School profile Verified 11 September 2026

King Edward VI Five Ways School

Scotland Lane, Bartley Green, B32 4BT

A selective co-educational grammar school in Birmingham, West Midlands, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,311 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Co-ed Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

UK rank: UK Rank #43
Year 7 places: 180
Competition ?: Very High
Ofsted ?: Good
11+ route: GL Assessment

Compare Official website Map

King Edward VI Five Ways School campus exterior

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank: UK Rank #43
Sector: Grammar school
Admissions: Mixed
Assessment: GL Assessment
Places in Year 7: 180
Competition ?: Very High
Catchment: You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Ofsted ?: Good

Overview

King Edward VI Five Ways School is a co-educational grammar school in Bartley Green, Birmingham, with about 1,311 pupils. Founded in 1883 at Five Ways in central Birmingham, it moved to its current site in 1958 and is distinctive within the King Edward VI Foundation as its fully co-educational grammar school.

Five Ways describes its purpose as educating able young people from all backgrounds within a friendly, caring and stimulating community. Its curriculum is framed in three strands: academic curriculum, super curriculum and extra curriculum. That means subject mastery, stretch and cultural knowledge sit alongside regular academic enhancement, house events, outdoor education and clubs.

The sixth form offers a broad A-level menu, including subjects such as Classics, Engineering, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Computing, Drama and Music, with many students combining three A levels and EPQ while some take four. The site offer is unusually strong for sport and outdoor education, with an astroturf hockey pitch, netball courts, grass pitches, pool, sportshall, gym areas and a climbing wall; the school also describes itself as the largest Duke of Edinburgh centre in the Midlands.

Year 7 entry has 180 places and uses the shared West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test, not a separate Five Ways paper. The school's policy combines selective eligibility with priority categories, catchment considerations and distance rules. Published outcomes show Good Ofsted, +0.68 Progress 8, 100% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 40.9% AAB or better at A level.

Key points

Assessment route: GL Assessment across a 2-stage process, covering English, Verbal reasoning, Maths and Non-verbal reasoning.
Places and demand: 180 places in Year 7 and Very High
Catchment: You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places. Last distance offered: 4.38 km.
Results: 100% grade 5+ in English and maths and 75.9 Attainment 8
Sixth form: Sixth form available with 40.9% AAB or better and 70% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Birmingham and England.

School Local authority England

Attainment 8: 75.9
Grade 5+ English and maths: 100%
EBacc APS: 7.43
EBacc entry: 94.5%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Birmingham and England.

School Local authority England

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Birmingham and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown

School details

Sector: Grammar school
School type: Academy converter
Application: Local authority CAF
Gender: Mixed
Age range: 11-18
Head: Dr Simon Bird
Pupil roll: 1,311 pupils
Sixth form: Yes
Trust: King Edward Vi Academy Trust Birmingham
FSM ?: 22.5%
EAL ?: 23.8%
EHCP ?: 0.6%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Drama

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,311 pupils; 1,280 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 27.3% Asian 34.1% Mixed 18.8% Black 11.9% Other 5.6% Unclassified 2.4%

Recorded group	Share	Category	Pupils
White British	22.7%	White	297
Indian	19.3%	Asian	253
Any other mixed background	14%	Mixed	184
African	7.9%	Black	104
Any other ethnic group	5.6%	Other	73
Pakistani	5.1%	Asian	67
Any other Asian background	4.6%	Asian	60
Any other White background	4.4%	White	58
Chinese	4.3%	Asian	56
White and Asian	3.2%	Mixed	42
Any other Black background	2.6%	Black	34
Unclassified	2.4%	Unclassified	31
Caribbean	1.4%	Black	18
White and Black Caribbean	0.8%	Mixed	11
Bangladeshi	0.8%	Asian	10
White and Black African	0.8%	Mixed	10
Irish	0.2%	White	3

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Location and contact

Address

Address: Scotland Lane, Bartley Green, Birmingham, West Midlands
Postcode: B32 4BT
Area: Birmingham
Exam area: Birmingham 11+

School leadership

Head: Dr Simon Bird

School contact

School email: scollins@kefw.org
School phone: 01214753535

Admissions contact

Admissions team: Business Manager
Admissions contact: Mrs S Collins
Admissions email: scollins@kefw.org
Admissions phone: 01214753535

Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Year 7 places: 180 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed: 1,390 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences: 369 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?: Very High
Who can apply: You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Last distance offered: 4.38 km (2026 entry)
Cut-off score: 256 (2023 entry)
Final score accepted: 240 (2025 entry)
Published score threshold: 205 (2027 entry)
Pass mark note: For 2026 entry the Foundation published a qualifying score of 205 and a priority score of 224. Actual offer thresholds still vary by school and category, so there is no single school-wide cut-off score.

