About the school
The King John School is a large co-educational secondary school and sixth form located on Shipwrights Drive in Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex. It has a strong reputation in the local area and offers a broad curriculum across academic and vocational pathways, supported by a wide range of extracurricular activities.
The King John School was founded in 1964 and holds academy status as part of an academy trust serving south Essex. It educates pupils aged 11 to 18 and is a popular choice for families across the Benfleet, Thundersley and Castle Point area.
Unlike the selective grammar schools in Essex and Southend, The King John School is non-selective and does not use an 11 plus entrance test for standard Year 7 admission. Places are coordinated by Essex County Council and allocated using the school’s published criteria, rather than the CSSE 11+.
School type
Co-Educational Secondary (Non-Selective)
Exam date
No entrance test – apply via Essex County Council by 31st October 2026
Exam board
N/A (non-selective admissions)
Address
Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1RQ
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The King John School is a non-selective secondary school, so Year 7 admission is not based on an entrance test. Here is everything you need to know about the admissions process.
The King John School does not select by ability and does not set an 11 plus or entrance test for standard Year 7 entry. Admission is coordinated through Essex County Council’s secondary admissions scheme. Families who also wish to apply to selective Essex or Southend grammar schools would separately register their child for the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) 11+, which covers English and Mathematics.
As a non-selective school, The King John School does not require a test for general admission. For families targeting Essex grammar schools alongside it, the CSSE 11+ consists of two papers – an English paper (60 minutes, plus 10 minutes reading) and a Mathematics paper (60 minutes) – sat on Saturday, 19th September 2026, with scores age-standardised before candidates are ranked.
There is no separate test registration for The King John School. Parents apply through Essex County Council’s secondary Common Application Form, which is submitted by 31st October 2026. Those also wishing to sit the CSSE 11+ for a selective school must register separately with the CSSE between 12th May and 19th June 2026.
Because admission is non-selective, there is no test result for The King John School itself. Secondary school offers are sent to parents on National Offer Day, 1st March 2027. Where the school is oversubscribed, places are allocated using its published criteria.
Key admissions details
The King John School is a large secondary school admitting a substantial Year 7 cohort each year across its Benfleet and Castle Point community.
The King John School allocates places using Essex County Council’s coordinated scheme. After higher-priority groups such as looked-after children and siblings, the remaining places are offered on the basis of distance from the school, measured from the child’s home. Children living closer to the school, in the Thundersley, Benfleet and wider Castle Point area, are prioritised when it is oversubscribed.
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No. The King John School is a non-selective co-educational secondary school and sixth form in Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex. It does not select pupils by ability or use an 11 plus entrance test for standard Year 7 admission, unlike the selective grammar schools in Essex.
The King John School is a large secondary school and sixth form educating pupils aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1964, holds academy status, and is a popular choice for families across the Benfleet, Thundersley and Castle Point area.
No. As a non-selective school, The King John School does not require an entrance test for general admission. Families who also wish to apply to selective Essex grammar schools would separately register for the CSSE 11+, but it is not needed for entry to The King John School itself.
Places are coordinated by Essex County Council. After higher-priority groups such as looked-after children and siblings, the remaining places are offered on the basis of distance from the school, with children living closer to the school prioritised when it is oversubscribed.
Apply through Essex County Council’s secondary Common Application Form, which must be submitted by 31st October 2026. Families who also wish to sit the CSSE 11+ for a selective school must register separately with the CSSE; that test is sat on Saturday, 19th September 2026. Offers are made on 1st March 2027.
Yes. The King John School offers a broad enrichment programme across sport, music, drama and clubs, alongside academic and vocational pathways suited to its mixed-ability intake.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Benfleet and the wider Essex area access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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