 7 entry size | 180 places |
| Entry route | CSSE English and maths tests |
| Who can apply | Boys for Year 7, test taken in person at a CSSE test centre |
| Admissions priority | Reserved local quota then score ranking, distance used only as a tie break |
| Local authority | Southend on Sea |
| Ofsted | Outstanding inspection outcome published June 2024 |
| Location |
A reliable sense check on current inspection findings is available on the school’s page at ofsted.gov.uk.
Southend High School for Boys uses the CSSE selection test shared by several Essex and Southend grammar schools. Registration opens on 13 May 2025 and the absolute deadline is 27 June 2025. Details and familiarisation papers are available at csse.org.uk.
Any request for special arrangements must be submitted in writing by 27 June 2025. This deadline matters because supporting evidence often takes time to organise.
Your child sits two separate tests, one English and one Mathematics. The main test date for 2026 entry is Saturday 20 September 2025, with a Tuesday sitting on 30 September 2025 only for approved reasons such as religious objection to Saturday testing or illness supported by evidence.
Results are issued by email after close of business on 13 October 2025. The result is not an application on its own. It is the score that later supports your school preferences.
Parents apply through the Common Application Form, with a deadline of 31 October 2025. Southend admissions guidance is published on southend.gov.uk.
National offer day is 1 March 2026. Waiting lists are common and can move after offers as families finalise decisions. If a place is not offered, an appeal is possible, but it works best with organised evidence and realistic expectations.
| Date | What happens |
| 13 May 2025 | CSSE registration opens |
| 27 June 2025 | CSSE registration closes and access arrangement deadline |
| 20 September 2025 | Main test date |
| 30 September 2025 | Tuesday test day for approved reasons only |
| 13 October 2025 | Results issued by email |
| 31 October 2025 | Common Application Form deadline |
| 1 March 2026 | National offer day |
Admissions are score led, but with strong local priority. For Year 7 entry, 180 places are available. Up to five sixths of these, 150 places, are reserved for children living in postcode areas SS0 to SS9.
After the local quota is filled, remaining places are offered to applicants living outside these postcodes. Within both groups, places are offered strictly by score. Distance is used only as a tie break when scores are identical, measured as straight line distance from the child’s home front door to the nearest pupil entrance.
A smaller number of places are reserved under preferential consideration criteria, linked to free school meals history or similar indicators. These places sit within the local and non local allocation rather than replacing it. A summary of the admissions criteria is available at passelevenplus.co.uk.
The Southend High School for Boys entrance exam is the CSSE test, made up of two papers in English and Mathematics. Content is based on Key Stage 2 material and taken under timed conditions.
Familiarisation papers provided by CSSE are worth using early, as they remove much of the fear of the unknown. Selection is exam led, and there is no interview stage for standard Year 7 academic entry.
A steady routine helps keep preparation manageable. This structure is useful to keep handy: Year 5 revision plan.
As a clear starting point, you can book a free 11 plus diagnostic session with Find Your Tutor FYT focused on Southend High School for Boys. It benchmarks your child’s current level and provides a personalised preparation roadmap for the months ahead.
Join Hundreds of Families Who Secured Southend High School for Boys Places with Find Your Tutor.
The CSSE main test date is 20 September 2025, with a Tuesday sitting on 30 September 2025 for approved reasons. Results follow on 13 October 2025.
Two timed papers, English and Mathematics, based on Key Stage 2 content and administered through CSSE.
 No. Applicants from outside can apply, but a large share of places is reserved for children living in postcode areas SS0 to SS9 before places are offered beyond that area.
No. CSSE registration registers your child to sit the test, but the school application must still be made through your home local authority form by 31 October 2025.
The published admission number is 180.
Up to 150 places are reserved for children living in postcode areas SS0 to SS9, with the remaining places then offered to applicants outside those postcodes, all driven by score ranking.
Distance is mainly a tie break when scores are equal, using straight line measurement from home to the nearest pupil entrance.
The admissions criteria define it using indicators such as eligibility for free school meals or recent entitlement, and places are reserved within both the local and non local groups.
The Tuesday sitting is not offered for general convenience. It is reserved for religious objection to Saturday testing, illness with evidence, or approved exceptional circumstances.
 The CSSE guide states requests must be made in writing by 27 June 2025, so it is worth gathering evidence early.
CSSE allocates an alternative CSSE school test centre if the nominated centre reaches capacity.
The published Year 7 selection route is exam led through CSSE, with no standard interview stage described for academic admissions.
Focus on timing, accuracy, and familiar paper formats rather than pushing new topics. Consistency tends to lift performance more than last minute intensity.
Offers are sent by local authorities on 1 March 2026. Even if the first outcome is not the hoped for one, waiting lists can move afterwards.
Yes. An appeal is possible, and it works best with clear evidence and realistic expectations. Many families also stay on the waiting list because movement can happen after offers.
