Southend High School for Girls 11+ Guide

About Southend High School for Girls

Southend High School for Girls is a selective secondary school in Essex. For children to get into Southend High School for Girls they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Southend High School for Girls is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the heart of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, Southend High School for Girls has been a beacon of academic excellence for over a century. This esteemed grammar school caters to students aged 11 to 18, providing a nurturing and challenging environment that fosters personal growth and intellectual curiosity. With a current enrolment of over 1,200 pupils, the school has cultivated a reputation for producing well-rounded, confident, and successful young women.

At Southend High School for Girls, the meticulously crafted curriculum is designed to lay a robust foundation in core subjects such as mathematics, science, and English. The school's dedicated faculty works tirelessly to ensure that each student, regardless of their background or ability, receives the support and guidance necessary to reach their full potential. By offering a comprehensive range of extracurricular and super curricular programmes, the school enriches the educational experience and encourages students to explore their passions beyond the classroom.

The school's ethos is firmly rooted in academic excellence, while also emphasising the importance of family values and personal development. The supportive and inclusive atmosphere at Southend High School for Girls empowers students to face challenges with resilience and a positive outlook. Sixth Form students are entrusted with leadership roles, serving as mentors and role models for their younger peers, fostering a strong sense of community and responsibility.

Southend High School for Girls takes immense pride in the outstanding achievements of its students, who consistently excel in their GCSE and A-Level examinations. Many of the school's graduates go on to pursue higher education at prestigious universities, including those in the Russell Group and Oxbridge, as well as renowned institutions overseas. With its unwavering commitment to academic excellence and personal growth, Southend High School for Girls continues to shape the minds and futures of exceptional young women.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Southend High School for Girls together with their admissions contact details.

Southend High School for Girls is a girls only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 1,245 pupils attend Southend High School for Girls and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Jason Carey.

Southend High School for Girls Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at Southend High School for Girls for the 2022-23 academic year.

CSSE 11+ Information

In order to get into Southend High School for Girls, children need to pass the CSSE 11+. This 11+ test is written by CSSE for use by the school's admissions process.

CSSE 11+ Subjects & Structure

The CSSE 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Maths

The CSSE 11 plus exam, required for entry into Southend High School for Girls, is a rigorous assessment of a student's academic abilities. The exam is divided into two separate papers, each lasting approximately one hour.

The English paper evaluates a student's reading comprehension skills and their ability to engage in creative writing tasks. This section aims to gauge the student's proficiency in understanding and analyzing written texts, as well as their capacity to express themselves effectively through original composition.

The Maths paper assesses the student's mathematical knowledge and problem-solving skills, based on the content covered in the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum. This section tests the student's understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts and their ability to apply this knowledge to solve a variety of problems.

Other Schools using CSSE 11+

As well as Southend High School for Girls, several other schools also use CSSE 11+. These are:

• Colchester County High School for Girls
• Colchester Royal Grammar School
• King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
• Southend High School for Boys
• Westcliff High School for Boys Academy
• Westcliff High School for Girls

CSSE 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Southend High School for Girls is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

CSSE 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the CSSE 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at Southend High School for Girls, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

CSSE 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the CSSE 11+ tests (to get into Southend High School for Girls) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with Southend High School for Girls as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Southend High School for Girls was last inspected by Ofsted on 08/12/2011 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 10/01/2012, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Southend High School for Girls per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Unfortunately, Southend High School for Girls has not made any of their 11+ past papers publicly available. However, you can use our 11+ practice papers to help your child prepare.

Practice Papers for Southend High School for Girls