Grammar Schools in Birmingham
Birmingham's eight grammar schools, including the King Edward VI Foundation schools, share a single entrance test. It is produced by GL Assessment but written specifically for this consortium. It is not a standard off-the-shelf GL paper, which matters when choosing practice material.
Where the official practice material is
GL Assessment
Free familiarisation booklets that show the question types, the timings and how the answer sheet works. GL do not release past papers, so anything sold as a GL past paper was written by somebody else.
What families in Birmingham need to know
- Two booklets, each mixing verbal reasoning, non-verbal and spatial reasoning, English and maths. Weighting is 50% English and verbal, 25% non-verbal, 25% maths. Instructions and timings are delivered by audio.
- The same test covers grammar schools in Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire.
- The consortium moved from CEM to GL for September 2023 entry. Registration is now through westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk. The old birminghamgrammarschools.org domain has lapsed.
The 8 grammar schools in Birmingham
Admissions details change year to year. Always confirm dates and criteria on the school's own admissions page before applying.
| School | Town | Admits |
|---|---|---|
| Bishop Vesey's Grammar School | Sutton Coldfield | Boys |
| Handsworth Grammar School | Handsworth | Boys |
| King Edward VI Aston School | Aston | Boys |
| King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys | Kings Heath | Boys |
| King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls | Kings Heath | Girls |
| King Edward VI Five Ways School | Bartley Green | Mixed |
| King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls | Handsworth | Girls |
| Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls | Sutton Coldfield | Girls |
Each name links to that school's own admissions page. Every school here sits the GL Assessment test.
Preparing for the 11+ in Birmingham?
GG Maths coaches the maths and reasoning side of 11+ entry online, for families anywhere in the UK. Sessions are built around the format your child will actually sit, not generic practice papers.
Book a free trial lesson See what 11+ tuition covers