School Updated 26 April 2026

Essex / Essex 11+

Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1RW

A highly selective girls grammar school in Essex with a two-stage 11+ admissions process and strong published attainment outcomes.

Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form FSCE

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #16
Admissions
Girls only
Assessment
FSCE
Places in Year 7
180
Competition
2.9 applicants per place
Catchment
A 12.5-mile priority area applies rather than a published catchment map. Within the priority area and outside it, eligible girls are then ranked by score under the published rules.
Ofsted
Outstanding

Overview

A highly selective girls grammar school in Essex with a two-stage 11+ admissions process and strong published attainment outcomes. Chelmsford County High School for Girls serves girls aged 11-18 and keeps a full sixth form on site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,236 pupils on roll and 180 Year 7 places.

From a family point of view, admissions are likely to be one of the most important parts of the picture. The current route includes FSCE, with 180 places available in Year 7 and roughly 7 applicants per place in the latest stored admissions picture. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.

The academic side of the school is backed by enough published data to give families a useful starting point. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.76 and Attainment 8 at 80.6. 100% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 56% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 82% moving into higher education.

Published school information highlights facilities such as Library, Theatre, Swimming pool. The wider offer currently includes Drama, Duke of Edinburgh, Sport. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Taken together, those features make Chelmsford County High School for Girls the kind of school that rewards careful research into travel, admissions detail, and day-to-day fit, not just headline outcomes.

Key points

Assessment route
FSCE covering English, Maths, Science and Other.
Places and demand
180 places in Year 7 and 2.9 applicants per place
Catchment
A 12.5-mile priority area applies rather than a published catchment map. Within the priority area and outside it, eligible girls are then ranked by score under the published rules.
Results
98.9% grade 5+ in English and maths and 80.7 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 56% AAB or better and 82% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Essex and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for CCHS, Essex, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
80.7
Grade 5+ English and maths
98.9%
EBacc APS
7.94
EBacc entry
96.7%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Essex and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for CCHS, Essex, and England. 100 73.3 46.7 20 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Essex and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for CCHS, Essex, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

School type
Academy converter
Admissions
Girls only
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mr Stephen Lawlor
Pupil roll
1,236 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Chelmsford County High School For Girls
FSM
4.2%
EAL
25.2%
EHCP
0.3%

Facilities

Library Theatre Swimming pool

Extracurriculars

Drama Duke of Edinburgh Sport

Location and contact

Address

Address
Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex
Postcode
CM1 1RW
Area
Essex
Exam area
Essex 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr Stephen Lawlor

School contact

School email
office@cchs.co.uk
School phone
01245352592

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions email
admissions@cchs.co.uk
Admissions phone
01245352592

Admissions

Year 7 places
180 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed
582 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
356 first preferences (2025 entry)
Applicants per place
2.9 applicants per place
Catchment picture
A 12.5-mile priority area applies rather than a published catchment map. Within the priority area and outside it, eligible girls are then ranked by score under the published rules.
Residence requirement
Yes, home address evidence is part of the published admissions checks
Pass mark note
No fixed pass mark is published. Girls with an eligible score are then ranked under the 12.5-mile priority-area and score-based rules.

A 12.5-mile priority area plus score-based ranking applies for Year 7 entry. Only offered-score bands, not exact cutoffs, are available from the March 2026 FOI page.

A 12.5-mile priority area applies rather than a published catchment map. Within the priority area and outside it, eligible girls are then ranked by score under the published rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school

    Girls whose Education, Health and Care Plan names Chelmsford County High School for Girls are admitted before the oversubscription criteria are applied.

  2. 2

    Looked after and previously looked after girls

    Priority then goes to looked after children, previously looked after children, and children who appear to have been in state care outside England and ceased to be so because of adoption or a related order.

  3. 3

    Priority-area girls ranked by score

    The next places are offered to eligible girls who live within 12.5 miles of the school, ranked by test score under the school's published priority-area rules.

  4. 4

    Priority-area pupil premium and service premium places

    Within the priority-area allocation, up to 30 places are reserved for eligible girls receiving Pupil Premium or Service Pupil Premium under the school's published score tolerance.

  5. 5

    Remaining eligible girls ranked by score

    Any remaining places go to other eligible girls in rank-score order. If scores are tied for the last place, the nearer permanent home address is prioritised.

