Admissions

King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is part of the Grammar Schools in Birmingham for our admissions procedures. Please see the website of the Grammar Schools in Birmingham which contains all the necessary details of how to apply, deadline dates and so on. This contains all the relevant information on Pupil Premium and the Catchment Areas. Please see below for further information on this. Also a flier and brochure is published every year.

Admission to the School is in accordance with Public Notices issued on 4 September 1992 under Section 63(2) of the Education Reform Act 1988 as varied by the Public Notices issued on 1 December 1995 under Section 96(1) of the Education Act 1993.

Only children who attain the required standard in the prescribed arrangements for selection by reference to aptitude are eligible to be considered for admission to the School. These arrangements require that prospective pupils are considered for admission to the school on the basis of a combined score, standardised according to the age of the pupil, normally above the seventieth percentile of the national ability range on standardised tests of verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning ability. The content, nature and scope of these tests is reviewed regularly.

The number of intended admissions each year is 150 at age 11 years. Children who have not reached the age of 11 years, but who are in the same year group at primary school as those who have done so, may be considered for admission to the school.

The School expects to attract pupils from Birmingham and its surrounding areas. Where the number of applications for admission from eligible pupils exceeds the number of places available, places are offered in merit order according to their standardised score in the entrance tests. Where children are equal on test score, Looked After Children (in Public Care) will be given priority and then those who live nearest to the school (according to the straight line distance between home and school).

Details of admission and appeal arrangements regarding entry to the school at age 11 years are published each year.

Parents wishing to enrol a pupil of statutory school age other than at the normal age of admission should contact the Headteacher. Admissions to the school after the normal age of admission, (up to the number of places available), are based upon the pupil’s 11+ entrance examination score or on an assessment of the pupil’s ability. Only applicants who have requested admission at the time of the vacancy arising can be considered. Where the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, candidates are admitted according to merit.

King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School is consulting on changes to its admissions policy effective from September 2025. A copy of the school’s proposed admission arrangements can be viewed below. To comment on these proposals please visit https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/people-1/proposed-aa-2025-2026-1/ between 20 November 2023 and 8 January 2024.

Click here to view the Admission Policies within the Policies section of the website

Click here for the Catchment Area Map

Click here for the King Edward VI Academy Trust Admissions Information

 

Admissions


Sixth Form Admissions

The school welcomes applications from boys and girls at age 16 years for entry into the Sixth Form. A limited number of external admissions is anticipated each year into Year 12. For entry into Year 12 in September 2023 this number is expected to be 10. Details of the procedures for entry into the Sixth Form are available from the school after the start of the Autumn term in the year preceding entry. Offers of places in the Sixth Form will be conditional upon academic results, capacity on chosen courses and satisfactory school report. In the event of over-subscription preference will be given to looked after children or previously looked after children; and then those who live nearest to the school (according to the straight-line distance between home and school).

Details of how to apply can be found in the Sixth Form area of the website.

In Year Admissions

Policy and Procedural Arrangements for In-Year Admissions and Waiting Lists (Years 7-11)

Year 7 (first term)

If a vacancy arises during the first term of Year 7, the waiting list in existence from 1 March of that year will be used and the place offered in accordance with the admissions criteria above. This is a list of those who sat the entrance test and who did not receive an offer from this school or a more preferred school.

Mid Year 7 – 11

At any point from January after the pupil starts Year 7, parents may apply for a place at the school. In-year vacancies normally only become available if a current pupil is leaving the school. Any applicant who cannot be offered a place will be added to the school’s waiting list and parents will be informed of their right of appeal. If a vacancy arises, candidates on the waiting list will be invited to take a test and the place will be awarded to the highest scoring candidate above a minimum standard.

The Academy aims to notify parents/carers of the outcome of their in-year application within 10 school days, and we will notify parents/carers in writing within 15 school days.

Parents/carers will need to reapply at the start of each academic year if they want their child to be included on the waiting list where a place cannot be offered.

The Academy will provide details of places available to the Local Authority within two school days of a request for the information. This enables the local authority to monitor availability of academy places in Birmingham and supports Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Academy will notify the local authority of an In-Year application and its outcome as soon as reasonably practicable, aiming to do so within two school days.

Children referred for placement via the Fair Access Protocol must be allocated a school place within 20 school days.

Click here for the 2024-25 In-Year Admission Application Form

 

The 11+ for Entry into Year 7

All applicants will need to complete a Grammar Schools in Birmingham Test Registration Form. All applicants also need to complete the Local Authority preference form supplied by the Local Authority in which they currently live. A number of schools can be named on these forms in a ranked order of preference. It is important to name Handsworth Grammar School as a preferred choice. If a school is not listed on your Local Authority form you cannot be offered a place.

