UK Rank #71 In-site school
Alcester Grammar School
Alcester, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Mixed
Consortium guide
Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus
The West Midlands selective route brings together grammar schools across Birmingham, Warwickshire and nearby areas. It uses shared 11 Plus testing, but allocation still depends on local admissions policies, priority areas, score rules and the specific cluster of schools a family is considering. The route helps explain the common exam, the school list, key dates and why Birmingham, Warwickshire and neighbouring options can look similar on paper but behave differently in admissions.
18 schools GL Assessment 20 downloads
7 key dates
01 / Route overview
What this route covers
The West Midlands route is one of the broadest selective landscapes on the site. It brings together grammar schools across Birmingham, Warwickshire and neighbouring areas, including King Edward VI schools, Warwickshire grammars, Walsall and Wolverhampton options, and other schools often discussed within the same regional 11 Plus conversation. The shared label is useful, but it can hide several local admissions stories.
The test is a GL Assessment-style route covering English comprehension, verbal reasoning, maths and non-verbal or spatial reasoning. The papers are multiple choice, split into timed sections, and the scoring uses age standardisation. The published weighting gives English and verbal reasoning half of the result, with non-verbal reasoning and maths making up the remaining quarters.
The main parent question is usually not whether the route is selective. It is which part of the West Midlands route is actually in play. A family focused on Birmingham is dealing with a different set of schools, journey times and priority areas from a family looking at Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Walsall, Wolverhampton or Newport. The same broad testing language can lead to very different admissions calculations.
This route page therefore treats the West Midlands as a shared exam landscape with local clusters inside it. The common test explains the academic assessment, but school allocation still depends on score context, priority areas, distance, school preferences and each school’s admissions policy. The route is big enough that narrowing by geography is not a side issue; it is part of understanding the route properly.
Schools using this route
These are the schools currently linked to the West Midlands route.
UK Rank #40 In-site school
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
UK Rank #93 In-site school
Haberdashers' Adams
Newport, Telford and Wrekin
Ofsted: Good Mixed
UK Rank #97 In-site school
King Edward VI Aston School
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
UK Rank #51 In-site school
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
UK Rank #15 In-site school
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
UK Rank #44 In-site school
King Edward VI Five Ways School
Birmingham
Ofsted: Good Mixed
UK Rank #91 In-site school
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Birmingham
Ofsted: Good Boys only
UK Rank #63 In-site school
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Birmingham
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
UK Rank #8 In-site school
King Edward VI School
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
UK Rank #57 In-site school
Lawrence Sheriff School
Rugby, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
UK Rank #55 In-site school
Newport Girls' High School Academy
Newport, Telford and Wrekin
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
UK Rank #65 In-site school
Queen Mary's Grammar School
Walsall
Ofsted: Outstanding Boys only
UK Rank #79 In-site school
Queen Mary's High School
Walsall
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
UK Rank #59 In-site school
Rugby High School
Rugby, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Good Girls only
UK Rank #17 In-site school
Stratford Girls' Grammar School
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
UK Rank #29 In-site school
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Ofsted: Good Girls only
UK Rank #53 In-site school
Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton
Ofsted: Outstanding Girls only
02 / Selection test
Exam format and structure
The Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus includes multiple choice papers in English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning, along with a separate creative writing task. They are designed to assess your child’s academic ability and reasoning skills, and compare their results against their cohort of applicants.
Paper structure
Papers 1 & 2 (GL Assessment)
See the papers and topics below.
What the test covers
English Comprehension
Verbal Reasoning
Mathematics
Non-Verbal/Spatial Reasoning
Paper 1 and 2 are sat on the same day and both last around 50-60 minutes. Each paper is divided into smaller individually timed sections that test:
03 / Scoring
Pass mark and score guidance
The weightings for the test results are 50% for English/verbal reasoning, 25% for non-verbal reasoning and 25% for mathematics. The scores are then age-standardised to avoid any unfair age advantages. Admission to one of the grammar schools in the Birmingham and Warwickshire Grammar Schools Consortium is competitive, with places typically awarded to the highest-scoring applicants. While the exact proportion can vary each year, historically, approximately 10-20% of applicants tend to secure a place at one of the participating schools, depending on the overall performance and the specific school’s intake capacity.
04 / Applications
Key dates and how to apply
To register your child for the Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus, complete the online application on the council website. This is required whether you live locally or are applying from outside the area.
Key dates
Registration opens
6th May 2025
Reasonable adjustments deadline
13th June 2025
Registration closes
27th June 2025
Entrance test
13th September 2025
Results day
17th October 2025
Secondary school application deadline
Friday 31st October 2025
National offer day
Monday 2nd March 2026
Application steps
Register online with West Midlands Grammar Schools
– Visit the West Midlands Grammar Schools website during the registration window and complete the application form. You’ll need to provide your child’s details and the primary school they attend.
Test centre for non-West Midlands schools
You will be assigned a test centre where your child can sit the Birmingham 11 Plus in September if they do not attend a local primary school.
Keep your confirmation email
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email which you should keep to refer to it later.
05 / Resources
Practice papers and familiarisation materials
These local PDF copies are useful for format practice and timing; dates, paper formats, and registration details can change, so the current admissions page remains the source to trust.
