Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 11+ Guide

About Bishop Vesey's Grammar School

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a selective secondary school in Birmingham. For children to get into Bishop Vesey's Grammar School they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (BVGS) is a prestigious educational establishment located in Sutton Coldfield, England. Founded by John Harman, who served as the Bishop of Exeter and played a significant role as an advisor to King Henry VIII, the school has a rich history dating back several centuries. BVGS is renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and its dedication to nurturing well-rounded individuals.

The school offers a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses a wide range of subjects, including science, English, mathematics, humanities, and modern foreign languages. This diverse academic program is designed to stimulate and challenge students, providing them with a solid foundation for their future educational and professional pursuits. Alongside the core curriculum, BVGS encourages students to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports, which foster personal growth and development.

BVGS takes great pride in its athletic achievements, with students actively engaging in various sports throughout the academic year. The school places a strong emphasis on rugby, hockey, cross-country, rowing, and netball during the winter months, while cricket, athletics, rowing, and tennis take center stage during the summer term. Beyond the realm of academics and athletics, BVGS is committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, promotes equality, and actively opposes discrimination.

The school's dedication to academic excellence is evident in its impressive GCSE and A-level results. In recent years, a significant proportion of students have achieved top grades in their GCSE exams, while the vast majority of A-level students have secured grades between A* and B. This outstanding performance has enabled many BVGS students to pursue higher education at prestigious institutions, including Russell Group universities and even Oxbridge and Ivy League colleges.

As a testament to its commitment to providing a well-rounded education, BVGS offers students enrichment opportunities that foster leadership skills, self-reliance, and resilience. The school prides itself on being a welcoming and open-minded community that embraces diversity and equality, ensuring that every student feels supported and valued throughout their educational journey.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Bishop Vesey's Grammar School together with their admissions contact details.

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a boys only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 1,347 pupils attend Bishop Vesey's Grammar School and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Dominic Robson.

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Information

In order to get into Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, children need to pass the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+. This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Other Schools using West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+

As well as Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, several other schools also use West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+. These are:

• 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 Grammar School for Boys
• King Edward VI Handsworth School
• Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
• Haberdashers' Adams
• Newport Girls' High School Academy
• Queen Mary's Grammar School
• Queen Mary's High School
• Alcester Grammar School
• King Edward VI School
• Lawrence Sheriff School
• Rugby High School
• Stratford Girls' Grammar School
• Wolverhampton Girls' High School

West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ tests (to get into Bishop Vesey's Grammar School) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with Bishop Vesey's Grammar School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 08/10/2014 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 24/10/2014, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Bishop Vesey's Grammar School per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are all available past 11+ papers for Bishop Vesey's Grammar School. Please note that this may include past 11+ papers, past familiarisation booklets, past practice materials published by third parties and past 11+ exam guides written by the school. These materials are provided 'as-is' and may no longer reflect the subjects, format, structure or exam board that Bishop Vesey's Grammar School currently uses.

The exam board that Bishop Vesey's Grammar School chooses to use for their 11+ entrance tests can change and we encourage you to check directly with the school.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Ensure you double-check with Bishop Vesey's Grammar School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.