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Best Birmingham & West Midlands Grammar Schools 2026/27
King Edward VI Foundation Test dates, qualifying scores, Ofsted ratings and admissions data for Birmingham grammar schools
Birmingham's grammar schools are led by the King Edward VI Foundation, which manages 5 grammar schools including King Edward VI Camp Hill (Boys & Girls), King Edward VI Five Ways, King Edward VI Aston and King Edward VI Handsworth Girls. The Foundation runs its own entrance test which moved from CEM to a GL Assessment format in 2023 and uniquely includes a Spatial Reasoning section.
A standardised score of 205 is the qualifying score, with a priority score of 224 used for higher allocations. Catchment areas now apply to many King Edward VI Foundation schools — check each school's policy. The wider West Midlands Grammar Schools Partnership allows one test to be used across up to 19 grammar schools in the region, including schools in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Lichfield, Newport (Shropshire) and Telford.
15
SchoolsBirmingham Grammar Schools
Exam Board12 September 2026 (Saturday)
Test Date31st October 2026
Apply ByTop-Ranked Schools (Recent National Awards)
Schools below have been recognised in recent Sunday Times Parent Power rankings. Citations are taken from each school's published profile.
Birmingham & West Midlands 11+ key dates
Admissions timeline for September 2027 entry (tests sat in autumn 2026).
| Registration opens | 5 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Registration deadline | 26 June 2026 (4pm) |
| Test date | 12 September 2026 (Saturday) |
| Results released | 16 October 2026 |
| Secondary application deadline | 31st October 2026 |
Compare all 15 Birmingham & West Midlands grammar schools
Location, type, places per year and latest Ofsted rating at a glance.
| School | Location | Type | Places/yr | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Edward VI Five Ways School | Bartley Green | Co-educational | 180 | Good |
| King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys | Kings Heath | Boys | 120 | Outstanding |
| King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls | Kings Heath | Girls | 150 | Outstanding |
| King Edward VI Aston School | Aston | Boys | 120 | Outstanding |
| King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls | Handsworth | Girls | 120 | Outstanding |
| Handsworth Grammar School | Handsworth | Boys | 150 | Good |
| Bishop Vesey's Grammar School | Sutton Coldfield | Boys | 192 | Outstanding |
| Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls | Sutton Coldfield | Girls | 150 | Good |
| Newport Girls' High School | Newport | Girls | 130 | Outstanding |
| Adams' Grammar School | Newport | Boys | 140 | Outstanding |
| Queen Mary's Grammar School | Walsall | Boys | 145 | Outstanding |
| Queen Mary's High School | Walsall | Girls | 145 | Outstanding |
| Wolverhampton Grammar School | Wolverhampton | Co-educational | 130 | Good |
| King Edward VI Grammar School, Lichfield | Lichfield | Co-educational | 140 | Good |
| Thomas Telford School | Telford | Co-educational | 220 | Outstanding |
Bartley Green • B32 4BT
King Edward VI Foundation school. Ofsted Good (November 2023). Uses KE Foundation test with GL Assessment format including spatial reasoning.
Kings Heath • B14 7QJ
Outstanding King Edward VI Foundation school. High-achieving in STEM subjects. Uses KE Foundation test with GL Assessment format.
Kings Heath • B14 7QJ
Outstanding King Edward VI Foundation girls' school. Ranked in national top 10. Located on Vicarage Road, same site as Boys school.
88%
GCSE 9-789.8%
A-Level A*-BAston • B6 6ND
A King Edward VI Foundation boys' school with strong academic traditions and excellent sporting facilities.
Handsworth • B21 9LP
A prestigious King Edward VI Foundation girls' school with excellent academic results and strong pastoral care.
Handsworth • B21 9ET
A boys' grammar school with good academic results and strong community links.
Sutton Coldfield • B74 2NH
Historic boys' grammar school founded 1527. Outstanding (April 2024). Strong sporting traditions. Located on Lichfield Road.
Sutton Coldfield • B73 5PT
Ofsted Good (November 2022). Located on Jockey Road. Excellent pastoral support and strong academic results.
Newport • TF10 7PN
An outstanding girls' grammar school in Shropshire, part of the West Midlands consortium.
Newport • TF10 7BD
A historic boys' grammar school founded in 1656.
Walsall • WS1 3SY
An outstanding boys' grammar school in Walsall.
Walsall • WS5 3LT
An outstanding girls' grammar school in Walsall.
Wolverhampton • WV3 9RB
A historic co-educational grammar school founded in 1512.
Lichfield • WS13 6PJ
A historic co-educational grammar school in Lichfield.
Telford • TF3 4NW
An outstanding co-educational technology school with selective intake.
Birmingham & West Midlands Grammar Schools — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions parents ask most about grammar schools in Birmingham & West Midlands, the 11+ entrance exam, admissions deadlines and how to prepare.
The King Edward VI Foundation manages 5 grammar schools in Birmingham. The broader West Midlands Grammar Schools Partnership allows a single entrance test to be used to apply to up to 19 grammar schools in the region — including Birmingham schools, Walsall (Queen Mary's Grammar and Queen Mary's High), Wolverhampton, Lichfield, Newport (Shropshire) and Telford.
The King Edward VI Foundation Test is the 11+ entrance examination used by King Edward VI Foundation grammar schools in Birmingham and (via the West Midlands Partnership) by many other grammar schools across the West Midlands. From 2023 it switched from a CEM format to a GL Assessment format. It consists of two papers of approximately 50 minutes each, covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal / Spatial Reasoning — the inclusion of Spatial Reasoning is unique to this region's test.
The qualifying standardised score for King Edward VI Foundation schools is 205. A priority score of 224 is used by Foundation schools for higher-priority allocations. The score is age-standardised, so it accounts for the candidate's exact age at time of testing.
The King Edward VI Foundation Test for September 2027 entry is held on Saturday 12 September 2026. There are two sessions (morning and afternoon) and your child is allocated one, so keep the whole day free. It is a single shared test covering all 19 West Midlands grammar schools, including the eight King Edward VI Birmingham grammar schools.
Registration for September 2027 entry opened on 5 May 2026 and closes at 4pm on Friday 26 June 2026. Late registrations cannot be accepted, so you must register before the deadline via westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk. If you need reasonable adjustments, the supporting deadline is 4pm on 12 June 2026.
Yes — catchment areas now apply to many King Edward VI Foundation schools, a change introduced in recent years to broaden access. Always check the individual school's published admissions policy as catchment definitions and weightings vary by school.
Boys' schools include King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, King Edward VI Aston, Handsworth Grammar, Bishop Vesey's Grammar (Sutton Coldfield) and Queen Mary's Grammar (Walsall). Girls' schools include King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, King Edward VI Handsworth, Sutton Coldfield Grammar for Girls, Queen Mary's High (Walsall) and Newport Girls' High. Co-educational schools include King Edward VI Five Ways, Wolverhampton Grammar, King Edward VI Grammar Lichfield and Thomas Telford.
Prepare across all four test subjects — English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal / Spatial Reasoning. The Spatial Reasoning section is unique to the West Midlands and requires dedicated practice with 3D shape and pattern questions. Most families begin focused preparation in Year 5. Prep4All provides practice papers and adaptive lessons in all four 11+ subjects.
Prepare for Birmingham & West Midlands Grammar Schools
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