Key Facts
| Measure | Average Attainment 8 score (DfE key stage 4 performance data) |
|---|---|
| Data year | 2024/25 (final) |
| Schools ranked | 8 |
| Highest figure | King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, 83.3 |
| Area covered | Essex, Southend-on-Sea |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
On the latest DfE performance tables, the best grammar schools in Essex by average Attainment 8 score are King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford at 83.3, followed by Colchester Royal Grammar School at 82.1, Chelmsford County High School for Girls at 80.7 and Colchester County High School for Girls at 80.6. Each of those four also records an average A level grade of A or A-.
The ranking covers 8 state grammar schools and uses one measure, average Attainment 8, which totals each pupil's grades across eight GCSE-level qualifications with English and maths double-weighted, to a maximum of 90. The table adds the percentage achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths, and the DfE's average A level grade where one is published.
Which grammar schools in Essex have the best GCSE results?
| Rank | School | Town | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ in English and maths (%) | A level average grade | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford | Chelmsford | 83.3 | 100 | A | Co-educational |
| 2 | Colchester Royal Grammar School | Colchester | 82.1 | 100 | A | Boys |
| 3 | Chelmsford County High School for Girls | Chelmsford | 80.7 | 99.4 | A- | Girls |
| 4 | Colchester County High School for Girls | Colchester | 80.6 | 100 | A- | Girls |
| 5 | Westcliff High School for Boys Academy | Westcliff-on-Sea | 77.6 | 97.7 | B+ | Boys |
| 6 | Westcliff High School for Girls | Westcliff-on-Sea | 75.6 | 97.3 | B | Girls |
| 7 | Southend High School for Girls | Southend-on-Sea | 75 | 98.9 | B | Girls |
| 8 | Southend High School for Boys | Southend-on-Sea | 73.8 | 97.2 | B | Boys |
Averages run from 83.3 at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford down to 73.8 at Southend High School for Boys, and the eight schools fall into fairly distinct bands. Colchester Royal Grammar School (82.1) sits close behind the leader. Chelmsford County High School for Girls (80.7) and Colchester County High School for Girls (80.6) are almost level, so their order depends on a single decimal place. Westcliff High School for Boys Academy follows alone at 77.6, and Westcliff High School for Girls (75.6), Southend High School for Girls (75) and Southend High School for Boys (73.8) form the lowest band.
Girls' schools hold ranks 3, 4, 6 and 7, boys' schools hold ranks 2, 5 and 8, and the table lists King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, ranked 1, as co-educational. Within each pairing of schools in the same town, the boys' school has the higher average in Chelmsford, Colchester and Westcliff-on-Sea, whilst in Southend-on-Sea the girls' school (75) is ahead of the boys' school (73.8). Grade 5 rates in English and maths barely separate the schools, with 100 per cent at King Edward VI, Colchester Royal Grammar School and Colchester County High School for Girls, and the lowest figure being 97.2 at Southend High School for Boys. Southend High School for Girls records 98.9, which is higher than both Westcliff schools (97.7 and 97.3) despite a lower Attainment 8 average.
A level grades follow the GCSE order closely. The first two schools average A, the next two A-, Westcliff High School for Boys Academy B+, and the remaining three schools B. Because Westcliff High School for Girls, Southend High School for Girls and Southend High School for Boys share the same B, only the Attainment 8 figure separates them in this table.
How does entry to Essex grammar schools work?
Entry to Essex grammar schools depends on the 11+ selection test, and because the schools follow individual or small consortium testing arrangements, a family applying to several may need to register for several separate assessments. Each school sets its own registration deadline and its own catchment and admission criteria, so proximity matters alongside the test result.
In Southend-on-Sea and Westcliff-on-Sea, the four state grammar schools in the table (Southend High School for Boys, Southend High School for Girls, Westcliff High School for Boys Academy and Westcliff High School for Girls) all use the test set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex, known as the CSSE. Parents then name preferred schools on the home local authority's Common Application Form, a separate process, and each school applies its own oversubscription criteria to the children who have passed.
11+ tutors
Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
Enquire about this tutor
Sochima
Master TutorI'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.
Enquire about this tutor
Robert
Master TutorI am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.
Enquire about this tutorWhat is the CSSE test and when do families register?
The CSSE test is a consortium-set 11+ made up of two papers, English and mathematics, each weighted at fifty per cent, with raw scores standardised for age so that a child's date of birth within the Year 6 cohort carries no advantage or disadvantage. The English paper lasts sixty minutes, with ten minutes of additional reading time beforehand, and the mathematics paper lasts sixty minutes. Content is drawn from the Key Stage 2 curriculum, and the English paper includes no Applied Reasoning questions.
