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Colchester Royal Grammar School 11+ admissions
A boys' grammar school in Essex, for ages 11 to 18. What the school, the council and the test organisers have published about getting in.
Which test
CSSE
CSSE English and Mathematics tests. Last confirmed for September 2027 entry. Not yet confirmed for 2028.
Register for 2028 entry
Opens May 2027
Closing date not published yet.
Score to qualify
320
CSSE total. September 2027 entry, Admissions Priority 1 (looked after children and Pupil Premium; up to 12 places): score must be greater than 320, Qualification
Lowest score offered a place
346
CSSE total. September 2026 entry, No priority area (all applicants), National Offer Day
Catchment, 2026 entry
CSSE lists Colchester Royal Grammar School as having no priority area (2026 entry). The 2027-28 policy ranks applicants by test score.
Year 7 places
128
September 2027 entry
All 4 Essex grammar schools
| School | For | Year 7 places | GCSE Attainment 8, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford | Boys | 150 | 83.3 |
| Colchester Royal Grammar School | Boys | 128 | 82.1 |
| Chelmsford County High School for Girls | Girls | 180 | 80.7 |
| Colchester County High School for Girls | Girls | 192 | 80.6 |
Which 11+ test?
- Test
- CSSE English and Mathematics tests
- Written by
- CSSE
- Which entry year
- Last confirmed for September 2027 entry. Not yet confirmed for 2028.
Test type: CSSE. Area test guide: The CSSE test.
Dates for September 2028 entry
For children in Year 5 now (2026 to 2027).
Registering for the test
- Registration
- Opens May 2027Closing date not published yet.
Scores: qualifying and offered
A qualifying score puts a child in the running. It is not an offer. The lowest score offered shows how far down the list places went that year.
Qualifying scores
| Entry | What | Figure | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2027 | Qualifying scoreQualification | 320 CSSE total | Admissions Priority 1 (looked after children and Pupil Premium; up to 12 places): score must be greater than 320 |
| Sept 2027test 2026 | Qualifying scoreQualification | 303 CSSE total | All (floor for all CSSE offers; individual schools may set a higher pass mark) |
Scores offered a place
- Sept 2021342
- Sept 2022338
- Sept 2023340
- Sept 2024337
- Sept 2025343
CSSE total.
| Entry | What | Figure | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026test 2025 | Lowest score offered a placeNational Offer Day | 346 CSSE total | No priority area (all applicants) |
| Sept 2025test 2024 | Lowest score offered a placeNational Offer Day | 343 CSSE total | No priority area |
| Sept 2024test 2023 | Lowest score offered a placeNational Offer Day | 337 CSSE total | No priority area |
| Sept 2023test 2022 | Lowest score offered a placeNational Offer Day | 340 CSSE total | No priority area |
| Sept 2022test 2021 | Lowest score offered a placeNational Offer Day | 338 CSSE total | No priority area |
| Sept 2021test 2020 | Lowest score offered a placeNational Offer Day | 342 CSSE total | No priority area |
To see how age changes a standardised score, try the age standardisation calculator.
Catchment and distance
Many grammar schools give priority by where you live. Always check your address against the official policy or map.
- What the policy says
- CSSE lists Colchester Royal Grammar School as having no priority area (2026 entry). The 2027-28 policy ranks applicants by test score.
- Official map or policy
- crgs.co.uk
Places and demand
How many Year 7 places there are, and how many children applied or sat the test, as published.
Places
| Entry | What | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 2027 | Published admission number (Year 7 places) | 128 |
Ofsted and GCSE results
- Latest inspection (new report card)
- 14 April 2026Safeguarding standards: Met. Inclusion: Strong standard. Curriculum and teaching: Exceptional. Achievement: Exceptional. Attendance and behaviour: Strong standard. Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard. Leadership and governance: Exceptional.
- Current school
- No graded inspection of the current school in the Ofsted data we used
- Predecessor school (URN 137814)
- Inadequate, 11 May 2021This inspection was of the school before it became its current legal entity. It is history, not the current school's rating.
- Reports
- Read the Ofsted reports
GCSE results (DfE)
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ in English and maths | EBacc average point score | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 to 2025 | 128 | 82.1 | 100% | 7.85 | Not available |
| 2023 to 2024 | 124 | 83.4 | 100% | 7.99 | 1.09 |
| 2022 to 2023 | Not published | Not available | Not available | Not published | Not available |
Appeals
A refused school place can be appealed to an independent panel; follow the decision letter and admission authority procedure. An admission appeal is different from asking for a test to be re-marked or for a selection review.
The appeal deadline will be in the offer letter.
Questions parents ask
What 11+ test does Colchester Royal Grammar School use?
CSSE. CSSE English and Mathematics tests. Last confirmed for September 2027 entry. Not yet confirmed for 2028.
What score do you need for Colchester Royal Grammar School?
Qualifying score for September 2027 entry (admissions priority 1 (looked after children and pupil premium; up to 12 places): score must be greater than 320): 320 CSSE total. Lowest score offered a place for September 2026 entry (no priority area (all applicants)): 346 CSSE total. Past scores do not predict the 2028 score, and a score on the boundary did not always get a place.
How many Year 7 places does Colchester Royal Grammar School have?
Published admission number (Year 7 places): 128 (September 2027 entry).
Does Colchester Royal Grammar School have a catchment area?
CSSE lists Colchester Royal Grammar School as having no priority area (2026 entry). The 2027-28 policy ranks applicants by test score. Always check the full admissions policy before you apply.
Can I appeal if my child is not offered a place at Colchester Royal Grammar School?
Yes. A refused school place can be appealed to an independent panel; follow the decision letter and admission authority procedure. The deadline is in your offer letter. An appeal about a place is different from asking for a test to be re-marked or reviewed.
Sources
Where each figure on this page comes from.
- ea-edubase-api-prod.azurewebsites.net · School name, address, age range and type (DfE Get Information about Schools) · checked 27 September 2026
- csse.org.uk · Test provider and format, 2028 registration dates · checked 30 October 2026
- csse.org.uk · Qualifying scores, Qualifying score · checked 30 October 2026
- csse.org.uk · Scores offered a place, Lowest score offered a place · checked 26 September 2026
- csse.org.uk · Catchment or priority area, Lowest score offered a place · checked 30 October 2026
- 0e58658be539ee7325a0-220f04f871df648cf4a4d93a111e3366.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com · Places, Qualifying score, Published admission number (Year 7 places) · checked 30 October 2026
- csse.org.uk · Lowest score offered a place · checked 26 September 2026
- csse.org.uk · Lowest score offered a place · checked 26 September 2026
- assets.publishing.service.gov.uk · Ofsted inspections (as at 31 August 2026) · checked 27 September 2026
- explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk · GCSE results 2024 to 2025 (DfE), GCSE results 2023 to 2024 (DfE), GCSE results 2022 to 2023 (DfE) · checked 27 September 2026
- gov.uk · How school admission appeals work · checked 27 September 2026
For anything not shown here, the school's admissions page is the source to trust.