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Colchester Royal Grammar School: 11+ entry

6 Lexden Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3ND

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial TeamSchool website

Some details are being re-checked

We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts

Can we apply, and what did it take?

For September 2027 entry

  • 303or more

    CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics), 2027 entry

    Checked, source: Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), checked

  • Year 7 places

    Not published yet

  • Lowest score offered

    346

    2026 entry, no priority area (single figure), national offer day

    Checked, source: Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), checked

Your next deadlines

  1. Next: School place applications close: Common Application Form ()

    in 11 days

  2. Coming up: Appeal deadline

    in 25 weeks

How far offers reached

Can we get in?

How far offers reached

Each bar shows how far from Colchester Royal Grammar School the last child offered a place lived, under the last admission rule the offers reached. Up to five years, on one scale.

Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.

A score of 303 or more in the CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics) means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.

Checked, source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
No distance figures publishedWe have not found a checked figure for how far offers reached at Colchester Royal Grammar School. We add each year's figures after National Offer Day, when the council or school publishes them.

Lowest score offered a place

Scores are on the aggregate score scale.

No priority area (single figure)

  1. 2026 entryOffer day

    On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 346.

  2. 2025 entryOffer day

    On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 343.

  3. 2024 entryOffer day

    On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 337.

  4. 2023 entryOffer day

    On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 340.

  5. 2022 entryOffer day

    On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 338.

Source: Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), checked

Applications and offers, September 2026 entry (Department for Education)

How many families applied to Colchester Royal Grammar School and how many places it offered. Applicants per place is all applications divided by offers. Families apply to several schools and not every applicant qualifies, so it is not the chance of a place.

Applications and offers at Colchester Royal Grammar School, September 2026 entry
FigureDepartment for Education
First-preference applications280First-preference applications, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000006,East of England,881,E10000012,Essex,Secondary,8814036,z,6,Colchester Royal Grammar School,128,128,63,51,10,804,280,240,133,4.444444444444445,2.1875,302,56,Academy converter,Faith,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001176,Colchester,149899,7View the official source
All applications (any preference)804All applications (any preference), 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000006,East of England,881,E10000012,Essex,Secondary,8814036,z,6,Colchester Royal Grammar School,128,128,63,51,10,804,280,240,133,4.444444444444445,2.1875,302,56,Academy converter,Faith,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001176,Colchester,149899,7View the official source
Places offered on National Offer Day128Places offered on National Offer Day, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000006,East of England,881,E10000012,Essex,Secondary,8814036,z,6,Colchester Royal Grammar School,128,128,63,51,10,804,280,240,133,4.444444444444445,2.1875,302,56,Academy converter,Faith,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001176,Colchester,149899,7View the official source
Applicants per place6.3Applicants per place, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000006,East of England,881,E10000012,Essex,Secondary,8814036,z,6,Colchester Royal Grammar School,128,128,63,51,10,804,280,240,133,4.444444444444445,2.1875,302,56,Academy converter,Faith,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001176,Colchester,149899,7View the official source

Source: Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), checked

About these figures

These are the scores of the last boy offered a place at CRGS on National Offer Day, from CSSE's yearly guidance sheets. They are past results, not a target for 2027.

CSSE prints a single figure for CRGS each year because the school did not use a priority area in those years, so boys were ranked on one list wherever they lived. Across these years the last place has stayed in a fairly narrow band, well above the consortium minimum of 303Essex and Southend (CSSE): Qualifying scoreChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: CSSE secondary school offers are not made to any child who has scored under a total standardised score of 303.View the official source. The scores are on CSSE's total standardised scale and leave out places won on appeal.

The 2026-entry figure is not out yet. CSSE says its next guidance sheet, with the scores from Offer Day 2026, is due on Monday 12 October 2026Essex and Southend (CSSE): Historical guidance sheet2027 entry publicationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: The Historical Guidance Sheet will be published under the Freedom of Information tab on 12th October.View the official source. CRGS itself does not publish cut-offs or allocation numbers on its website.

