King Edward VI High School for Girls 11+ guide

King Edward VI High School for Girls 11+ entrance exam

Girls applying to KEHS take an entrance exam in October in Year 6. This consists of one English paper and one maths paper. Both papers are written (i.e. no multiple-choice questions).

The day starts in the morning. Your child will sit the first paper before having lunch with other candidates. They will take the second paper after lunch, finishing mid-afternoon.

English

The English paper is designed to test your child’s skills in reading comprehension and creative writing. The content of the paper varies each year, but previous papers have included poems, prose, and pictures. Your child might need to answer comprehension questions or write a piece of original writing.

Maths

The 11+ maths paper is broadly aligned to the national curriculum. The questions are of varying lengths and will test your child’s ability to use and apply different mathematical processes. Some questions are more challenging to test your child’s potential, rather than what they have learned at school.

Calculators are not allowed in this paper. Your child will not need to have any formal knowledge of algebra or geometry.

Children who are being considered for an academic scholarship or an assisted place (means-tested bursary) might be invited back to the school for an interview following the exam. If your daughter is not invited to an interview, it doesn’t necessarily mean she is not being considered for a place. Offers of places are made in December before the end of the autumn term.

Atom’s top tips for applying to King Edward VI High School for Girls

King Edward VI High School for Girls is an extremely successful and popular school in Birmingham. Competition for places can be very high. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.

Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Hone curiosity

Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.

Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.

When you set your target school on Atom Home, you’ll see tailored mock tests for your child’s exam. Know what to expect on exam day!

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.