West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus guide

What is the 11 plus?

The 11 plus is an entrance exam used by UK grammar schools (state selective secondary schools). It's used to estimate children's academic potential and decide whether a grammar school environment will suit them. Children can take the test in September while they are in Year 6.

What is the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership?

From 2023, the 11 plus testing process is shared by all grammar schools in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton. You only need to register once and your child only needs to take one test to apply to grammar schools in all of these areas. The scores are shared and the schools apply their own admissions policies.

How to apply to West Midlands Grammar Schools

1. Register for the 11 plus test

Before you register you should 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 needs any reasonable adjustments to take the test, there is an earlier deadline of 14th June for requesting these.

After you register, you'll get an email in September with information about your child's test date and venue. If you're applying from outside the area, the admissions office will contact you for more information, such as evidence of your intent to move to the area.

2. Apply for school places

Once your child has taken the exam, their results will be sent to you on 20th October 2023. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.

Before listing a school on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. How close you live to a school can be very important. Schools have cut-off distances which change each year based on demand.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.

3. National school offer day

On 1st March 2024, you will find out which school your child has been allocated a place at. They will be allocated a place at your highest-preferred school for which they meet the entry criteria and which has places available.

If no places are available at your preferred schools, they will be offered a place at another school in your area. You can appeal the decision via an independent panel.

How is the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus scored?

Each paper is marked to provide 'raw' scores. Next, the raw scores are standardised to even out any age disadvantage for children born later in the year. A total score is calculated for each child, and these are ranked in order.

The grammar schools do not provide raw scores, nor any information on how many marks are available on the test.

What's the pass mark for the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus?

Pass marks for the current year cannot be calculated until the tests have been marked and the standardised scores calculated and ranked. This is because the pass marks depend on the size and performance of the year group. Scores from recent years can be used as a general guide only.

In 2022 in Birmingham, the qualifying score was 205. This is the minimum total standardised score at which a child could be considered for a grammar school place. Children who scored 224 or above were prioritised for a place.

Achieving the qualifying score doesn't guarantee a place at the school of your choice, as schools are oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.

For example, many schools are more likely to admit a lower-scoring pupil in their priority zones than a higher-scoring child who lives further away. Other criteria are applied – for example, children may be prioritised if they:

• Have a sibling at the school

• Are the child of a staff member

• Receive Pupil Premium

• Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

• Are currently, or were previously, a Looked After Child

Here are the cut-off scores in Birmingham in 2022–2023:

• Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: 223

• King Edward VI Aston School: 213

• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys: 217

• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls: 236

• King Edward VI Five Ways School: 218

• King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys: 211

• King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Girls: 215

• Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls: 221

How to prepare for the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus

Here are our top tips on how to help your child prepare for the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus exam.

Cover all the content

The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives. Starting at least one year before the test, using a little-and-often approach will give your child 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. Why not make this process easier with Atom? Atom tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Birmingham 11 plus test at the right pace for them.

No surprises

Make sure your child is familiar with all styles of questions they will experience in the test. This reduces the potential for stress on the day and will give them confidence to answer the questions to the best of their ability. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully prepared.

Celebrate their progress

Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. 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.