At a Glance
Assessment: Individual
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Boys Only
Places per year: 30
Introduction
St Thomas More High School in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex is a Catholic boys school for ages 11-16 with a mixed gender sixth form. Holding specialisms in both Maths and Computing attracts additional funding from the government to expand these programmes. The schools intake is bilateral with 30 of the 180 admission places designated as selective entrance places for the rigorous grammar school stream. As a part of The Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) St Thomas More High School identifies applicants most likely to benefit from this schooling using the consortium’s own examination, the CSSE 11+ Entrance Test.
At last full report in 2015, and sustained via a short report in 2018, the school was rated as Good by Ofsted. Inspectors commented that ‘During the five years that most pupils spend at the school, they are supported to become active, mature, articulate and responsible young citizens in society….’ and that ‘Most pupils make good progress from their starting points in a number of subjects.’ This observation is backed up by the schools most recent Progress 8 rating of 0.53 which places them in the highest category for pupil progress ‘Well above average’. Progress 8 is a measure of how much progress children who attend a specific school make between when they entered the school at the end of Key stage 2 with their attainment at GCSE level at the end of Key stage 4. A positive score of 0.53 means that on average boys attain roughly half a grade higher than the national average for children starting with their Key stage 2 results, across 8 of their GCSE’s.
It can be difficult to keep track of all the dates, deadlines, forms and requirements necessary to make an application to grammar school. If you and your son are considering this route then we at 11 Plus Hero are here to help! On these pages you will find all of the necessary information so that you can make an informed application to St Thomas More High School. We also host familiarisation materials and practise papers for the all-important selective entrance examination The CSSE 11 Plus Entrance Test.
St Thomas More High School Key Information
To help you keep informed 11 Plus Hero has compiled the school specific information and contacts details for St Thomas More High School.
School Address
Full Address:
St Thomas More High SchoolKenilworth Gardens
Westcliff-on-Sea
Essex
SS0 0BW
Contact Information
Parking in the school
- There is a car park on premises but this should only be used with the schools permission. Arrangements will be made for open events.
Additional parking off site
- North Street, 20 North Street, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1QE (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
- Elm Road, 69 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1SL (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
Additional parking off site
- North Street, 20 North Street, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1QE (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
- Elm Road, 69 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1SL (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
Key Information for St Thomas More High School
PAN* for Year 7 intake (2023)
Total Student Capacity Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Total Students Years 7 to 13 (2018)
Percentage Capacity (2022)
Latest Ofsted Rating (2018)
Selection Test
St Thomas More High School Key Dates and Application Information
We at 11 Plus Hero regularly keep up to date with all of the key dates for St Thomas More High School to keep you informed!
CSSE Entrance Test Registration Opening (Available Online):
Entrance Test Deadline:
Open Days
Open evening
Reasonable Adjustments Deadline
Letter posted to parents informing them of the test arrangements
11+ Entrance Examination Date
Results Date:
School Application to Local Authority (school preferences must be finalised by this date):
School Offer
Application Documents for St Thomas More High School
Provided below are a list of the most important sources of information for making an informed application to St Thomas More High School. 11 Plus Hero presents this information on our website but offers our sources for your convenience.
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test Format
As a member of The Consortium of selective Schools in Essex, St Thomas More High School operates the CSSE 11+ Entrance Test to determine if boys are suitable for a rigorous grammar school education. We at 11 Plus Hero can help you and your son prepare for the test by explaining the content and timings of the test as well as by providing past paper materials.
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test: Overview
There are two papers of approximately an hour in the CSSE 11+ Entrance Test. These will pose questions at the level of the Key Stage 2 Curriculum for English and Maths. Some questions may test beyond the curriculum in a bid to identify those children who have understood their schooling well enough to apply concepts to slightly unfamiliar situations.
In terms of the format of questions in each test there is variation. Unlike selective entrance assessments in other parts of the country the CSSE Maths paper presents questions that require written responses rather than in a multiple choice format. The English paper has three distinct sections, with allotted time for each. Comprehension requires the applicant to read a passage of text for 10 minutes and then answer written or multiple choice questions interpreting the text over the next 30 minutes. The applied reasoning section, lasting 10 minutes, requires the boys to understand patterns in words and letters, similar to verbal reasoning sections in other selective entrance tests. Finally the continuous writing section will provide the boys two prompts for them to respond to with an extended piece of writing. Here they must display their skill in terms of the structure, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation and imagination of their written English.