In considering applications, all schools will apply their own admissions criteria. The Grammar Schools in Birmingham only consider entrance test scores and will make offers to the highest scoring applicants. Other schools may make offers based on distance from the school to the applicant’s home. All offers will be submitted to the Local Authority. If a child meets the criteria for two or more schools, the Local Authority will offer a place at the school ranked highest on the Local Authority preference form. Parents will only receive one offer

For absolute clarity in all respects of the admissions process, please refer to the current Admissions Brochure for the Grammar Schools in Birmingham and also visit the website at www.birminghamgrammarschools.org.

ATOM Home

At the King Edward VI Foundation, we welcome children from all backgrounds into our schools.

As part of our efforts to further improve the accessibility of our schools, children who are eligible for the Pupil Premium can receive early access to our online support platform to help them to become familiar with the kinds of questions that will be in the entrance test. We partner with Atom Home to deliver this support.

If your child is in Year 4 or 5 and has been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, please fill in the form by clicking the button below. You will be given free access to Atom Home for your child when their Pupil Premium status has been verified by their primary school.

Follow this link to access the form.

Atom is a fun, free platform which adapts to your child’s level. As a parent, you will be able to see how your child is progressing and keep up to date with new homework your child has been assigned.

2023 Entry Test Important Dates

 

9th May 2023All applications are completed online.
14th June 2023Reasonable Adjustments deadline (request for special arrangements)
30th June 2023Test registration closes at 4pm
16th September 2023Test date
20th October 2023Grammar School test results issued to parents
31st October 2023LA Preference Form deadline
1st March 2024School Offer

 

The Test

The test will be held on the morning of Saturday 14th September 2024.

Your child will sit two tests of approximately 50 minutes with additional time for instructions to be given.

The papers will be divided into smaller, individually timed sections that test:

  • Verbal reasoning
  • Non verbal reasoning
  • Mathematics
  • Reading comprehension/literacy skills

Children will complete an answer sheet by shading in the box for the answer they feel is correct. This answer sheet will then be scanned by a computer. The marks will be standardised to take account of differences in age and then added together.

Sample questions will be sent to you on receipt of your completed registration form.

Practice papers

A range of publications designed to assist preparation for school admission tests is available from leading bookshops.

None of the schools keep past papers and these are not available from other sources.

Intensive coaching or tuition is not in the long term best interests of your child. The Grammar Schools in Birmingham is in no way connected to, nor does it endorse or recommend, the services of any organisation or agency purporting to offer tuition and/or revision courses for children to assist in preparing them for school entrance tests.

Sample Blank Questions (pdf).

Results

You will receive your child’s test score on October 18th 2024 by post. The letter will indicate the scores required for admission for each of the schools in the previous two years. Parents/carers can then decide whether or not to include any of the Grammar Schools in Birmingham on their home Local Authority (LA) preference form.

Offers will be made by the Local Authority on 3rd March 2025 and full details are given in your Local Authority booklet or available online.

Parents will only receive one offer and will not hear from any school unable to offer their child a place.

If you do not receive your child’s letter informing you of their test score please look for more information on the Birmingham Grammar School website.

The qualifying score for entry for 2024 was 205 and the priority score was 224.

Offers

Parents/carers MUST complete a Local Authority (LA) preference form.
These are available from your child’s school or your home Local Authority.

If a school is not named on your child’s Local Authority form they cannot be offered a place.

Applicants are ranked according to their test score. Where children are equal on test score, Looked After Children (in Public Care) will be given priority and then, where children are still equal on test score, those who live nearest to the school (according to the straight line distance between home and school).

The rankings for each of the Grammar Schools will be passed to Local Authorities who will allocate places.

Your home Local Authority will consider your application to each of the schools you have named on the preference form. You may be able to name up to six schools.

Information on how places are allocated is given in your home Local Authority booklet or online. Please read the information very carefully.

All Local Authorities must now operate an equal preference system so, if your child meets the criteria for two or more schools, the Local Authority will offer them a place at the school ranked highest on the Local Authority form. Therefore, if you put a grammar school first on your Local Authority form, but your child is not successful in the entrance test, you will not put at risk the chance of them being offered a place at any other school you have listed. Your child’s application for other schools will be treated in the same way as every other application. For example, it will depend on the distance between your home and the school for most community schools.

For more information on the BCC Local Offer, please click here.

Appeals

For Appeals queries please contact the Foundation Office at The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham on 0121 415 6004 or by email admissions@ske.uk.net

 

Dates for 2024-2025

11+ Open Evenings

The following dates are provisional and subject to change.

Thursday 19th September 2024 5 – 8 pm

Thursday 18th June 2025 5 – 8 pm

Sixth Form Open Evening

The following date is provisional and subject to change.

Thursday 24th October 2024 4:30 – 6:30 pm