ST BERNARDS HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Specific admissions and 11 plus exam information to help you to be successful with an 11 Plus application to St Bernard’s High School For Girls. Use the information below to find our recommended 11 Plus books and papers that specifically relate to your application.

11 Plus Entry Information for St Bernard’s High School For Girls

St Bernard’s High School For Girls is a prestigious institution known for its exceptional educational standards. With a moderate-sized student body, the school maintains a selective admission policy, attracting talented and motivated young women. Situated in an urban setting, the school draws students from diverse cultural backgrounds, fostering a multicultural learning environment. St Bernard’s High School For Girls proudly holds specialist status in the arts, offering extensive programs in visual arts, performing arts, and creative writing. Additionally, the school has been recognized for its commitment to environmental sustainability, earning the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award.

County	Essex
Address	1 Hadleigh Road, Southend-On-Sea SS0 7JS
Type	Catholic bilateral secondary school
Pupils	935
Places in Year 7	175
Open Days	July
St Bernard’s High School for Girls 11+ Resources	Maths resources English resources
Competition	6 applicants for every place
Exam Format	Essex 11 Plus CSSE
School Website	St Bernard’s High School (stbernardswestcliff.org.uk)

St Bernard’s High School for Girls 11 Plus Exam Format

St Bernard’s High School for Girls falls into the CSSE Consortium. Meaning all schools in this consortium have the same exam. The exam format is as follows

Paper 1	60 minute free response Mathematics Paper.
Paper 2	1 Hour 10 minutes English paper. Section 1 includes 50 minutes on comprehension. Section 2 contains a 20 minute continuous writing task.

St Bernard’s High School for Girls 11 Plus Exam Paper

Some publishers have access to the exam format and produce their own mirror papers which aim to replicate what an 11 Plus exam for this consortium might look like.

We understand that these publishers get the information from familiarisation packs sent to parents, teachers, local tutors and pupils who have sat the test. The tests can of course change at any time and these papers only aim to give a good idea of what to expect, however, they are very useful and most parents use them at some point.

The ones we would suggest are from Learning Street. They are of high quality and cheaper than any others we have seen. Direct links to the papers are below and Learning Street produce them as mock exams which is unique ( so you can run your own mock exam at home). Links to the papers are below:

Essex CSSE Mock 11 Plus Exam Pack 1

Essex CSSE Mock 11 Plus Exam Pack 2

Essex CSSE Mock 11 Plus Exam Pack 3

Essex CSSE Mock 11 Plus Exam Pack 4

Essex CSSE Mock 11 Plus Exam Papers Bundle (Packs 1-4)

How to prepare for the Essex CSSE 11 Plus Exam

Essentially you have 5 options when it comes to helping your child to prepare.

1/ Some parents use a Private Tutor. If you want to start your search for a suitable one, we provide links to some Private tutors in Essex to help you. These can cost between £2500 and £6000 a year. For help thinking about which private tutor might be right for you see our guidance page.

2/ Other parents use a Tuition Centre with group tuition. If you want to start your search for a suitable one, we provide links to some Tuition centres in Essex to help you. These can cost between £1500 and £3500 for a year. For help thinking about which tuition centre might be right for you see our guidance page.

3/ If you are thinking of preparing at home using books then our 11 Plus Exam papers and books section provides lots of links and advice to help you choose which books to use and what to focus on. Preparation plans are also provided. Using this method is great for those parents prepared to take a more hands on approach. The average parent using this method spends about £300 on books and papers during the final year of preparation.

4/ A great option is a structured course. These courses gradually build up skills so you can focus on helping your child with the work provided. The best supplier is Learning Street which helps you prepare your child from home, ranging in price from £12 to £89 ( full cost – not monthly cost) it is the cheapest method of preparation. To find out their course suggestions for St Bernard’s High School for Girls 11 Plus preparation click the link.

5/ Online preparation. This is not something we recommend. Online solutions are growing more useful and reliable and for some aspects of preparation they can be useful but certainly not for all your preparation needs. They are also very expensive for what they provide with some coming in at £600- £1000 for a year depending on which options you select. For our rationale on why we believe online preparation is not a good solution yet click through to the page 11 Plus online preparation.