GrammarPrep

Birmingham 11+: the King Edward VI Foundation Entrance Assessment explained

A clear parent guide to Birmingham's grammar schools — the King Edward VI Foundation test, how the five selective schools rank applicants, and how to prepare without burning your child out.

King Edward VI Foundation 11+ (Entrance Assessment): key facts

Typical test date
Mid-September of Year 6 (single sitting at a central venue)
Papers
2 papers
Duration
Each paper is typically around 60 minutes
Subjects
English (including comprehension) and Mathematics, with reasoning content embedded in the format
Indicative qualifying threshold
The Foundation publishes an annual qualifying score that is then used in conjunction with each school's oversubscription policy — recently this has fallen in the 220-230 standardised range, but the figure shifts year to year
Registration window
Registration runs from June and typically closes mid-July of Year 5 — families apply directly to the King Edward VI Foundation, not Birmingham City Council

Why Birmingham is different

Birmingham's selective schools sit inside a unique structure: the King Edward VI Foundation, a charitable trust set up by royal charter in 1552, runs the city's grammar schools as a single family of academies. The five fully selective grammars share a common entrance assessment, but each school then applies its own oversubscription criteria on top of the qualifying score. That means a strong test result is necessary, but never sufficient — your child also has to rank well within whichever school's pool you've prioritised.

The Foundation's assessment is administered by GL Assessment, which makes preparation broadly targetable: GL question types are well documented, and steady practice through Year 4 and Year 5 builds the question-pattern fluency the test rewards. Unlike Kent's three-paper structure, Birmingham uses two integrated papers, so timing and stamina look different — children sit fewer but more concentrated assessments.

Birmingham is also unusual in that around a quarter of places at most King Edward VI schools are reserved for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium, designed to widen access. Families across the West Midlands apply — there is no formal catchment area for the Foundation grammars, although several schools use distance as a final tiebreaker. The practical implication is that competition is geographically wide, and a qualifying score does not guarantee an offer.

How the King Edward VI Foundation 11+ (Entrance Assessment) is structured

  • Two papers sat in a single morning at a central exam venue (not at the child's primary school).
  • Paper 1: English — reading comprehension passage with questions, vocabulary and language items. Multiple choice and short-answer formats.
  • Paper 2: Mathematics — numerical computation, problem-solving and data handling, with reasoning content woven into the questions.
  • Both papers are age-standardised so younger children in the Year 6 cohort are not disadvantaged.
  • The Foundation publishes a qualifying score after the test; each individual school then ranks qualifying applicants by oversubscription criteria (Pupil Premium quota, sibling priority, distance).
  • Children typically sit only the Foundation assessment — there is not a separate test for each of the five schools.

Notable grammar schools in Birmingham

5 selective King Edward VI grammar schools across the city.

  • King Edward VI Aston School (boys')
  • 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 Grammar School for Boys
  • King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy
  • King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy

How to prepare your child for the Birmingham 11+

Begin structured preparation at the start of Year 4 for most children. With only two papers but a high competitive ceiling, the Foundation rewards depth in English and Maths rather than reasoning-only drill. Build a daily reading habit early and develop multi-step Maths problem-solving in parallel — the test draws on the upper end of Key Stage 2 and stretches above it.

Practise GL-style English comprehension weekly from the spring of Year 5. The Birmingham paper sets dense passages above expected Year 5 reading age, so the constraint is usually vocabulary and inference, not decoding. Keep a running word journal and review fortnightly.

Run timed mock papers in the summer of Year 5 to build pacing. Children who can answer accurately but slowly often score below children with slightly lower accuracy but better time management. Mix the two papers in alternating weeks to mimic the September morning structure.

Be honest with your child about the geography. Because the five schools rank by oversubscription criteria after the qualifying score, families outside South Birmingham frequently need to score well above the basic qualifying threshold to receive an offer at the most competitive schools (Camp Hill, Five Ways). Set school preferences with that ranking reality in mind.

Frequently asked questions about the Birmingham 11+

How do I register my child for the Birmingham 11+?

Registration is direct with the King Edward VI Foundation, not Birmingham City Council. The Foundation's online portal opens in early June of Year 5 and typically closes in mid-July. You select the schools you wish to be considered for at registration; there is no fee. Late registrations are not normally accepted, so set a calendar reminder for the spring of Year 5.

Which schools use the King Edward VI Foundation assessment?

The five fully selective grammar schools — KE Aston, KE Camp Hill Boys, KE Camp Hill Girls, KE Five Ways, and KE Handsworth Grammar — use a common assessment. KE Handsworth Wood and KE Sheldon Heath are partially selective academies; check their current admissions arrangements directly, as their selective intake may use different criteria year to year.

What is the qualifying score for Birmingham grammar schools?

The Foundation publishes a qualifying standardised score after the test has been sat — recently around the 220-230 mark — but this is just the floor to be considered. Each school's actual offer-line depends on how applicants rank by oversubscription policy (Pupil Premium reserved places, sibling priority, distance). The most competitive schools effectively require a score well above the qualifying floor.

Is there a catchment area for King Edward VI grammars?

There is no formal catchment in the Kent or Bucks sense. Pupil Premium quotas are applied first, then sibling priority, and distance is typically used as a final tiebreaker for oversubscribed places. Families across the West Midlands and beyond apply, but distance often determines outcomes at the most competitive schools (Camp Hill, Five Ways).

Does Birmingham use GL Assessment, CEM or its own papers?

GL Assessment. Prepare with GL-style materials — the question formats, answer-sheet layout and pacing all reflect GL conventions rather than CEM or CSSE.

How does the Pupil Premium policy work?

Each King Edward VI grammar reserves a proportion of places (around 20-25% in recent years) for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium. These places are allocated first from the pool of qualifying Pupil Premium applicants, before remaining places are offered by sibling/distance priority. This is a meaningful widening-participation policy and is one of the most distinctive features of the Birmingham system.

Can my child resit the Birmingham 11+?

No. Like other 11+ assessments, the King Edward VI Foundation test is sat once, in September of Year 6. There is a review process for borderline cases but no formal resit.

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