Paper One
- An English test lasting 60 minutes with three sections
- Comprehension: 10 minutes reading followed by 30 minutes for answers
- Applied reasoning: 10 minutes
- Continuous writing: 20 minutes
Paper Two
- A Maths test lasting 60 minutes with written answers
The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test - 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English (Minor Verbal Reasoning Element) | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pass Mark
St Thomas More High School 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
An applicant’s score in the CSSE 11+ Entrance Test is dependent on their results in both the English and Maths papers with equal weighting. The marks in each are individually standardised in relation to the entire year group taking the test before being combined. Parents will receive a letter detailing both the marks for each individual paper and the combined score. The threshold to pass is decided upon on a yearly basis based on the cohort of students and it is the combined score which must overcome this threshold. It is therefore not possible to state ahead of time what the passing grade will be. However, in 2016 the CSSE published a ‘rough guideline’ of the percentage of marks that historically students who gained entry to grammar schools in Essex and Southend received. According to this data across the grammar schools in Southend, children living in the priority areas received 55-60% of the marks and those outside the area received 65% of marks. For more details please see out centralised article ‘The CSSE 11+ Selective Test’.
Pass Mark
St Thomas More High School 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
An applicant’s score in the CSSE 11+ Entrance Test is dependent on their results in both the English and Maths papers with equal weighting. The marks in each are individually standardised in relation to the entire year group taking the test before being combined. Parents will receive a letter detailing both the marks for each individual paper and the combined score. The threshold to pass is decided upon on a yearly basis based on the cohort of students and it is the combined score which must overcome this threshold. It is therefore not possible to state ahead of time what the passing grade will be. However, in 2016 the CSSE published a ‘rough guideline’ of the percentage of marks that historically students who gained entry to grammar schools in Essex and Southend received. According to this data across the grammar schools in Southend, children living in the priority areas received 55-60% of the marks and those outside the area received 65% of marks. For more details please see out centralised article ‘The CSSE 11+ Selective Test’.
Catchment Area
As well as completing your local authorities application form for secondary school it is a requirement of parents to complete the Brentwood Diocese Catholic School Supplementary Information Form 2023 Intake which can be found at the base of Section 3. Doing so enables the Governors of St Thomas More High School to apply the schools own admission criteria. Admission priority will also be given to those who can additionally supply a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their Parish Priest, or a Priest who knows the child well. The school operates priority catchment areas at two levels. One based on postcode which is only relevant for admission to the selective stream and a second based on local parishes for all admissions.
- Selective places are awarded to boys who have passed the CSSE 11+ Entrance Examination and who occupy permanent residence within a catchment area defined by the postcodes: SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7, SS8 and SS9
- Th core oversubscription area has a priority catchment area defined by the local Parishes of: Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh on Sea; St. Helen’s, Westcliff on Sea; Sacred Heart, Southend on Sea; St. Georges, Shoebury; St. Peter’s, Eastwood; St. John Fisher, Prittlewell; St. Teresa’s, Rochford; Holy Family, South Benfleet; Our Lady of Ransom, Rayleigh and Our Lady of Canvey, Canvey Island.
Additional Eligibility
St Thomas More High School offers its 30 selective places to those boys who have passed the CSSE 11+ Entrance examination. Priority is given to those of practising Catholic faith and those who have social or health requirements that would make admission to the school particularly beneficial to their wellbeing. Children with a Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) and Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which specifically mentions St Thomas More High School will be admitted to the school in addition to the published PAN. Beyond that priority of Admission is awarded according to the following criteria.
- The 30 selective places are awarded to those Boys who have passed the selective entrance examination and occupy the above-mentioned catchment area. If multiple boys are in competition for the last place then the main cohort oversubscription criteria below will also be applied to these boys.
- Boys who are in the care of the local authority and came from catholic families. Also those boys who were once in the care of the local authority but have since been adopted by catholic families.
- Boys who have been baptised into the catholic faith, are practising christians and who live within the above-mention parish areas.
- Boys who have been baptised into the catholic faith, are practising christians but who do not live in the above mentioned parishes.
- Boys who have been baptised into the catholic faith.
- Boys who are now or at one point were in the care of the local authority.
- Boys who are practising christians and are attending Catholic primary school at the point of application. Priority awarded if the application is supported by a letter in writing from their Minister.
- Boys who are practising christians but who are not attending Catholic primary school at the point of application. Priority awarded if the application is supported by a letter in writing from their Minister.
- Families who wish their child to be educated in a Catholic school.
Within each of the above categories priority status is given to those boys:
- With a sibling in attendance of either St Thomas More High School itself or the nearby catholic girls school St Bernard’s High School.
- The proximity of the child’s permanent residence in relation to the school.
St Thomas More High School FAQs
- There is no defined pass mark which is true every year as the threshold passing grade is determined based on how well the students from a year group performed in the test. For information on how your sons score is calculated and an idea of previous boundaries please see the Pass Mark section above.
As a part of the CSSE, St Thomas More High School carries out the CSSE Selective Entrance Test. This contains two papers lasting approximately one hour each in English or Maths. Further details can be found in the section The CSSE 11+ Entrance Test Format.
- The CSSE website hosts familiarisation materials, allowing children to better understand the format of their exams. Please find these in the Application Documents section.
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