For specialist resources for CAT, ISEB Pretest, CEM Select and UKiset exams, visit our other site: Pretest Plus

St. Thomas More High School 11 Plus (11+) CSSE Exam – Key Details 2024

11+

Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.

Introduction

 

St. Thomas More High School is a bilateral academy for boys established in 1960. It’s located in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, and caters to pupils between the ages of 11 and 18. The school’s patron saint is St Thomas More, annually celebrated on St Thomas More Day.

 

The curriculum grounds itself in the values of the Christian faith and is designed to promote students’ growth in all aspects of life. The well-designed syllabus is integrated throughout the entirety of the educational process, instilling intellectual curiosity and a commitment to academic excellence. During CPSHE lessons and the overall learning journey, students can use diverse learning opportunities to improve their abilities and realise their full potential. Some of the core subjects are mathematics, science, and the English language. 

 

St. Thomas More High School is invested in helping pupils develop their skills beyond the classroom setting and ensures they have a variety of extracurricular activities available each year. The most popular ones include robotics, art club, theatre, chess, board games, etc. 

 

The school’s ethos emphasises the importance of faith and adherence to Christian values. Students are not only expected to pursue academic excellence but are also encouraged to actively cultivate their connection with God.

 

St. Thomas More High School is a reputable school that proves its excellence through its students’ yearly performance. Pupils score highly in exams and secure spots at prestigious universities. Ofsted rates the school as “Good”. [1]

 

St. Thomas More High School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2024

 

Address: Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea SS0 0BW

County: Essex

Admissions info: office@st-thomasmore.southend.sch.uk, 01702 344933

School type: Boys’ academy

Number of places in Year 7: 180

Open Day date: July

11+ Exam date: September 2024

Pass mark: Aim for 80-85%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.

Exam type / Board: CSSE (Essex 11 Plus)

 

St. Thomas More High School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

 

St. Thomas More High aims to admit students who will support the school and its reputation, work hard and respect the needs of others. Of the 150 places available at the school, 30 places will be offered to boys who pass the 11 Plus exam, which is administered by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex.

 

In the instance that two or more boys tie for the final selective place, allocation will be determined by the school’s oversubscription criteria, which gives priority to:

 

  • Looked After and previously Looked After boys from Catholic families
  • Baptised, practising Catholic boys from selected parishes
  • Other baptised, practising Catholic boys
  • Baptised Catholic boys
  • Other Looked After boys
  • Practising Christian boys that attend a Catholic primary school
  • Practising Christian boys
  • Families who desire a Catholic education for their son.

 

Additionally, preference will be given within each category to boys who have a sibling at the school and to those who live closest to the school.

 

You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:

 

 

How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to St. Thomas More High School

 

In order to apply for a Year 7 place at St. Thomas More High School, parents need to complete a Common Application Form (CAF) as well as the school’s Supplementary Information Form.

 

In some cases, the application will also need to be supported by a Certificate of Practice, obtained from the applicant’s Parish Priest (or another Priest who knows the family well).

 

The 11 plus exam is taken in September and parents will receive the results in October. Registration begins in early May, when your child is in Year 5.

 

Is St. Thomas More High School part of a Consortium?

 

St. Thomas More High School belongs to the Essex 11+ Consortium, a group of schools that use the same entrance exam format and share a very similar admissions process.

 

Essex 11 Plus CSSE Exam information

 

Does St. Thomas More High School have a catchment area?

 

Yes, St. Thomas More High School has a catchment area with priority based on location and distance from the school, covering the following postcode areas: SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7, SS8 and SS9.

 

St. Thomas More High School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format

 

St. Thomas More High School follows the same 11 Plus exam format as all CSSE member schools. There is only one selection test to ensure that students don’t need to take a separate exam for each school to which they have applied.

 

The St. Thomas More High School 11+ assessment consists of two tests:

 

  • English – covering comprehension, applied reasoning 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.

 

How to Prepare for the St. Thomas More High School 11 Plus (11+) Exam

 

The CSSE entrance exam is highly competitive and selective. We therefore strongly recommend that you make use of our resources, which fully reflect an assessment of such nature. They provide an insight into the layout of the actual exam, successfully preparing your child for the types of questions that will come up on the big day.

 

Getting your son used to answering questions by practising with our tests will help you identify his strengths and weaknesses. Once you determine the weak areas, you will then be able to adjust his study schedule accordingly. 

 

Such a structured approach tends to help children overcome their nerves and gain a significant advantage over other candidates. For this reason, our practice tests are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students every year.

 

St. Thomas More High School 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 St. Thomas More High School 11+ exam. Please click here to learn more.

 

St. Thomas More High School 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers

 

We have a number of practice tests specifically designed to help students prepare for the St. Thomas More High School 11+ exam.

 

Full Practice Tests

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 1

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 2

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 3

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 4

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 5

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 6

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 7

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 8

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 9

11+ Essex (CSSE) Practice Test 10

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our CSSE Practice Tests for the Essex 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

 

11+ Essex CSSE Tests 1-10 Bundle - Save 20%

 

✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our CSSE Practice Tests for the Essex 11+ Exam, and still save 15%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:

 

11+ Essex CSSE Tests 1-5 Bundle - Save 15%

 

11+ Essex CSSE Tests 6-10 Bundle - Save 15%

 


English

 

The CSSE 11+ English paper can include both multiple-choice and open-answer comprehension questions, as well as a writing section and a reasoning section.

