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Are you considering King Edward VI School for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7, including key dates, how to register your child and what's on the 11 plus exam.
About King Edward VI School
Despite its small size, King Edward VI School has a long and celebrated history. Traditionally thought of as 'Shakespeare's School', this academy for boys has a reputation as one of the best grammar schools in the country. In 2020 it was named Secondary School of the Decade by the Sunday Times. Boasting high academic standards alongside a full extracurricular program, it aims to provide a ‘secure, happy and well-ordered’ space for students to grow their talents.
Address: Chapel Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6BE
Local authority: Warwickshire County Council
School type: boys' grammar
Headteacher: Bennet Carr
Number of pupils: 793
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 10
A level results: 92.2% A*–B
GCSE results: 91.2% 9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 87
11 plus registration opens: 9th May 2023
Open day: 24th June 2023
11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023
Exam date: 16th–18th September 2023
Exam results: mid-October 2023
Exam type: GL Assessment (West Midlands 11 plus)
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
King Edward VI School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at King Edward VI School are:
Michaelmas (autumn) term: 5th September – 22nd December 2023
Half term: 23rd October – 3rd November 2023
Lent (spring) term: 9th January – 22nd March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 9th April – 17th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
How to apply to King Edward VI School
King Edward VI School shares a testing process with the four other grammar schools in Warwickshire, as well as the grammar schools in Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
1. Register for the 11 plus
Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.
When your child is in Year 5, register them for the 11 plus on the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal. Registration opens at 9am on 9th May 2023 and closes at 4pm on 30th June 2023.
If your child receives Pupil Premium or is a Looked After Child, you should state this on your registration form. Your child will be prioritised under the school's admissions criteria.
2. Apply for school places
Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results in mid-October. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.
Before listing King Edward VI School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. How close you live to a school is very important as schools have priority areas which change based on the demand for places.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
What's on the King Edward VI School 11 plus exam?
The 11 plus exam for King Edward VI School takes place in mid-September 2023.
It consists of two papers, each lasting about 60 minutes. Both papers are divided into smaller, individually-timed sections that assess:
English comprehension
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Learn more details about the exam in our full guide to the Warwickshire 11 plus:
What is the pass mark for King Edward VI School?
After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across both papers. Scores are ranked in order and the highest-scoring children are offered a place, with oversubscription criteria applied.
The school sets an automatic qualifying score and a minimum academic standard each year once the papers have been marked. This will depend on the size and performance of the year group.
Achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it is usually oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.
King Edward VI School oversubscription criteria
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 87. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names King Edward VI School are offered places first, as long as they achieve the required minimum academic standard or above. Places are then allocated to children in this order:
Category 1: Looked-After or Previously Looked-After Children who achieve the automatic qualifying score or up to 20 marks below it.
Category 2: Up to 13 places are offered to children who live in the outer and inner priority circles who are eligible for Free School Meals and who achieve the required minimum academic standard or above.
Category 3: Up to 70 places are offered to children who live in the inner priority circle and who achieve the automatic qualifying score or above.
Category 4: Children who live in the outer priority circle and who achieve the automatic qualifying score or above.
Category 5: Children who live outside the outer priority circle and who achieve the automatic qualifying score or above.
Category 6: Children who score below the automatic qualifying score, but above the required minimum academic standard for the waiting list.
Those with the highest scores in each category are given highest priority for a place. In the case of children with the same score in any of these categories, the child living nearest the school in a straight line is given highest priority.
King Edward VI School priority circles
The priority circles for King Edward VI School are based on circles drawn from the Fountain in Rother Street, Stratford upon Avon.
The inner priority circle is 13 miles and the outer priority circle is 16.885 miles to the county boundary south of Long Compton.
You'll need to submit evidence to prove that your child lives within the priority circles by the end of December 2023.
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Warwickshire 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Warwickshire 11 plus at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Warwickshire 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to unlimited online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real King Edward VI School 11 plus, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to King Edward VI School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
Personalised support for you
We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or Warwickshire grammar schools.
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