Grammar Schools

This page is known as: www.birmingham.gov.uk/grammar-schools

Entry to Grammar Schools in Birmingham

For entry to selective schools in September 2013 only those children born between, 1 September 2001 – 31 August 2002 are eligible to take the optional selective tests.

If you wish your child to be entered for a selective test, you should discuss this with your child’s Head Teacher first. Within Birmingham there are two optional selective tests that your child can sit. Selective tests are held for places at one of the grammar schools within the ‘Consortium of Grammar Schools in Birmingham’ and there is also a separate test for places at Handsworth Grammar School (Boys).

In addition, you may also wish your child to sit selective tests for schools outside Birmingham. Please note that other Local Authorities have different closing dates and admission arrangements and you are advised to contact them for further information (see Appendix 3 for contact details).

An application to sit the selective tests is not an expression of preference for the school concerned. You must also complete the preference form of your home local authority (i.e. the local authority to which you pay your council tax).

Consortium of Grammar Schools in Birmingham
The following grammar schools are within the Consortium of Grammar Schools in Birmingham:

• Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School for Boys
• King Edward VI Aston School
• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
• King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
• King Edward VI Five Ways School
• King Edward VI Handsworth School
• Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

Entry requirements
Optional tests for the admission of pupils to The King Edward VI Grammar Schools, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School and Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls will take place on Saturday 8 September 2012.

If you wish your child to be entered for the selective test for one of the above schools then you should complete and return the Request for Optional Test form by 16:00 hours (4pm) on Friday 13 July 2012 at the latest. You must attach a passport sized photograph of your child to your form for identification purposes.

Please note that if your form has not been received by Friday 13 July 2012, for whatever reason, your child will not be permitted to take the tests.

Optional Test forms and an explanatory brochure will be available from May 2012 from The Consortium of Grammar Schools (tel: 0121 415 6004). You can also apply online by visiting www.kingedwardthesixth.org

Application forms should be returned to:
The Consortium of Grammar Schools’ Applications
PO BOX 15627
Birmingham B16 6NL

All Optional Test forms received will be acknowledged within fourteen days. Candidates will then be informed of their allocated test centre and the time at which they should attend to take the selective test.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement, or if you post your application form less than fourteen days before the closing date, you should contact the Consortium of Grammar Schools in Birmingham before the closing date to confirm that your form has been received.

Supplementary tests will be held in September 2012 for those who provide proof of illness on the day of the original test (a medical certificate or doctor’s letter) or proof they cannot sit the test on that day on religious grounds (a letter from their religious leader).

• Verbal reasoning/literacy skills
• Non-verbal reasoning
• Reading comprehension
• Mathematics

Candidates will write their answers in the booklets provided. Some questions take a multiple choice format. Marks will be standardised to take account of differences in age and then added together.

Handsworth Grammar School
Parents should note that Handsworth Grammar School (Boys) has its own selective test arrangements. Application forms to take the test for entrance to this school will be available from May 2012.

The application form should be returned to the School by Wednesday 18 July 2012, together with a passport sized photograph of the boy and a copy of his birth certificate.
The application form for the test can be obtained by contacting the School.
Further details about the admissions process for HGS can be found at:
www.handsworth.bham.sch.uk

To be considered for a place, you must indicate this school on your child’s Local Authority Preference Form as well as applying to take the test.

The Handsworth Grammar School test takes place on 15 September 2012.

Admission to Handsworth Grammar School is on the basis of selection by reference to ability. Only children who attain the required standard in the prescribed arrangements for selection are eligible to be considered for admission. These arrangements require that prospective students are considered for admission to the School on the basis of a score, standardised according to the age of the pupil, on a test of verbal reasoning ability, plus further tests of English and Mathematical ability.

Results of tests
The results of Birmingham grammar school tests should be sent by letter to parents by 15 October 2012. The test results will be sent out by The Consortium and Handsworth Grammar School. Once parents receive the test results for their child they should make an informed decision as to whether they should name a grammar school as one of their preferences.

Parent/carers who wish to make changes to their Local Authority Preference Form following receipt of the test results should do so by 17:15 hrs on Wednesday 31 October 2012. Any parents/carers who have submitted their application online should log back on to the online system to make changes to a child’s preferences. Requests received after this date may not be processed until after the offer of secondary school places on 1 March 2013.

Offer of grammar schools
Places are offered to candidates with the highest qualifying scores in the tests.

Candidates who are not offered a place (i.e. because others with higher scores fill all available places) will be included on a waiting list in descending score order. When several candidates have the same score, offers will be made firstly to children in care and then to those who live closest to the school by straight line measurement.

Pupils who gain places at selective schools will not be entitled to free transport from the Local Authority if an appropriate vacancy exists in a Local Authority maintained school within three miles of their home address.

Coaching for Selective Tests
The Local Authority’s policy is that no teaching or coaching for selective tests should take place in any of the City’s primary schools.

It is believed that the practice of coaching is counterproductive, as over-achievement in the selective tests may be against the long term interests of children whose ability may be more limited than their test score would suggest.

Head Teachers who receive requests for guidance from parents have been asked to provide this within the context of the overall educational development of the children concerned.

Selective Tests and Equality Act 2010
It is unlawful for a local authority to discriminate against a person who is considered to have a disability in any of the following ways:

• the arrangements made for determining the admission of pupils to a school;
• the terms on which admission to the school is offered; or
• refusing or deliberately not accepting an application for admission to a school from someone who is disabled. Where a pupil has a disability (as defined in the
Equality Act 2010), the admission authority must consider any reasonable adjustments that could be made to ensure that disabled pupils are not placed at a substantial disadvantage to those who are not disabled.

If you are entering your child for the selective test for a place at The King Edwards VI Grammar Schools, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School or Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls and you want your child considered for a reasonable adjustment because of a disability, then please contact the Consortium of Grammar Schools in Birmingham on 0121 415 6004 to request an application form (Form A1). The application form will be available from May 2012.
Please note that parents/carers are required to submit the information requested on Form A1 by no later than 20 June 2012.

For further information and independent advice please contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission Helpline on 0845 604 6610 or visit www.equalitieshumanrights.com

Please note: Birmingham City Council is not responsible for the content of other organisations' web sites.