 

Multiple-Choice Comprehension

 

For multiple-choice comprehension practice, we’d highly recommend:

 

Full Practice Tests

11+ English – Pack 1

11+ English – Pack 2

11+ English – Pack 3

11+ English – Pack 4

11+ English – Pack 5

 

Skill specific practice

11+ Comprehension – Pack 1

11+ Comprehension – Pack 2

11+ Inference Skills – Pack 1

11+ Inference Skills – Pack 2

 

Standard Format Comprehension

 

For open-answer (standard format) comprehension and writing practice, we’d highly recommend these resources:

 

Comprehension

11+ English – Pack 1

11+ English – Pack 2

11+ English – Pack 3

11+ English – Pack 4

11+ English – Pack 5

11+ Complete Comprehension Guide

11+ Poetry Comprehension

11+ Reading Workbook

 

Writing

11+ Complete Writing Guide

11+ Writing Prompts

11+ Rewrite & Improve

11+ Spelling – Pack 1

11+ Spelling – Pack 2

 

Guides

 

11+ Essex (CSSE) Continuous Writing Guide

 

If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the English section of the Essex 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

 

11+ Essex English Bundle - Save 30%

Applied Reasoning Section

 

For the reasoning section, we’d highly recommend these practice tests:

 

Full Practice Tests

11+ Essex (CSSE) Applied Reasoning

 

Skill Specific Practice

11+ Anagrams

11+ Analogies

11+ Codes

11+ Compound Words

11+ Embedded Words

11+ Form a Word

11+ Insert a Letter

11+ Letter Analogies

11+ Letter Calculations

11+ Letter Codes

11+ Letter Sequences

11+ Move a Letter

11+ Number Analogies

11+ Number Calculations

11+ Number Sequences

11+ Related Words

11+ Rhyming Synonyms

11+ Shuffled Sentences

11+ Synonyms

11+ Word Completion

11+ Word Match

11+ Word Opposites

11+ Word Pairs

11+ Word Puzzles

11+ Word Relationships

Masterclasses

11+ Verbal Reasoning Masterclass

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Applied Reasoning section of the Essex 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

 

11+ Essex Applied Reasoning Bundle - Save 30%

Mathematics

 

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.

 

Mathematics (Standard Format)

 

We recommend using the following resources to help prepare for the maths exam:

 

Full Practice Tests

11+ Mathematics – Pack 1

11+ Mathematics – Pack 2

11+ Mathematics – Pack 3

11+ Mathematics – Pack 4

 

Skill specific practice

11+ Problem Solving – Pack 1

11+ Problem Solving – Pack 2

11+ Mental Arithmetic 

11+ Algebra

11+ Angles & Degrees

11+ BODMAS

11+ Estimation & Place Value

11+ Factors & Multiples

11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

11+ Measurements

11+ Money

11+ Operations

11+ Perimeter, Area & Volume

11+ Position & Direction

11+ Probability

11+ Properties of Shapes

11+ Ratio & Proportion

11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry

11+ Sequences

11+ Special Numbers

11+ Speed, Distance & Time

11+ Statistics

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Maths section of the Essex 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

 

11+ Essex Mathematics Bundle - Save 30%

 

 

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 St. Thomas More High School 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.

 

 

Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.

 

 

Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in St. Thomas More High School 11+ past papers. The information provided about St. Thomas More High School 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.

 


Frequently Asked Questions About 11+ Entry to St. Thomas More High School

 

How old is St. Thomas More High School?

 

St. Thomas More High School was established in 1960.

 

Is St. Thomas More High School an academy?

 

St. Thomas More High School converted to academy status in 2011.

 

When are the St. Thomas More High School Open Days held?

 

St. Thomas More High School hosts open events in July, welcoming prospective families on campus for a lively event packed with activities.

 

What are the admissions criteria for St. Thomas More High School?

 

St. Thomas More High School 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.

 

How do I register my child for the St. Thomas More High School 11+ test?

 

Parents applying to St. Thomas More High School 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 St. Thomas More High School as their preferred secondary school on the Common Application Form (CAF).

 

Can I apply for 11+ entry to a CSSE school other than St. Thomas More High School?

 

Yes, you can. All CSSE schools that you wish to apply for must be named as preferences on the Local Authority Common Application Form.

 

What’s the format of the St. Thomas More High School 11+ Exam?

 

All 11+ applicants for entry to St. Thomas More High School will be asked to sit the Essex CSSE exam which tests English comprehension, applied reasoning and creative writing, and mathematics topics from the KS2 National Curriculum.

 

Is there Non-Verbal Reasoning in the St. Thomas More High School 11+ Exam?

 

No, the St. Thomas More High School 11+ entrance exam does not test Non-Verbal Reasoning.

 

Is there any way to prepare for the St. Thomas More High School CSSE 11+ entrance examination?

 

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 son with the opportunity to become familiar with the format and question types that he 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.

 

Which are the best preparation materials for the St. Thomas More High School CSSE 11+ entrance examination?

 

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.

 

Where can I find the best 11+ St. Thomas More High School CSSE mock test?

 

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.

 

What is the pass mark for the St. Thomas More High School CSSE 11+ Exam?

 

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.

Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.

By Exam Papers Plus

From the Blog

CONTRIBUTE & SHARE

If there is a topic you would like to have covered, or if you have some information that you would like to share, please get in touch and we can make it happen!

© 2024 All rights Reserved.| Privacy Terms Payments & Security

Exam Papers Plus, 690 Great West Road, Osterley Village, Isleworth, England, TW7 4PU Company Number: 09089974

Contact us by phone 0333 456 9109 Contact us by email: info@exampapersplus.co.uk