King Edward VI Five Ways School 11+ Guide

About King Edward VI Five Ways School

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

King Edward VI Five Ways School, a co-educational grammar school situated in Birmingham, is a part of the esteemed "Schools of King Edward VI" group. As a state-funded selective school, it provides a top-notch education to approximately 1,300 students without charging any tuition fees. The school's expansive campus, spanning 32 acres, is conveniently located adjacent to the picturesque Bartley Green reservoir.

At King Edward VI Five Ways School, the primary focus is on creating an engaging and productive learning environment. The school follows the national curriculum and offers a wide array of texts to encourage students to delve into a variety of subjects. Additionally, the school dedicates 25 minutes every Wednesday for students to read materials of their choice, further fostering a love for learning.

The school takes great pride in its unique extracurricular awards programme called ARETÉ, which is available to students in Years 10-13. This programme allows subject teachers to carefully curate a range of extracurricular activities for all students, enabling them to explore and develop their talents beyond the classroom. The school's ethos revolves around cultivating a strong sense of belonging, support, and safety, with staff and students maintaining a relationship based on mutual respect and care while upholding high expectations for academic and personal growth.

King Edward VI Five Ways School boasts an impressive track record of academic excellence. In recent GCSE exams, a remarkable 41% of students achieved a grade 9, with over two-thirds (67%) securing a grade 8 or higher. Similarly, in A-level exams, 30% of all entries earned an A* grade, while 61% of entries received a grade between A* and A. These outstanding results are a testament to the school's commitment to nurturing and investing in the growth of its talented students.

The school's exceptional facilities, including specialist classrooms, dance studios, and a swimming pool, provide students with the ideal environment to thrive academically and personally. King Edward VI Five Ways School remains dedicated to its mission of enhancing social mobility in Birmingham by offering a world-class education to its diverse student body.

School Information

Below you will find further information about King Edward VI Five Ways School together with their admissions contact details.

King Edward VI Five Ways School is a mixed (i.e. both girls and boys) 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 1,305 pupils attend King Edward VI Five Ways School and it's led by the Head, Dr Simon Bird.

King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways School for the 2022-23 academic year.

West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Information

In order to get into King Edward VI Five Ways 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.

West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ Subjects & Structure

The West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English comprehension
• Maths
• Verbal reasoning
• Non-verbal reasoning

The West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test is the examination used by King Edward VI Five Ways School to assess prospective students. This rigorous assessment consists of two papers, each lasting one hour. The papers are further divided into smaller sections, each with its own allocated time, focusing on various aspects of a student's academic abilities.

The exam covers a wide range of subjects, including English comprehension, which evaluates a student's understanding and interpretation of written passages. Mathematical skills are also put to the test, assessing a student's proficiency in numerical reasoning and problem-solving. Additionally, the exam includes sections on verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which measure a student's ability to analyze and draw logical conclusions from given information.

Throughout the examination, students are presented with multiple-choice questions, and they are required to mark their answers on separate answer sheets. These answer sheets are then electronically evaluated to determine the student's performance in each subject area. The West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test is designed to identify students with the academic potential to excel at King Edward VI Five Ways School.

Other Schools using West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+

As well as King Edward VI Five Ways School, several other schools also use West Midlands Grammar Schools 11+. These are:

• Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
• King Edward VI Aston School
• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
• 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 King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

King Edward VI Five Ways School was last inspected by Ofsted on 28/11/2023 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 18/01/2024, declaring that the school was 'Good'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

King Edward VI Five Ways School was inspected by Ofsted on 18/01/2024 and received an overall rating of Good. The quality of education, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated as Good. The school demonstrated outstanding performance in two areas: behaviour and attitudes, and sixth form provision.

The inspection report highlights the school's strengths in fostering a positive learning environment and promoting excellent behaviour among students. The sixth form provision was also singled out for its exceptional quality, indicating that the school effectively prepares students for higher education and future careers.

While the school achieved a Good rating in most areas, there is still room for improvement to reach the highest standard of Outstanding across all categories. The report suggests that the school should focus on further enhancing the quality of education, personal development, and leadership and management to provide the best possible outcomes for its students.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways School currently uses.

The exam board that King Edward VI Five Ways 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 King Edward VI Five Ways School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.