A clear guide to the West Midlands 11+ entrance test, 2027 admissions, catchment areas, priority criteria, school facilities, examination results and contact details.
Choosing the right grammar school can be a difficult decision. Although Birmingham’s grammar schools provide excellent educational opportunities, it can be challenging to compare admissions rules, catchment areas, school facilities and academic outcomes.
This guide brings together practical information about the Birmingham grammar school admissions process and the schools included in the local consortium. Parents should always consult the latest published admissions policy for each school before applying, as criteria and qualifying scores may change.
CAF
Common Application Form. The secondary-school application submitted to the local authority responsible for the child’s home address.
PAN
Published Admission Number. The number of Year 7 places a school is permitted to offer.
EHCP
Education, Health and Care Plan. A legal document describing a child’s special educational needs and required support.
Pupil Premium
Additional government funding intended to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
PLAC
Previously Looked-After Children. Children previously in local-authority care who are no longer looked after.
Qualifying score
The minimum test score required for consideration under a school’s admissions arrangements. It does not guarantee an offer.
Important dates for September 2027 entry
Children applying for Year 7 entry in September 2027 will sit the entrance test during Year 6 in September 2026.
Registration
Expected to close in June 2026 through the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal.
Adjustments
Reasonable-adjustment evidence should be submitted by the published June 2026 deadline.
Entrance test
September 2026 using the GL Assessment West Midlands 11+ format.
Results
Expected in October 2026, before the secondary-school application deadline.
CAF deadline
31 October 2026 through the applicant’s home local authority.
Offer Day
National School Offer Day is 1 March 2027.
Important: Registering for the entrance test is separate from applying for a secondary-school place. Parents must also list their preferred schools on the Common Application Form.
The entrance test and admissions process
Scoring
Results are age-standardised. A score of 205 may be used as a priority score within the admissions arrangements of several Birmingham grammar schools, although individual policies differ.
An offer may also depend on catchment status, distance, Pupil Premium eligibility, looked-after status, sibling priority and the number of places available.
Applying
Parents should register their child for the West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test and separately submit the CAF to their home local authority.
Schools should be listed in genuine order of preference. The equal-preference system means that a lower preference is not disadvantaged if a higher preference cannot be offered.
Eligibility and catchment
Applicants will normally be in Year 6. Some schools operate a defined catchment area, while others do not. Living within a catchment area does not automatically guarantee a place.
Appeals
Parents refused a place have the right to appeal. Appeals are considered by an independent panel that is separate from the school and admission authority.
Grammar school profiles
The statistics and examination figures below are based on the information supplied for this guide. Historical results are labelled by year.
Registration
Expected to close in June 2026 through the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal.
1,354
Pupils
11–18
Ages
192
PAN
51
Parent Power
Ofsted Outstanding
Ofsted Outstanding
Headteacher
Dominic Robson
Address
Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 2NH
Priority criteria
EHCP naming the school, PLAC, eligible Free School Meals applicants securing the qualifying score, then other qualifying applicants ranked by test score. Equal scores are normally separated by distance.
Facilities
Floodlit all-weather pitch, sports hall, indoor cricket centre, rugby pitches, cricket squares, cricket nets, netball and tennis courts, erg room and rowing provision.
PLAC, Pupil Premium applicants, catchment applicants, siblings and other qualifying applicants. Ranking may consider test score, distance, catchment and sibling status.
PLAC, Pupil Premium applicants, catchment applicants, siblings and other qualifying applicants, ranked in line with the school’s published arrangements.
Facilities
Artificial-grass hockey and football pitch, sports hall, climbing wall, fitness suite, dance and drama studio, swimming pool, tennis and netball courts.
PLAC, Pupil Premium applicants, catchment applicants, siblings and other qualifying applicants. Applicants may be ranked by entrance-test score and distance.
Facilities
Music centre, conference rooms, dance studio, school hall, library, grass pitches, cricket facilities, indoor nets, courts, sports field and sports hall.
Results
Full 2022 figures were not available in the supplied information. Parents should consult the school’s latest examination-results table.
PLAC, eligible Pupil Premium applicants up to the published allocation, then other qualifying applicants ranked by age-standardised score. Equal scores are normally separated by straight-line distance.
Facilities
Art facilities, science laboratories, sports hall, library and multipurpose social space.
School still to add: King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls. Its profile can be inserted once the final school information is available.
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Disclaimer: Admissions policies, open-event dates, headteacher details, rankings, Ofsted outcomes and school statistics may change. Parents should confirm all information directly with the relevant school, local authority and official West Midlands Grammar Schools admissions portal before applying.