At a glance

Colchester Royal Grammar School in brief

tap a value for its source

Pupils
boysPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Colchester Royal Grammar School.The source says: CRGS is an 11-18 school for boys and admits girls into a co-educational Sixth Form.View the official source
Who the school admits.
School type
academySchool typeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Colchester Royal Grammar School.The source says: It became an academy in 2012View the official source
How the school is run and funded.
Entrance test
CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics)
The test children sit to be considered. Written by the CSSE's own 11+ examination.

Key dates

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in Year 6 in 2026/27.

Add to my calendar

Southend-on-Sea City Council

4 earlier steps, all doneShow

  1. Done: School place applications open (CAF)

  2. Done: Test registration opens

    Source: Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), checked

  3. Done: Test registration closes

    Source: Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), checked

  4. Done: Test day

  1. Next: School place applications close (CAF)

    in 11 days

  2. Coming up: Results

    Expected

  3. Coming up: Home address date: the address used for school places

  4. Coming up: National Offer Day

  5. Coming up: Appeal deadline

    in 25 weeks

Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entryNone of these dates are published yet.

  1. Not published yet: Test registration opens

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  2. Not published yet: Test registration closes

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  3. Not published yet: Test day

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  4. Not published yet: Results

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  5. Not published yet: School place applications close: Common Application Form (CAF)

    Not yet published

  6. Not published yet: National Offer Day

    Not yet published

Notes on these dates

CRGS's own address date for 2027 entry is set in the policy we could not open. For 2028 entry, CSSE's latest word on timing is below.

  • 2028-entry dates: Important dates to be published by Easter 2027Essex and Southend (CSSE) 2028 entry: Dates published byChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: CSSE EXAMINATION – 2028 ENTRY Registration will open next year. Important dates will be published by Easter 2027.View the official source

How places are given

Admission rules and catchment
Admission rules not checked yetWe add the school's rules from its determined admission policy.

The admission rules for September 2028 entry are not published yet. We check the school's website and add them when they appear.

More detail from our guide

CRGS lists an admissions policy for September 2027 entry on its website, but the file is reached through a download link that our capture tool is not permitted to fetch, so we have not read it. That policy is where the school sets its number of places, any priority area, pupil premium places, tie-breaks and waiting-list rules, so none of those appear here. Capturing it by hand is on our list. Until then, read it on the CRGS admissions policy page or ask the school.

What does apply to every consortium school:

  • The minimum score: no CSSE school offers a place below 303Essex and Southend (CSSE): Qualifying scoreChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: CSSE secondary school offers are not made to any child who has scored under a total standardised score of 303.View the official source.
  • What that means: Below the pass mark: refused a place at a selective school and cannot join its selective waiting list.Essex and Southend (CSSE): Minimum score ruleChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Southend-on-Sea City Council.The source says: If you use one of your preferences for a selective school and your child did not reach the pass mark you will be refused a place at the selective school. Children can only be on the waiting list for a selective place if they meet the pass mark.View the official source
  • Pupil premium form: CSSE's own pages disagree about which schools need its separate pupil premium form, and we could not read the CRGS policy. We are checking. If your son is eligible, ask CRGS before Saturday 31 October 2026Essex and Southend (CSSE) 2027 entry: Pp form deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: 31st October 2026 Deadline for sending the completed Pupil Premium forms to the CSSE schools you have named on your Local Authority Common Application Form.View the official source.

2028 entry: the school has not listed a policy for September 2028 yet; its catchment for that year is Colchester Royal Grammar School 2028 entry: DescriptionNot yet published by Colchester Royal Grammar School; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: Admissions Policy 2026-2027 | 13th Mar 2025 | Download | | Admissions Policy 2027-2028 | 12th Mar 2026 | DownloadView the official source.

