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Schools near Benfleet

18 open schools in Benfleet, Essex · Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and admission criteria · see all Essex schools · grammar schools in Benfleet

Benfleet has 18 state schools: 12 primary, 3 secondary, part of Essex's wider catchment. 17 have a published Ofsted rating, and 14 of those are rated Good or Outstanding.

Average score
out of 10

Undersubscribed schools rated Good or Outstanding

These schools didn't fill on first preference in the latest admissions year, despite an Ofsted rating of Good or Outstanding — worth a look if you're chasing the same handful of famous names everyone else applies to.

How places are allocated in Essex

Primary schools: 'Priority admission area' (catchment) is an explicit oversubscription criterion before the distance tiebreaker; Essex publishes an online catchment-area finder. (source)

Most schools use the local authority's default scheme rather than a school-specific catchment map — see each school's page for its own designated/catchment area where one is published.

Essex entrance test format

Essex has TWO different 11+ tests: 1. The CSSE exam — used by King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford), Colchester Royal Grammar School, Colchester County High School for Girls, and the Southend grammar schools: English (60 minutes — comprehension, applied reasoning and a short continuous-writing element) and Mathematics (60 minutes, Key Stage 2-based), each marked out of 60. NO verbal or non-verbal reasoning; written (not purely multiple-choice) answers. One registration (csse.org.uk) and one mid-September sitting covers all CSSE schools; a combined standardised score around 303+ has historically been the consideration threshold. 2. Chelmsford County High School for Girls — NOT in the CSSE: it runs its own FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) test, registered direct with the school on a separate date. FSCE questions can draw on the whole primary curriculum to the end of Year 5, in a different style from the CSSE papers — a girl applying to CCHS plus other Essex grammars prepares for two different exam formats.

Out-of-area applications

Three of Essex's four grammar schools (King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, Colchester Royal Grammar School, Colchester County High School for Girls) select through the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) — a single shared 11+ exam also used by the Southend grammar schools. One registration (online at csse.org.uk, historically mid-May to mid-June of Year 5) and one sitting covers every CSSE school. EXCEPTION — Chelmsford County High School for Girls is NOT in the CSSE: it runs its own FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) entrance test with separate registration direct with the school. A girl applying to CCHS and other Essex grammar schools sits two different exams. Children living outside Essex can register and sit the exam — but check each school's oversubscription criteria: several CSSE schools operate priority admission areas, and some allocate a portion of places by score rank regardless of address. Apply for places via your home LA's Common Application Form by 31 October. A total standardised score of roughly 303+ has historically been the consideration threshold for CSSE schools, but each school sets its own cutoff based on demand.

Key dates

Entry yearEventDate
Sept 2028 Application deadline 31 October 2027
Sept 2028 Primary application deadline 15 January 2028
Sept 2028 Offer day 1 March 2028
Sept 2028 Primary offer day 17 April 2028
Sept 2027 Registration opens 12 May 2026 (passed)
Sept 2027 Registration closes 19 June 2026 (passed)
Sept 2027 Test date 19 September 2026 (passed)
Sept 2027 Results released 15 October 2026 (passed)
Sept 2027 Application deadline 31 October 2026
Sept 2027 Primary application deadline 15 January 2027
Sept 2027 Offer day 1 March 2027
Sept 2027 Primary offer day 16 April 2027
Sept 2026 Registration opens 8 May 2025 (passed)
Sept 2026 Registration closes 30 June 2025 (passed)
Sept 2026 Test date 21 September 2025 (passed)
Sept 2026 Results released 11 October 2025 (passed)
Sept 2026 Application deadline 31 October 2025 (passed)
Sept 2026 Primary application deadline 15 January 2026 (passed)
Sept 2026 Offer day 1 March 2026 (passed)
Sept 2026 Primary offer day 16 April 2026 (passed)

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