Southend-on-Sea / Southend-on-Sea 11+
Southchurch Boulevard, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 4UZ
Southend High School for Girls
1
A selective girls grammar school in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,253 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective girls grammar school in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,253 pupils on roll. Families looking at Southend-on-Sea, Essex will usually see Southend High School for Girls as a selective option for girls aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,253 pupils on roll and 224 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes CSSE, with 224 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. 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.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.74 and Attainment 8 at 75.8. 100% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 17.7% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 74% moving into higher education.
The wider offer currently includes Choir, 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. Southend High School for Girls is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Southend-on-Sea and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Southend-on-Sea and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Southend-on-Sea and England.
Entry is through the CSSE 11+. SHSG gives priority-area applicants from SS0-SS9 a quota-based route, with preferential-consideration places inside and outside the area.
The priority area covers SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7, SS8 and SS9. The school also has an outside-area route after priority-area and preferential-consideration quotas.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Applicants who pass the selection tests and meet the statutory looked-after or previously-looked-after definition.
Priority-area preferential consideration
Up to 17 places for SS0-SS9 priority-area applicants who qualify for preferential consideration.
Priority-area applicants
Up to 162 further priority-area places, with categories 2 and 3 capped at 179 overall.
Outside-area preferential consideration
Up to 4 places for outside-area applicants who qualify for preferential consideration.
Outside-area applicants
Remaining places up to PAN for outside-area applicants who pass the selection tests.
Stage 1: informal The school will take informal concerns seriously and make every effort to resolve the matter quickly.
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) guidePaper 1
English
CSSE English paper
Sixty-minute English paper with ten minutes additional reading time.
Paper 2
Maths
CSSE Mathematics paper
Sixty-minute mathematics paper based on Key Stage 2.
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
Creative writing
CSSE registration opens
12 May 2026
CSSE registration closes
19 June 2026
Special adjustment request deadline
26 June 2026
CSSE 11+ test date
19 September 2026
Reserve CSSE test date
29 September 2026
CSSE results sent by email
12 October 2026
Local authority application deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Check the school's 2027 admissions criteria
Use the school criteria for PAN, priority area quotas, preferential consideration, and tie-break rules.
Read arrangementsRegister with CSSE
Register for the CSSE 11+ from 12 May 2026 by the absolute deadline of 19 June 2026.
Register with CSSESit the CSSE 11+
The main CSSE test date for 2027 entry is 19 September 2026.
View CSSE guideSubmit the local authority application
Name the school on the home local authority application by 31 October 2026.
View application guidanceLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 76.3 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 73.4 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 75.8 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 75 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (43.9 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (38.6 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (41.6 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B average (41.6 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 99% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 9 December 2011
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Southend-on-Sea area and similar girls' selective route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
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
Best Grammar Schools in Southend-on-Sea
Compare the best grammar schools in Southend-on-Sea for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Southend-on-Sea sits within the Essex (CSSE) route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in Essex
Compare the best grammar schools in Essex for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Essex sits within the Essex (CSSE) route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools in Southend-on-Sea
Compare the best grammar schools in Southend-on-Sea for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Southend-on-Sea sits within the Essex (CSSE) route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in Essex
Compare the best grammar schools in Essex for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Essex sits within the Essex (CSSE) route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
FAQ
Southend High School for Girls currently uses CSSE.
1. Check the school's 2027 admissions criteria: Use the school criteria for PAN, priority area quotas, preferential consideration, and tie-break rules. 2. Register with CSSE: Register for the CSSE 11+ from 12 May 2026 by the absolute deadline of 19 June 2026. 3. Sit the CSSE 11+: The main CSSE test date for 2027 entry is 19 September 2026. 4. Submit the local authority application: Name the school on the home local authority application by 31 October 2026.
CSSE registration opens: 12 May 2026. CSSE registration closes: 19 June 2026. Special adjustment request deadline: 26 June 2026. CSSE 11+ test date: 19 September 2026. Reserve CSSE test date: 29 September 2026. CSSE results sent by email: 12 October 2026. Local authority application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Southend High School for Girls is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 9 December 2011.