Colchester Royal Grammar School

History and Culture of Colchester Royal Grammar School

Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) is a boy’s grammar school, with a co-ed sixth form. It is one of the UK’s leading grammar schools and is renowned for its rich history, academic excellence, and vibrant school community. Founded over 800 years ago and granted royal charters by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, CRGS combines deep-rooted tradition with a modern, forward-thinking approach to education. The school offers a challenging and inspiring curriculum, and consistently achieves top results at both GCSE and A-Level. With outstanding teaching, a strong focus on personal development, and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, CRGS prides itself in preparing students to thrive at the world’s leading universities and beyond.

Why attend Colchester Royal Grammar School?

Exam Results

These are the typical exam results, based on evidence released by the school in the last few years.

GCSEs

	Percentage of grades
Grades 7-9 (students with 5+ GCSEs at Grade 9-7)	About 90%

A Levels

	Percentage of Grades
Grades A*-B	About 94%

Opportunities

Colchester Royal Grammar School prides itself on having an outstanding range of extracurricular opportunities for students to thrive. These include music and drama, where the school produces an annual show including Amadeus, Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing in recent years. These productions are supported by the professional staging and lighting equipment which are managed by the students behind the scenes.

In terms of sports, there are regular fixtures for all year groups in sports such as cricket, rugby, hockey and netball, whilst there are also a range of more casual clubs which run regularly during lunchtimes, after school or at weekends. The school also has a range of facilities for the students to use, including a heated outdoor swimming pool, a fully equipped gymnasium, a multigym and extensive games fields.

For those interested in music at CRGS, the school provides a broad curriculum of extra-curricular ensembles catering for students at various levels of ability. This includes the flagship Orchestra and Choir, which perform regularly in school and at external venues. A particular highlight was the 2022 Summer Tour of Liverpool, where 80 students performed in local churches and a concert hall. Lessons are also available for students through the Essex Music Service tutors.

Alumni

Notable alumni from CRGS include:

• David Clary – president of Magdalen college, Oxford
• Geoffrey Martin – Historian and Keeper of Public Records
• Samuel Harsnett – Archbishop of York and theologian
• Tom Bradshaw – president of the National Farmers Union
• Bertram Ramsay – Royal Navy officer responsible for Dunkirk evacuation

Colchester Royal Grammar School- Essential Information

Address: 6 Lexden Rd, Colchester CO3 3ND

School phone number: 01206509100

Students admitted at 11+: 128 Students

School email: office@crgs.co.uk

Link to website: https://www.crgs.co.uk/

How to achieve entry in Colchester Royal Grammar School

Colchester Royal Grammar School has a very competitive application process with the main pathway being at 11+ entry.

Application

The school has 128 places available for 11+ entry, with students sitting the 11+ selection test CSSE. The purpose of the test is to identify students who have the potential to thrive in a highly academic environment. The selection process is equal to both those in Essex and students outside the county.

Entrance Exam

The school requires an 11+ entrance examination, using the CSSE examination type.

	CSSE
Format	Standard
Layout	Whole paper
Separate Answer Sheet	No
Creative writing	Yes
Timing	Usually 50 mins per paper

The school entrance exams consist of two main parts:

• English Paper – topics include:
  • Comprehension exercises
  • Vocabulary – where children are asked to replace words in the passage
  • Short writing piece
  • Very short Verbal reasoning section
• Mathematics Paper – topics include:
  • Knowledge of times tables
  • Applying the four basic operations (+ – x ÷)
  • Quick mental arithmetic
  • Graph reading
  • Understanding of shapes, space & measures

How Redbridge Tuition can help your child Achieve Entry at Colchester Royal Grammar School

Redbridge Tuition provides tailored support for students taking the CSSE exam. Our experienced tutors are more than willing to help students in our range of classes, which are available here.

One of the harder components of the CSSE exams can be the creative writing. If you’re struggling, have a look at our resources below:

 

If you want more practice, our CSSE-style practice papers can be found by clicking on the image below:

 

If you have any further questions, feel free to Contact Us