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Introduction
Southend High School for Girls is a grammar school established in 1913, located on Southchurch Boulevard in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. It caters to students between the ages of 11 and 18 and currently has over 1200 pupils enrolled.
The school’s ambitious and well-planned curriculum is designed to prepare students for higher education and expand their career opportunities by helping them accumulate the necessary knowledge and skills required to succeed. This is accomplished by building a solid foundation in core subjects such as maths, science, and English. Furthermore, the school caters to the needs of high-ability and disadvantaged students.
An extensive array of extra and super curricular programmes enriches the educational experience. Extracurricular activities include Jack Petchey speaking competitions, school productions, sports teams, clubs, and various educational excursions, while super curricular initiatives focus on expanding the topics taught in regular lessons. In terms of organisation, Sixth Form students are assigned leadership roles and oversee and support their younger peers.
Southend High School for Girls’ ethos is rooted in academic excellence while simultaneously prioritising family values. The school strives to create a nurturing, challenging, and supportive environment that instils self-sufficiency and confidence in its students. Pupils are taught to overcome any adversity with a positive attitude.
The school has a well-established reputation for academic achievement, with students performing exceptionally well in their GCSE and A-Level exams and subsequently attending top-tier universities. In a recent assessment, Ofsted awarded the school with an “Outstanding” score. [1]
Watch this video if you want to learn more about the school:
Southend High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026
Address: Southchurch Boulevard, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 4UZ
Admissions info: admissions@shsg.org
School type: Girls’ grammar
Number of places in Year 7: 180
Open day date: July
11+ Exam date: September 2026
Pass mark: Aim for 80-85%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
Exam type / Board: CSSE (Essex 11 Plus)
How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to Southend High School for Girls
Before applying for a Year 7 place at Southend High School for Girls, parents and students are encouraged to visit the school during Open Day, which takes place in July. The event provides families with an insight into the educational philosophy through meetings with key staff members and Q&A sessions.
In order to secure a Year 7 place at Southend High School for Girls, parents must complete two forms. The first form that must be completed is the Supplementary Information Form (SIF), which can be accessed on the CSSE website. If your family resides in Essex, the next step would be to state Southend High School for Girls as your first-choice secondary school on the Essex Common Application Form (CAF).
You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Is Southend High School for Girls part of a Consortium?
Southend High School for Girls belongs to the Essex 11+ Consortium, a group of schools that use the same entrance exam format and share a very similar admissions process.
Does Southend High School for Girls have a catchment area?
Yes, Southend High School for Girls has a catchment area with priority based on location and distance from the school.
Southend High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
All CSSE members use the same 11 Plus selection test to ensure that students only need to take one exam. The Southend High School for Girls 11+ assessment consists of two tests:
- English – covering comprehension and creative writing
- Mathematics – focusing on topics from the KS2 National Curriculum.
The test scores are age-standardised to ensure that older pupils don’t have an unfair advantage. Results are sent to parents by first class post in October.
How to Prepare for the Southend High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam
At Exam Papers Plus, we aim to enhance the examination readiness of students. To achieve this, we provide practice papers that closely mimic the format and style of the CSSE 11 Plus exam.
By completing our practice papers, students can become accustomed to the types of questions they may face in the actual assessment. Furthermore, taking these tests under timed conditions helps students to improve their time management skills and perform well under pressure.
Our practice papers are essential to successful CSSE 11 Plus exam preparation and can lead to improved performance and long-term academic success. The resources are age-appropriate and challenging, used by hundreds of thousands of students each year.
Southend High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Historical data shows that most schools in the area do not admit applicants who have a standardised score less than 303 in the CSSE. Exam results from previous years suggest this correlates with a score of roughly 80-85%+ in our 11+ Essex practice tests.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Southend High School for Girls 11+ exam. Please click here to learn more.
Southend High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers
We have a number of practice tests specifically designed to help students prepare for the Southend High School for Girls 11+ exam.
Practice Papers
The CSSE 11+ English paper can include both multiple-choice and open-answer comprehension questions, as well as a writing section.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
The CSSE 11+ Maths paper covers the KS2 syllabus (including problem solving and arithmetic) as well as some non-verbal reasoning. The maths questions are not multiple-choice.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
Why do some of the recommendations above show me independent school papers?
The main difference between independent and grammar school papers is the question format. Independent schools usually assess with standard format questions, which means students need to write out full answers. Grammar schools usually use multiple-choice format questions.
Whilst Southend High School for Girls is a grammar school, they actually use the independent school (standard) format for some of their exams, which is why they are included in the recommendations above.
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Southend High School for Girls 11+ past papers. The information provided about Southend High School for Girls was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Colchester County High School for Girls.
Frequently Asked Questions About 11+ Entry to Southend High School for Girls
Southend High School for Girls was established in 1913.
Southend High School for Girls converted to academy status in 2011.
Southend High School for Girls hosts Open Day in the summer term, usually in July, welcoming prospective families on campus for an event packed with activities.
Southend High School for Girls assesses prospective pupils through the standardised CSSE 11+ exam, also used by other schools in the Essex Grammar School Consortium. The assessment covers English and Mathematics.
Parents applying to Southend High School for Girls must register their child for the 11+ exam by completing a Supplementary Information Form (SIF), which can be accessed through the CSSE website. Residents of Essex also need to state Southend High School for Girls as their preferred secondary school on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Yes, you can. All CSSE schools that you wish to apply for must be named as preferences on the Local Authority Common Application Form.
All 11+ applicants for entry to Southend High School for Girls will be asked to sit the Essex CSSE exam which tests English comprehension and creative writing, and mathematics topics from the KS2 National Curriculum.
No, the Southend High School for Girls 11+ entrance exam does not test Non-Verbal Reasoning.
One of the best ways to prepare for a challenging entrance exam, such as the CSSE, is to use practice tests. They will provide your daughter with the opportunity to become familiar with the format and question types that she will encounter in the actual exam. Our practice papers are used successfully every year by hundreds of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam.
We recommend beginning with a few full practice tests, such as this one. These will act as diagnostics so you can quickly work out which areas your child needs to focus on. You can then select the relevant topic based material listed above to target weaker areas. Please get in touch if you need advice on how to prepare or what to focus on for each section and stage of the exam.
Our 11+ CSSE practice tests replicate the format and style of the actual exam, effectively preparing students for success in this competitive assessment. Each practice test is designed to mimic the full examination experience, covering relevant Maths and English question types. More details are available on this page.
Historical data shows that most schools in the area do not admit applicants who have a standardised score less than 303 in the CSSE. Exam results from previous years suggest this correlates with a score of roughly 80-85%+ in our 11+ Essex practice tests.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Southend High School for Girls 11+ past papers. The information provided about Southend High School for Girls is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Southend High School for Girls.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning