Tiffin/Sutton/CRGS

OP I live in the catchment for Sutton and Tiffin grammars and tutoring for these superselective schools is the norm. Many top set kids still don't get in even with tutoring, so have a good backup plan for state comprehensive or independent just in case. I respectfully disagree that "bright kids will get in without tutoring", this might be the case for areas with lots of grammars but not 2 of the 3 mentioned by OP.
My daughter is joining Tiffin Girls in September. I know many kids who did not get into the grammars who just got greater depth across the board on their SATs and end of year reports. They are very bright kids, but the competition is fierce and you need a bit of luck on the day too.
I can't comment on Colchester as it is quite far away so I have no knowledge of it.

Is there a particular reason you are looking at such different locations OP? Not everywhere has grammar schools (in fact, most areas don't) so if you are just looking for a grammar you might overlook some really outstanding state comprehensives and restrict your search more than you need to.

For Tiffin and Sutton Grammar ( I have no knowledge of Colchester) it is certainly true that the vast majority of children taking the exam will have been tutored.

And it is a competition for places. Put simply, the naturally bright child who can score a high mark without any tuition is going to be edged out by the less bright but tutored children who score higher marks because of that tuition.

It shouldn’t be that way but it is.

where will you be based at the time of school application. Tiffin hasn’t gone out of the outer catchment area in years

DD is at a sutton and I think an understanding of the process is key. spShe has some tutoring (1.5 hours a week) so she got all the necessary concepts plus she did exam practices as well so she knew the process and is doing very well.

getting in without any tutoring is rare (and even more so none none and no at home help)

There are familiarisation papers for the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) Schools on the CSSE website. The same exam gives a score which is used by CRGS, KEGS in Chelmsford and the Westcliff and Southend grammar schools. (Also for the Colchester / Wrstcliff / Southend girls' grammar schools - but no help to you if you are looking for a place for a boy, and three partially selective schools in the the Southend area, but also no good to you as the selective places there are ring-fenced by location).

Iirc, there is still no catchment area for CRGS (but they do give priority for a certain number of places to 'disadvantaged', for want of a better term, applicants. So it would be possible to apply for CRGS from somewhere in the Tiffin catcment area and succeed on score and move in time for year 7, but not the other way round.

Some places at Westcliff High School for Boys and Southend High School for Boys are open to OOC applicants, but the for the majority of places at both schools, priority is given to local applicants - that is, resident in the postcodes SS0 - SS9 at the time of application. The majority of places at KEGS are reserved for applicants living within a 12.5 mile radius.

@PinkPanda27 , have you spent time on the website elevenplusexams.co.uk in the forum section? It's unusual to sit Tiffin and Colchester due to the geographical constraints of Tiffin.

The vast majority of the children sitting the exams will be tutored.

Tiffin, at least, is extremely competitive - it would be brave to go in completely cold

Can't comment on Colchester as that is very far from Tiffin and Sutton. Do you have boys or girls OP?

Hmm, that is the common sense advice from pp above. However it's a very unusual child who doesn't have some tutoring before sitting these tests. I think it's worth having a look at some past papers just to see where you are. It's fairly competitive and most people will do some preparation,

I suggest you don't tutor for these entrance exams Bright children can get in without tutoring. Children who are heavily tutored for the entrance exams often struggle when they get there, or require further tutoring to keep up. Many are unhappy because they feel like relative failures, whereas they would thrive in a more comprehensive environment. If a child gets mediocre results from a grammar school (and many do) then it will be worse for their university prospects than if they get mediocre results from a comprehensive school. This is because top universities want to recruit the brightest children from a range of different schools in different areas and will quickly fill their grammar school "quota" with only the top tier from those schools.

There are many excellent comprehensive schools in Greater London, where your children will do very well if they have good support from home.