Maths
Non-Verbal Reasoning
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Practice Paper 1
Mark schemeNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Practice Paper 1
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Test Booklet
Mark schemeNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths Test Booklet
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 1
Mark schemeNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 1
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 2
PaperNon-Verbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning Test Booklet 3
English
Verbal Reasoning
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 1
Mark schemeVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 1
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 2
PaperVerbal Reasoning
GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning Paper 3
PaperVerbal Reasoning
Practice Paper
Mark schemeVerbal Reasoning
Practice Paper
06 / Linked schools
Schools on this route
These are the schools currently mapped to the West Midlands route in Grammar School Hub.
Search workspace
Search and filter schools
Search by school or area, then narrow the shortlist by school type, Ofsted, or test pattern where it helps.
Compare up to 4 schools
18 schools
No schools selected to compare yet.
UK Rank #8
King Edward VI School
Stratford-upon-Avon / Warwickshire
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 83.3
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 100.0%
UK Rank #17
Stratford Girls' Grammar School
Stratford-upon-Avon / Warwickshire
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 80.6
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 100.0%
UK Rank #29
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
Sutton Coldfield / Birmingham
Ofsted: GoodGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 79.4
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 99.4%
UK Rank #15
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
Birmingham / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 80.4
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 100.0%
UK Rank #51
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
Birmingham / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 75.7
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.6%
UK Rank #40
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Sutton Coldfield / Birmingham
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 77.1
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 97.4%
UK Rank #57
Lawrence Sheriff School
Rugby / Warwickshire
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 75.1
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.0%
UK Rank #63
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Birmingham / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 74.2
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 99.5%
UK Rank #44
King Edward VI Five Ways School
Birmingham / West Midlands
Ofsted: GoodMixed
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- Very High
- Attainment 8
- 75.9
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 100.0%
UK Rank #91
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Birmingham / West Midlands
Ofsted: GoodBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 72.0
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.7%
UK Rank #59
Rugby High School
Rugby / Warwickshire
Ofsted: GoodGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 74.9
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.3%
UK Rank #53
Wolverhampton Girls' High School
Wolverhampton / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 75.4
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.9%
UK Rank #65
Queen Mary's Grammar School
Walsall / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 74.2
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.9%
UK Rank #55
Newport Girls' High School Academy
Newport / Telford and Wrekin
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- Moderate
- Attainment 8
- 75.3
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 97.7%
UK Rank #71
Alcester Grammar School
Alcester / Warwickshire
Ofsted: OutstandingMixed
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 73.7
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 100.0%
UK Rank #79
Queen Mary's High School
Walsall / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 73.5
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 97.9%
UK Rank #93
Haberdashers' Adams
Newport / Telford and Wrekin
Ofsted: GoodMixed
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- High
- Attainment 8
- 71.8
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 98.7%
UK Rank #97
King Edward VI Aston School
Birmingham / West Midlands
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys only
- Assessment
- GL Assessment
- Competition
- Very High
- Attainment 8
- 71.2
- Grade 5+ Eng & maths
- 97.9%
07 / Shortlisting
Admissions points to compare school by school
Once the route itself is clear, treat the linked schools as separate choices. This is usually where travel, oversubscription rules, and school fit start to matter most.
In the West Midlands, the shared route helps explain the exam, but the school choice is local. Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire and other clusters create different journeys, school mixes and admissions details.
Check these before you rank schools
- Whether you are really comparing Birmingham schools, Warwickshire schools, or a different West Midlands cluster
- How much of the route shares one admissions path and how much still needs school-level checking
- Whether long cross-city or cross-county travel is making the shortlist look broader than it really is
- How boys', girls', and mixed options change the shape of the final list
08 / Preparation
How to prepare for this route
Supporting your child’s preparation for the Birmingham & Warwickshire 11 Plus makes a huge difference. Here are some practical steps you can take to help them succeed:
Start Early
Begin preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5 to give them ample time to confidently build the skills they need.
Use Practice Papers
Work through Birmingham and Warwickshire 11 Plus style test papers in simulated test conditions. This helps your child get accustomed to the format and practices exam technique.
Focus on Weak Areas
Track your child’s progress to identify the areas and topics they find the most difficult to succeed in.
Encourage Daily Reading
Reading regularly strengthens their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, which help out with the the English and reasoning papers.
Try Online Tools
Use online platforms that offer Warwickshire and Birmingham 11 plus test papers specific practice questions and personal feedback to help make revision more engaging and effective.
Keeping preparation consistent, structured, and positive can help your child feel confident and ready for the test on the day.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which local clusters sit inside the West Midlands page?
This page brings together Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire and nearby selective routes. It is useful as a regional map, but the admissions detail still becomes local very quickly.
Can one West Midlands result settle Birmingham, Walsall or Warwickshire choices?
No. The regional page points to related selective routes, but Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire can involve different priority areas, school lists and local authority processes.
Why is the West Midlands route split into local clusters?
The route covers a broad region, so Birmingham, Warwickshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and nearby options can involve different priority areas, journeys and school policies. The shared test picture is only one layer of the admissions story.
Who usually manages registration or applications for West Midlands?
The live process usually sits with a mix of consortia, local authorities, and individual schools depending on the route. The official pages remain the source of truth for registration windows, test venues, access arrangements and final admissions instructions for the relevant year.