Best Birmingham & West Midlands Grammar Schools 2026/27

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 is typically held on a Saturday in mid-September of Year 6, with results published in mid-October so families can submit their secondary school applications by the 31st October national deadline. Confirm exact 2026 dates on kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk before relying on a timetable.

Registration for the King Edward VI Foundation Test typically opens in early May and closes in late June of Year 5. The Local Authority secondary school application deadline (separate from test registration) is 31st October.

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.