Atom Learning is partnered with King Edward VI School. You can read more about our partnership here.
Applying to King Edward VI School for September 2028? This guide covers the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test, the qualifying score, how the 87 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.
King Edward VI School 11+ at a glance
School type: boys' grammar school with a co-educational sixth form
Number of places in Year 7: 87 (2027-entry figure — King Edward VI School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
Qualifying score: No fixed pass mark is published. Each year a Committee of Reference sets an Automatic Qualifying Score and a lower Required Minimum Academic Standard.
Catchment or priority area: yes — a 13-mile inner and 16.936-mile outer priority circle
Source: King Edward VI School Admissions Policy 2027 (determined). Last checked October 2026.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
King Edward VI School confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from Thursday 7 May 2026 to 30 June 2026, the test took place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 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 King Edward VI 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 (Warwickshire opens registration on 7 May each year)
Late June 2027
Test registration expected to close
Mid-September 2027
Entrance test, usually across a weekend
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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King Edward VI School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.
Register your son for the test through Warwickshire County Council. Registration opens on 7 May each year for children in Year 5.
Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming King Edward VI 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 test is run by Warwickshire County Council's admissions team together with The Grammar Schools in Birmingham, and is shared by grammar schools across Warwickshire, Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Shropshire through the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership. Your child only needs to sit it once to be considered for any of these schools.
King Edward VI School's policy describes four sections: English, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths, across two tests of around 60 minutes each, including spoken instructions and practice questions. Warwickshire County Council says the test is multiple choice, and answers go on a separate answer sheet.
Scores are standardised, and weightings are applied to verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths. The policy doesn't set out the exact weightings.
How are places allocated at King Edward VI School?
If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 87 Year 7 places, King Edward VI School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027/28. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.
King Edward VI School oversubscription criteria in priority order, from the 2027/28 admissions policy.
Priority
Who it covers
First
Boys with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) naming the school are admitted first
1
Looked after and previously looked after boys who reach the Automatic Qualifying Score, or score up to 20 marks below it
2
Boys living within the outer priority circle (which includes the inner circle) who receive Pupil Premium through free school meals, and who reach the Automatic Qualifying Score or score up to 20 marks below it
3
Boys living within the inner priority circle who reach the Automatic Qualifying Score (up to 70 places)
4
Boys living within the outer priority circle, including the inner circle, who reach the Automatic Qualifying Score
5
Boys living outside the outer priority circle who reach the Automatic Qualifying Score
6
Boys below the Automatic Qualifying Score but above the Required Minimum Academic Standard (waiting list)
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No more than 13 places go to category 2, and up to 70 places to category 3. Within each category, boys with the highest scores are offered places first.
Does King Edward VI School have a catchment area?
King Edward VI School uses two priority circles drawn from the Fountain in Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon: an inner circle of 13 miles and an outer circle of 16.936 miles. These are the 2027 policy figures; Warwickshire County Council publishes an interactive catchment map.
Where boys have the same score, the one living nearest the school in a straight line is offered the place first. If the distances are also equal, a computerised random number generator decides.
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 son 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 son 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 son feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures he builds skills in the right order, covers everything he needs, and avoids last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your son's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics he'll be tested on. It shows him what to work on and when, adapts as he improves, and helps him build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for him, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your son's knowledge grows, practice tests can help him 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 son will get new questions each time. This helps him practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your son's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing his standardised age score (SAS), where he's doing well, and what he should focus on next. You'll also learn how he compares to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.
Encourage your son 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 him become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will broaden his vocabulary, improve comprehension and inference, and build confidence in tackling unseen texts.
When you're supporting your son through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing he's moving in the right direction — not just how he scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your son is doing in each topic and the direction he's moving in. You can see where he's on track, where he 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.