Exam and test format

The FSCE 11+ entrance test format

FSCE familiarisation materials are used for the current Year 7 route. Questions are based on Key Stage 2 learning up to the end of Year 5 and may draw on English, maths, science and other wider Key Stage 2 subjects; no fixed numeric cutoff or fixed subject-by-subject paper list is published.

Assessment route
FSCE

This school uses the shared Essex (CSSE) consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.

Open Essex (CSSE) guide

What the test includes

English, Maths and Science are included in the published format.

Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • English

  • Maths

  • Science

    Included in the current published format.

Not listed

  • Verbal reasoning

  • Non-verbal reasoning

Under review

  • Creative writing

Application

Key dates

  1. Registration opens

    13 April 2026

  2. Open evening

    30 April 2026

  3. Registration closes

    3 June 2026

  4. Entrance test

    3 September 2026

  5. Results issued

    Mid-October 2026

  6. CAF deadline

    31 October 2026

How to apply

  1. 1

    Read the 2027 admissions policy

    Check the published admission number, the 12.5-mile priority-area rules, and the score-based oversubscription criteria before registering.

    Open admissions policy
  2. 2

    Register online for the Year 7 entrance test

    Complete the school's online registration form between 13 April 2026 and 4pm on 3 June 2026. Test registration does not replace the local-authority application.

    Open Year 7 entry page
  3. 3

    Sit the FSCE test and wait for results

    The entrance test is scheduled for Thursday 3 September 2026, with results due in mid-October 2026.

    Open familiarisation guide
  4. 4

    Submit your Common Application Form

    If you want a school place, list Chelmsford County High School for Girls on your home local authority Common Application Form by 31 October 2026.

    Review application route

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8
+0.76 Progress 8
Attainment 8
80.7 Attainment 8
GCSE results
99.4% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths
98.9% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score
7.94 EBacc APS
A-level results
56% AAB or better
A-level average points
47.24 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression
82% in higher education
Russell Group progression
48% progressed to Russell Group universities
Apprenticeships
5% in apprenticeships
Employment
6% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths
99.4% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English
98.9% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences
98.9% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages
98.9% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

CCHS Grammar schools England
Overall GCSE performance across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for CCHS, grammar schools, and England. 100 85 70 55 40 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 85.1 74.2 49.4
2022/23 82.4 71.8 47.0
2023/24 80.6 72.1 46.7
2024/25 80.7 72.3 46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

CCHS Grammar schools England
Average A-level result across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for CCHS, grammar schools, and England. 60 pts 52.5 pts 45 pts 37.5 pts 30 pts 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 A average (49.1 points) 44.0 points 37.5 points
2022/23 A- average (45.8 points) 40.5 points 33.7 points
2023/24 A- average (45.9 points) 41.3 points 34.5 points
2024/25 A- average (47.2 points) 41.8 points 35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

CCHS Grammar schools England
Where pupils go after Year 11 across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for CCHS, grammar schools, and England. 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 99% 99.1% 94.1%
2022/23 100% 98.9% 93.9%
2023/24 100% 99.0% 93.3%
2024/25 99% 97.8% 91.4%

Latest year breakdown

In education 98%
In apprenticeships 0%
In employment 1%

Inspection

Outstanding

Latest inspection: 24 January 2024

Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

Related pages and guides

Area and ranking pages

Guides and related reading

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does CCHS use?

CCHS currently uses FSCE.

How do I apply to CCHS?

1. Read the 2027 admissions policy: Check the published admission number, the 12.5-mile priority-area rules, and the score-based oversubscription criteria before registering. 2. Register online for the Year 7 entrance test: Complete the school's online registration form between 13 April 2026 and 4pm on 3 June 2026. Test registration does not replace the local-authority application. 3. Sit the FSCE test and wait for results: The entrance test is scheduled for Thursday 3 September 2026, with results due in mid-October 2026. 4. Submit your Common Application Form: If you want a school place, list Chelmsford County High School for Girls on your home local authority Common Application Form by 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for CCHS?

Registration opens: 13 April 2026. Open evening: 30 April 2026. Registration closes: 3 June 2026. Entrance test: 3 September 2026. Results issued: Mid-October 2026. CAF deadline: 31 October 2026

What does the latest Ofsted picture look like for CCHS?

CCHS is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 24 January 2024.