Registration is made online or by post during Year 5, with dates published on the CSSE website by Easter, and is completed by submitting a Supplementary Information Form. The deadline is firm and usually falls toward the end of June, with no late entry once it has passed. The CSSE recommends registering early because a nominated test centre cannot be changed once it has reached capacity and been confirmed, and the test is sat on a single Saturday in September, with an alternative Tuesday date. Test administration is the only function of the CSSE office, while school applications, admissions decisions and appeals remain the responsibility of the local authority and the individual schools.
What do these Essex results show, and what do they leave out?
The table shows the average Attainment 8 score for pupils at each of the eight schools, alongside the share reaching grade 5 or above in English and maths and the DfE's average A level grade. All eight record at least 97.2 per cent at grade 5 or above in English and maths, so the Attainment 8 average and the A level grade do most of the separating.
The figures describe pupils already admitted to each school, so they say nothing about how competitive a place is or which catchment a child falls into. The table lists King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford as co-educational, whilst the county guide describes it as a boys' school, so check its current admissions policy before applying. Single-sex status for the other seven matches the county guide, which makes the choice of school partly a question of boys' or girls' provision in your own area.
How the schools are ranked
The ranking covers every state grammar school in Essex and Southend-on-Sea with a published Attainment 8 score in the Department for Education's key stage 4 performance data, ordered from highest to lowest, with schools on the same figure sharing a rank. Every school in the table selects by ability at eleven, so the figures reflect a selective intake as well as the teaching; Progress 8 was not calculated for this cohort.
The data is the Department for Education's own download from Compare school and college performance, so anyone can reproduce the order from the same file; the data year and source are listed in the key facts above.
Admissions guides for the ranked schools
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford (ranked 1)
- Colchester Royal Grammar School (ranked 2)
- Chelmsford County High School for Girls (ranked 3)
- Colchester County High School for Girls (ranked 4)
- Westcliff High School for Boys Academy (ranked 5)
- Westcliff High School for Girls (ranked 6)
- Southend High School for Girls (ranked 7)
- Southend High School for Boys (ranked 8)
Related guides
- Essex Grammar Schools Guide
- Southend Grammar Schools
- Best private schools in Essex
- Best grammar schools in the UK by GCSE results
- Grammar schools in England: the full directory
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
Preparing for the Essex grammar school 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Essex grammar school 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in the East of England and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is the best grammar school in Essex by GCSE results?
- King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford has the highest average Attainment 8 score in the table at 83.3, with 100 per cent of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths and an average A level grade of A. Colchester Royal Grammar School follows at 82.1.
- Which is the highest-ranked girls' grammar school in Essex?
- Chelmsford County High School for Girls ranks third overall with an average Attainment 8 score of 80.7 and an A- average at A level. Colchester County High School for Girls is close behind at 80.6, also with an A-, and 100 per cent achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths.
- Which is the highest-ranked boys' grammar school in Essex?
- Colchester Royal Grammar School ranks second overall with an average Attainment 8 score of 82.1, 100 per cent at grade 5 or above in English and maths, and an A level average of A. The table lists the first-ranked school, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, as co-educational.
- How many Essex grammar schools are in this ranking?
- Eight state grammar schools are ranked, in Chelmsford, Colchester, Westcliff-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea. They are ordered from highest to lowest by average Attainment 8 score, and any schools on the same figure would share a rank, though no two schools tie in this table.
- What does the Attainment 8 score mean?
- Attainment 8 adds up a pupil's grades across eight GCSE-level qualifications, with English and maths double-weighted, to a maximum of 90. The DfE publishes the average for each school in its key stage 4 performance tables, and this ranking orders schools on that average.
- Which Essex grammar schools have 100 per cent at grade 5 in English and maths?
- Three schools record 100 per cent of pupils at grade 5 or above in English and maths: King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Colchester Royal Grammar School and Colchester County High School for Girls. Chelmsford County High School for Girls follows at 99.4.
Enquire about 11+ preparation
Start your enquiryHow Taylor Tuition can help
Expert, one-to-one support from specialist tutors.
Editorial Notice
We use automated research tools to help collate and maintain information across our website. While each post is reviewed before publication, some details may be incomplete or inaccurate.
Free 11+ familiarisation pack
English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with mark schemes.
Taylor Tuition
Educational Consultancy
Contributing expert insights on education, exam preparation, and effective learning strategies to help students reach their full potential.