The test

CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics)
Test
CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics)
Written by
the CSSE's own 11+ examination
Test date, 2027 entry
Saturday 19 September 2026
How the parts count
English and Mathematics weighted equally (1:1)

There is no separate CRGS paper. A boy registers once with the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE), sits its test, and that score goes to every consortium school his family applies to. The 2027-entry test was held on Saturday 19 September 2026Essex and Southend (CSSE) 2027 entry: Test dateChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Southend-on-Sea City Council.The source says: 19 September | 11 plus selection test to be taken by those pupils whose parents have registered for ... 2026 | them to take the test with the CSSE.View the official source, and CSSE also ran a second test day:

  • Second sitting: Tuesday test day (religious objection to Saturday, illness with medical evidence, other evidenced exceptional circumstances, or main-day capacity reached): Tuesday 29 September 2026Essex and Southend (CSSE) 2027 entry: OtherChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: arrangements will be made for your child to take the test on Tuesday 29th September 2026.View the official source
The CSSE test at a glance
PapersEnglish (60 minutes); Mathematics (60 minutes)CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics): PapersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: The English paper will last sixty minutes with ten minutes additional reading time. The Mathematics paper will last sixty minutes.View the official source
Extra time10 minutes additional reading time (English paper)CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics): Reading timeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: The English paper will last sixty minutes with ten minutes additional reading time.View the official source
WeightingEnglish and Mathematics weighted equally (1:1)CSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics): How the test sections are weightedChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: Thus a candidate, born on 01/09/2014, with average marks on each paper will obtain a total of 300, comprising the results in the two papers weighted 1:1.View the official source
ContentKey Stage 2 National CurriculumCSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics): Curriculum basisChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: The Mathematics and English tests will ... be based on Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum.View the official source
Free practice materialFree downloadable familiarisation papers, plus free past papers (2021-2023 entry English, Continuous Writing and Maths with mark schemes) on csse.org.ukCSSE 11+ examination (English and Mathematics): Familiarisation materialsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: FREE downloadable Familiarisation papers can be found by clicking on the CSSE 11+ Examination link above.View the official source

One recent change is worth knowing if you are looking at older practice papers: From September 2024 (2025 entry) the English paper has no Applied Reasoning questionsEssex and Southend (CSSE): Applied reasoning removedChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: PLEASE NOTE: With effect from September 2024 (2025 Entry) the English paper does not contain Applied Reasoning questions.View the official source.

CRGS also offers free online familiarisation through a partner platform for boys eligible for the pupil premium, once their primary school confirms eligibility. Ask the school about it if your son may qualify.

How the Essex and Southend (CSSE) test works

Open days

Not published yet

CRGS invites parents of boys applying at 11+ to its open evenings, but we did not find dates for them on its website when we checked; the only evening announced was for the sixth form. The school also lists an 11+ prospectus on its prospectus page. Keep an eye on the school website for the next Year 7 event.

If you are refused a place

Reviews, appeals and the waiting list

General information, not legal advice.

How appeals work
Appeals arranged by Essex County Council; CRGS points to the ECC 'After your school offer: Appeals' page for the timetable.Source: Colchester Royal Grammar School, checked

General information, not legal advice.

If CRGS cannot offer your son a place on National Offer Day (Monday 1 March 2027Essex and Southend (CSSE) 2027 entry: National Offer DayChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Southend-on-Sea City Council.The source says: National Offer Day, when all that have applied receive the outcome for their application is 1 March 2027.View the official source), you can appeal to an independent panel.

  • Who arranges it: Appeals arranged by Essex County Council; CRGS points to the ECC 'After your school offer: Appeals' page for the timetable.Colchester Royal Grammar School: Appeals route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Colchester Royal Grammar School.The source says: For information on the admissions appeals timetable, please see After your school offer: Appeals | Essex County CouncilView the official source
  • Deadline to lodge (Essex): Tuesday 13 April 2027Essex and Southend (CSSE): Essex lodging deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Essex County Council.The source says: 13 April 2027 Deadline for lodging appeals to be heard before summer holidays.View the official source
  • Scores: No special consideration or score adjustments; circumstances can be presented to an independent appeal panel after 1 March 2027Essex and Southend (CSSE): Special considerationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE).The source says: The CSSE does not give special consideration to pupils’ circumstances when papers are marked and adjustments to scores will not be made. Parents may present their child’s particular circumstances to an independent appeal panel at any of their chosen schools after March Offer Day (1st March 2027)View the official source

Panels can only weigh what you put in front of them, and places at a full grammar school are hard to win on appeal, so a second choice you would be content with matters. The CSSE guide explains the Essex timetable.

Official documents and sources

13 sources, each kept as an archived copy

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