Preparing your child for the 11+ exam
If you are considering a Grammar School for your child, they will need to sit the CSSE (All other Essex Grammar Schools) and/or FSCE (Chelmsford Girls) entrance exam. This takes place in September when they’re just starting year 6. We can help your child be prepared for their 11+ please read on..
Important update: Potential changes to the FSCE (Chelmsford County High School) exam:
We want to keep you informed about possible changes to the Chelmsford County High School (CCHS) entrance exam format.
What we know:
CCHS has not yet announced whether they will adopt the new FSCE exam format this year. We expect official confirmation on their website by March 2026. However, since Reading School has already transitioned to this format, and CCHS has historically followed their lead within a year, we are preparing for this possibility.
What the new format involves:
The FSCE assesses students across all eleven Year 5 subjects: English, Maths, Science, History, Geography,PE, Art, Music, Computing, RE, and Design Technology. Rather than testing memorised facts, it evaluates fundamental knowledge, problem-solving ability, and critical thinking across these diverse areas.
How Key Tuition is preparing your child:
The good news is that our teaching approach already aligns perfectly with this philosophy. We have never focused solely on drilling past papers. Instead, we develop transferable skills: reasoning, problem-solving, comprehension, and exam confidence. These abilities remain valuable regardless of specific question formats.
Think of it like preparing for a tennis match, dance exam, or chess tournament. The fundamentals—technique, strategy, composure under pressure- these are all activities children get coaching for before they take part in a tournament or exam. Similarly, we’re building your child’s intellectual toolkit and confidence, in order for them to be more confident and less stressed.
Our commitment to you:
We are actively researching the FSCE format and have already developed comprehensive preparation materials specifically designed for this exam structure. We continue to monitor CCHS announcements and will adapt our worksheets and mock exams as needed.
Most importantly, we only tutor students we genuinely believe have the ability to succeed. Our role is to refine their existing strengths, fill knowledge gaps, and build the exam confidence that will serve them not just on test day, but throughout their academic journey.
If you have any questions or concerns about these potential changes, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support both you and your child through this process.
Book your space now for our next 11+ Information event!
We understand parents have a lot of questions regarding the 11+ journey. As teachers – and parents- we have walked this journey for 21 years and have built up a lot of knowledge.
These free events are hosted half termly to guide and help you as parent in what to expect. This gives you a chance to ask questions, look at sample papers and find out all the info you need. We typically have year 4 and 5 parents comes to these events but sometimes year 3 parents too.
These are FREE IN CENTRE events, however we are asking for bookings so we know our numbers.
Click the button below to reserve your place.
21 years of 11+ exams:
The 11+ entrance will determine which secondary school your child will go to. Preparing for it does not have to be overwhelming or stressful. At Key Tuition we have been honing and adapting as the exam criteria change and we have a wealth of knowledge and experience and resources we have built up over the past 21 years.
Since 2005, the team at Key Tuition Brentwood have successfully prepared hundreds of students for their 11+ and private school entrance exams. We have a proven track record in coaching pupils to 11+ success and we’re proud to say that we’ve helped many children ( including being parents to children who sat the 11+) to succeed in being offered a place.
One of our favourite testimonials is from Paula who came for 11+ tuition many years ago now. 8 years after she passed and started secondary school she wrote to us:
“Dear Mr and Mrs Meyer, I want to thank you for tutoring me for the 11+ 8 years ago. This year I am starting medical school. If it was not for your help all those years ago I would not have been able to pursue medicine. I am forever grateful” love Paula
Our 11+ Tuition that covers CSSE, FSCE and Private School exams consists of
- In Centre Tuition
- Additional online resources
- Master classes
- Interview and presentation skills
- Mock Exams
- And much, much more…
Year 5 11+? Join our Whatsapp Channel to keep up to date with all things 11+ including info events, workshops and mock exams
Help your child pass their 11+ with our expert tutoring. Our caring and fully-qualified tutors are specialists at preparing students with the skills they need.
Here’s how it works
We’d like to help your child get a place in a Grammar school. First, you need to know whether they’re on track for success already. If that’s the case, then everyone’s happy! To work out whether children need our help, we offer a completely FREE assessment for your child. We believe that the initial assessment is a crucial part of the process as it helps everyone to know where they stand. We’ll provide you with honest feedback about your child’s natural ability and how it compares to the high standards and expectations set by the selective exams. We believe in ethical tuition and do not support excessive pressure on a child to pass the exam. We give your child enough skills, practice, and guidance to pass on their own merit, ensuring that they will cope confidently in Secondary School. In the assessment, we evaluate where they’re at with their Maths skills, Reading, Comprehension and Writing skills, Afterwards, we’ll be able to tell you whether they’re on track for the 11+ results you both want.
After the assessment
Following on from the assessment, if your child is working at the right level and you feel that your child would benefit from some coaching/tuition then we’d love to work with you, but there won’t be any pressure – we just want what’s best for your child.
How the tuition works
The assessment will give us the chance to understand what, if anything, your child requires help with. This allows us to tailor the tuition accordingly to make certain that they’re getting in-depth help and support in the areas they need assistance with.
Both the Chelmsford County High School for Girls (FSCE) and the Essex Consortium (CSSE) Grammar schools changed the format of their exam recently. We make it a priority to adjust our focus and resources according to current requirements. This helps us make sure your child receives the best preparation available.
Depending on the time scale, we’ll work out what needs covering and when. Everything we plan is designed to give your child the best chance of succeeding in these exams.
Catchment areas
What is the catchment area for King Edwards Grammar School Chelmsford?
Map:
https://www.kegs.org.uk/filedownload/C9F36221-A7A4-F4AE-A7CC8F8C1C9D4E36.pdf/priority-area-map.pdf
What is the catchment area for Southend High School for Boys, Southend High School for Girls, Westcliff High School for Boys and Westcliff High School for Girls?
They have two priority areas, namely in priority as SS0-9 and out of priority all postcodes outside of SS0-9.
Chelmsford County High School Girls:
https://secureweb1.essex.gov.uk/CAS/Chelmsford-Grammer-Schools
Postcode checker:
https://secureweb1.essex.gov.uk/CAS/index