How are places allocated at King Edward VI School?
King Edward VI School will set a qualifying score after the entrance test has taken place. Children who achieve the qualifying score are eligible to apply for a place.
If the number of children who have achieved the qualifying score exceeds the number of places available, King Edward VI School applies oversubscription criteria. Places are prioritised in this order:
- Looked after and previously looked after children who achieve the qualifying score
- Children who achieve the qualifying score and are eligible for Free School Meals, ranked by score
- Other children who live within the priority area and achieve the qualifying score, ranked by score
- If two children have equal scores, the child living closest to the school will be prioritised
Does King Edward VI School have a catchment area?
Yes. King Edward VI School uses two priority circles drawn from the Fountain in Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. Children living within the inner circle (13 miles) are given priority over those in the outer circle (up to 16.885 miles), who in turn are given priority over children living outside both circles.
Children outside the priority circles are still eligible to apply if they meet the qualifying standard, but will only be considered after all in-area applicants.
If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your son will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will he be travelling independently or with support?
A longer or more complex journey can affect your son's daily routine, including how much time he has 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 exact replicas 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.
Looking for inspiration? Atom's recommended reading lists have suggestions spanning fiction and non-fiction for Years 3–6.
Celebrate progress, not just scores
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.
