A selective boys grammar school in Essex with mixed sixth form entry, strong academic outcomes, and established Oxbridge and Russell Group progression.
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At a glance
Colchester Royal Grammar School is one of the most historically distinctive grammar schools in the country. The school traces its foundation to 1206 and its formal royal charters to the sixteenth century, with its modern identity shaped by the Lexden Road site, the purple-and-gold tradition and a long scholarly reputation in Colchester. Today it is an 11-18 selective boys' school with girls admitted into the co-educational sixth form, about 1,059 pupils on roll and a place in The Thinking Schools Academy Trust.
CRGS combines a traditional academic culture with features that are unusual in the state sector. It is one of the few state boarding schools, with a family-style boarding house for around 30 sixth-form students, and the school links this to a multicultural sixth-form community. Its curriculum pages show the expected grammar-school breadth across sciences, languages, classics, humanities, music, art and technology, while the headmaster's welcome highlights music, drama, trips, exchanges and a comprehensive sports fixture list.
The co-curricular signal is strong: orchestra and choir, drama, cricket, rugby, football, athletics, clubs and societies, the Old Colcestrian network and publications such as the school magazine all sit around the academic core. Sixth form is central to the school's public identity, not least because it is co-educational and closely tied to boarding, university preparation and wider leadership.
Year 7 admission is through the CSSE route, with 128 places and no priority area. Applicants sit the shared English paper, including creative writing, and mathematics paper; remaining places are ranked by score after limited priority for looked-after and Pupil Premium applicants scoring above the published threshold. The academic outcomes are exceptional in the current dataset: +1.09 Progress 8, 100% grade 5+ in English and maths and 77.7% AAB or better at A level.
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Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Essex and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Essex and England.
Whole-school roll of 1,059 pupils; 1,053 had a recorded ethnic group.
CRGS has no priority area. Applicants must register with CSSE by the official deadline and name CRGS on the home local authority application by 31 October 2026; Priority 1 is limited to looked-after or pupil-premium boys scoring above 320 before remaining places are allocated by score rank.
CRGS has no priority area. Offers are made in score order, with straight-line distance used only to break tied scores.
Up to 12 places for looked after and previously looked after boys scoring above 320.
Priority 1 first considers looked after and previously looked after applicants who name CRGS and meet the score threshold.
Any remaining Priority 1 places then go to eligible pupil premium boys scoring above 320.
Pupil premium eligibility must be declared during the CSSE registration process and confirmed if requested.
All remaining places are offered in descending score order until the PAN of 128 is filled.
CRGS has no priority area, so the main allocation is score-based rather than catchment-based.
Tied scores are separated by looked after status, pupil premium, then straight-line distance.
If scores are tied for the final place, the school applies its published tie-break sequence.
Admissions policy
Admissions Policy 2027-2028
2027 entry
Information booklet
CSSE Information Guide 2027 Entry
2027 entry
Score cut-off
CSSE Historical Guidance Sheet 2026 Entry
2026 entry
2025
343
Initial offer score
The shared CSSE 11+ test applies: one English paper with writing task and one mathematics paper. The papers are age-standardised and there are no separate verbal or non-verbal reasoning papers.
Official exam resources
CSSE releases earlier entrance-test papers and mark schemes. The year shown is the entry year; check the current test format before using an older paper. Official guidance
Essex (CSSE) test guideFree parent account
Create a free parent account to open the official papers, sample questions and guidance listed here.
Paper 1
English
English paper
60-minute English paper plus 10 minutes reading time, covering comprehension, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and writing task.
Paper 2
Maths
Mathematics paper
60-minute mathematics paper.
English and Maths are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
CSSE registration opens
Tuesday 12 May 2026
PastCSSE registration closes
Friday 19 June 2026
PastCSSE test date
Saturday 19 September 2026
Alternative test date
Tuesday 29 September 2026
This alternative date is only for approved religious, illness, or exceptional circumstances.
Results issued
After close of business on Monday 12 October 2026
CAF deadline
Saturday 31 October 2026
National offer day
Monday 1 March 2027
Read the admissions policy
Check the published Year 7 rules, including the 128-place intake, the Priority 1 score threshold above 320, and the tie-breaks.
Open admissions policyRegister with CSSE
Complete the CSSE registration by 19 June 2026 so your child can sit the September 2026 selection tests.
Open CSSE guideName CRGS on your local authority application
Submit your Common Application Form by 31 October 2026. Test registration alone does not count as a school application.
Open Essex admissionsLatest inspection: Awaiting confirmation
Use the latest Ofsted report for inspection detail.
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
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Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Guide
Essex Grammar Schools Guide
A parent guide to Essex grammar schools, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend, Westcliff, the CSSE/CCHS split, ranking context, and the route checks that shape school choices.
Guide
What Score Is Needed for Grammar School?
A parent guide to qualifying scores, ranks, pass marks, distance rules, and why one 11 plus score rarely tells the whole admissions story.
Article
Chelmsford vs Colchester: Two Essex Grammar School Routes to Compare
A parent briefing on how Chelmsford and Colchester differ in Essex grammar school research, including route checks, school profiles, and what to compare before registration.
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How to Use Grammar School Rankings Without Letting Them Mislead You
An editor's briefing on using grammar school rankings for discovery while still checking admissions rules, journey, school fit, and official sources.
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What Parents Often Miss Before 11 Plus Registration Opens
A registration-season briefing on the school, route, access-arrangement, and CAF checks families need before an 11 plus form opens or closes.
FAQ
CRGS currently uses CSSE.
1. Read the admissions policy: Check the published Year 7 rules, including the 128-place intake, the Priority 1 score threshold above 320, and the tie-breaks. 2. Register with CSSE: Complete the CSSE registration by 19 June 2026 so your child can sit the September 2026 selection tests. 3. Name CRGS on your local authority application: Submit your Common Application Form by 31 October 2026. Test registration alone does not count as a school application.
CSSE registration opens: Tuesday 12 May 2026. CSSE registration closes: Friday 19 June 2026. CSSE test date: Saturday 19 September 2026. Alternative test date: Tuesday 29 September 2026. Results issued: After close of business on Monday 12 October 2026. CAF deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026. National offer day: Monday 1 March 2027
Check the latest Ofsted or school-published inspection record for current inspection detail.
