There are eight Grammar Schools in Birmingham:

Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School for Boys

King Edward VI Aston School

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls

King Edward VI Five Ways School

King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls

King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

They all:
 

• Offer an outstanding rounded education
• Achieve top position in national league tables
• Offer an excellent range of extra-curricular activities

Which is best for my child ?
All of the Grammar schools in Birmingham offer outstanding academic opportunities for their students. After school and extra – curricular activities cater for most interests. The best way to find out what a school is like and gauge suitability is to go and visit it. The dates of school open days are given on the individual schools websites (Links above).

Registration
Entrance to Grammar schools in Birmingham is mainly by test. There are a few other criteria that schools use in conjunction with test results in offering places. To be eligible to take the test your child needs to be registered. This can be done online https://www.birminghamgrammarschools.org/apply-onlineapp.php.

Criteria for Registration
If your son or daughter was born between 1st September 2007 and 31st August 2008, you can register them to sit the test for entry in September 2019. There is no need to live in Birmingham to attend Birmingham Grammar  schools but before applying think about  the travelling time for your child on top of a very full school day.
There are 1272 placesexce available for children aged 11 in September 2019. Grammar schools are extremely popular and entry is very competitive. Not every child achieving the qualifying score can be offered a place.

If you intend that your child sits the test in September 2018 for entry in September 2019 you must submit the  Test Registration Form online by 4pm on Friday 29th June 2018.

The Test
This year the test will be held on Saturday 8th September 2018.

The entrance test is made up of two separate tests. Each lasts approximately 50 minutes and is
be divided into smaller, individually timed sections which test:

• Verbal ability
• Reading comprehension
• Non-verbal ability
• Numerical ability

Most of the questions will take a multiple-choice format.  The scores for each section are standardised to take account of differences in age and then added together resulting in a total rounded score which is used to make offers.

Special Arrangements
If your child has a disability and/or requires additional resources to sit the test, please ensure that The Grammar Schools inBirmingham is notified by email via a1@ske.uk.net. You willbe asked to complete a form describing your child’s disability/needs and to supply detailed medical evidence. The completed form needs to be returned by Wednesday 20th June 2018.

If your child is unable to sit the test on Saturdays for religious reasons, an alternative date can normally  be arranged if you submit a supporting letter from your religious leader.
Supporting evidence for any alternative date requests must be submitted by 29th June 2018.

Results
You will receive your child’s test score in writing by Friday 12th October, together with the minimum scores required for entry in the previous 3 years.

Having this information available before you complete your child’s Local Authority preference form will enable you to make an informed decision about the likelihood of your child obtaining a grammar school place.

Preference Application Form
The Local Authority preference form allows you to list the schools, in order of preference,  that you would like your child to attend. You can apply to more than one Grammar School and up to 6 schools in total.

All Local Authorities operate an equal preference system. This means if your child meets the criteria for two or more schools,your Local Authority will offer you a place at the school you have ranked highest on the Local Authority preference form. If you put a grammar school first on your Local Authority preference form, but your child is not successful in the entrance test, you will not put at risk your chance of 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.

Preference forms must be submitted to your home Local Authority by 31st October 2018.

Preparation
To maximise chances of getting a good score in the test and therefore securing a place at Grammar School children need to be properly prepared to take the test.

Details of familiarisation questions and the format of the test will be sent to you upon receipt of your completed registration form.  A range of publications designed to assist preparation for school admission tests are available from leading bookshops or online. In addition or as an alternative Genie Tutors offers 11+ specific tuition groups at its Tuition Centres throughout Birmingham. These specialised groups are run by fully qualified teachers with  experience in teaching pupils the skills needed to achieve a place at Grammar School. If you are interested in discovering how Genie can help your child achieve the scores they deserve please get in touch.