Atom Learning is partnered with Bishop Vesey's Grammar School. You can read more about our partnership here.
Applying to Bishop Vesey's Grammar School for September 2028? This guide covers the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test, the qualifying score, how Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 11+ at a glance
School type: boys' grammar school
Location: Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Number of places in Year 7: 192 (2027-entry figure — Bishop Vesey's Grammar School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
Qualifying score: 205 for 2027 entry, the qualifying score set for all the Birmingham grammar schools. The 2028-entry score hasn't been published yet.
Catchment or priority area: yes — distance zones (up to 12 miles, then 12 to 20 miles)
Source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Admissions Arrangements 2027 (proposed version published by Birmingham City Council) and the school's 2027 Admissions Policy page. Last checked October 2026.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from 5 May 2026 to 4pm on Friday 26 June 2026, the test took place on Saturday 12 September 2026 and results were due on Friday 16 October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.
Key dates for Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 11+ entry in September 2028, with expected windows where the school has not yet confirmed exact dates.
Date
What happens
Early May 2027
Test registration expected to open on the West Midlands Grammar Schools website
Mid-June 2027
Deadline for requesting reasonable adjustments expected
Late June 2027
Test registration expected to close (4pm)
Mid-September 2027
Entrance test, usually on a Saturday
Mid-October 2027
Test results expected
Sunday 31 October 2027
Deadline to apply for secondary school places through your home local authority. This date falls on a Sunday.
Wednesday 1 March 2028
National offer day for secondary school places
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Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.
Register your son for the test on the West Midlands Grammar Schools website during the registration window.
Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Bishop Vesey's Grammar School on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.
Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.
What will my child be tested on?
The West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test is shared by 19 grammar schools across Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire. Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is one of the eight grammar schools in Birmingham in the partnership. Your child only needs to sit the test once to be considered for any of the partnership schools.
The test is provided by GL Assessment. Your child sits two papers, each about 50 to 60 minutes long including instructions and example questions. Each paper covers English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths and non-verbal or spatial reasoning. All questions are multiple choice, and answers go on a separate answer sheet.
Marks are weighted 50% for English and verbal reasoning, 25% for maths and 25% for non-verbal reasoning. Scores are then standardised for age, so younger children in the year group aren't at a disadvantage.
For 2027 entry the test was held on Saturday 12 September 2026, with morning and afternoon sessions.
How are places allocated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School?
If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are Year 7 places, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027 (proposed arrangements). The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.
The 192 places and the order below come from the school's proposed 2027 arrangements, as published by Birmingham City Council. The school says its governing body approved the 2027 policy on 26 January 2026; the approved document itself is on the school's 2027 Admissions Policy page.
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School oversubscription criteria, 2027 (proposed arrangements) arrangements.
Priority
Who it covers
First
Boys whose education, health and care plan (EHCP) names the school and who reach the qualifying score
1
Looked after and previously looked after boys (including those adopted from care abroad) who reach the qualifying score, ranked by test score
2
Boys eligible for Pupil Premium who live in Zone 1 and reach the qualifying score, ranked by test score, up to 38 places. If those 38 places aren't filled from Zone 1, Pupil Premium boys from Zone 2, then Zone 3, are offered them
3
Other boys who reach the qualifying score and live in Zone 1, ranked by test score
4
Other boys who reach the qualifying score and live in Zone 2, ranked by test score
5
If places remain, boys living in Zone 3
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No more than 38 places go to Pupil Premium boys under criterion 2, filled from Zone 1 first, then Zone 2, then Zone 3. A boy counts as Pupil Premium if he has been registered for free school meals at any point in the six years before the test registration closing date. You'll need to show evidence of Pupil Premium registration to the school by the end of November, and evidence that you live in Zone 1 by 31 October.
Does Bishop Vesey's Grammar School have a catchment area?
From 2027 entry, Bishop Vesey's ranks applicants by distance zones, measured in a straight line from your home to the foot of the steps at the school's main entrance. Zone 1 is up to 12 miles, Zone 2 is between 12 and 20 miles, and Zone 3 is beyond 20 miles. The school describes this as introducing a 12-mile catchment area.
Where boys have equal scores, the place goes to the boy who lives nearest, measured in a straight line to the foot of the steps at the main entrance. If two applicants still can't be separated, the local authority uses computerised random selection for the final place.
If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?
A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.
How can I help my child prepare for the test?
The West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child prepare for test day.
Stay on track with a clear plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.
A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.
Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will broaden their vocabulary, improve comprehension and inference, and build confidence in tackling unseen texts.
When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