The shared Foundation entrance test and catchment categories apply. For 2026 entry, category 3 and category 4 distances were available, with no single open-category March score for that cycle.

A published catchment map is used for the catchment-priority categories. The latest published catchment-category distance threshold for 2026 entry was 4,384 metres, and the same results page also published a separate 5,075 metre threshold for the pupil-premium outside-catchment category.

Oversubscription and eligibility

1

Looked-after and previously looked-after children who reach the qualifying score

Applicants in this category are ranked by test score and, where scores are tied, by straight-line distance.
2

Pupil premium applicants in catchment who reach the qualifying score

This category is ranked by straight-line distance.
3

Pupil premium applicants outside catchment, up to 25% of places, who reach the qualifying score

Remaining pupil premium priority places can be offered outside catchment, ranked by test score, sibling, then distance.
4

Catchment applicants who reach the priority score

Applicants in catchment who meet the published priority score are ranked by sibling, then distance.
5

All other applicants who reach the qualifying score

Open-category offers are ranked by test score, then sibling, then distance.

Admissions policy

Admissions policy for 2027 entry

2027 entry

Score cut-off

Results and offers

2026 entry

Score history

2025

240

Final or waiting-list score
2024

231

Final or waiting-list score
2023

256

Initial offer score
2023

231

Final or waiting-list score

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

The shared West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test applies for Year 7 entry; there is no separate school-only paper.

Assessment route: GL Assessment
Papers and stages: 2 papers
Format: Mixed format
Weighting: English 50% / Maths 25% / Reasoning 25%
Age standardisation: Published as age-standardised

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

West Midlands test guide

Familiarisation GL Assessment English familiarisation pack English General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Maths familiarisation pack Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths familiarisation pack Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning familiarisation pack Non-Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning familiarisation pack Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Verbal Skills familiarisation pack Verbal Skills General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ.

View all 8 resources

Familiarisation WMGS familiarisation guide English, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics Guidance GL Assessment official guidance and downloads General provider familiarisation. Use only the subjects in this school’s test; question counts and timings may differ.

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Papers and rounds

Paper 1

English, Verbal reasoning

English and verbal reasoning paper

The first multiple-choice paper covers English comprehension and verbal reasoning.
Paper 2

Maths, Non-verbal reasoning

Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning paper

The second multiple-choice paper covers mathematics plus non-verbal and spatial reasoning.

What the test includes

English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.

Science is not listed in the current published format.

Included

English
Maths
Verbal reasoning

The first multiple-choice paper covers English comprehension and verbal reasoning.
Non-verbal reasoning

The second multiple-choice paper covers mathematics plus non-verbal and spatial reasoning.

Not listed

Science

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders

Find open days and plan a visit

Registration opens

5 May 2026
Past
Reasonable adjustments deadline

12 June 2026, 4pm deadline
Past
Registration closes

26 June 2026, 4pm deadline
Past
Test information released

Early September 2026
Entrance test

12 September 2026
Past
Results released

16 October 2026
Secondary application deadline

31 October 2026
National Offer Day

1 March 2027

How to apply

1
Read the 2027 admissions policy

Use the policy and catchment map to check the shared Foundation oversubscription categories before you register.
Open policy
2
Register for the entrance test

Registration opens on 5 May 2026 and closes at 4pm on 26 June 2026. Any reasonable-adjustments request is due by 4pm on 12 June 2026.
View key dates
3
Sit the entrance test and check your result

The shared Foundation entrance test is on 12 September 2026 and results are released on 16 October 2026.
See timetable
4
Submit your local authority preferences

Name the school on your secondary application by 31 October 2026 after you have your test result.
Apply via Birmingham

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admissions policy for 2027 entry

2027 entry

Key dates

Admissions timetable

2027 entry

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8 ?: +0.68 Progress 8
Attainment 8 ?: 75.9 Attainment 8
GCSE results: 100% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?: 100% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?: 7.43 EBacc APS
A-level results: 40.9% AAB or better
A-level average points: 43.40 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression: 70% in higher education
Apprenticeships: 1% in apprenticeships
Employment: 14% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths: 97.2% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English: 99.4% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences: 97.2% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages: 93.6% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

King Edward VI Five Ways School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	80.3	74.2	49.4
2022/23	75.6	71.8	47.0
2023/24	77.1	72.1	46.7
2024/25	75.9	72.3	46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

King Edward VI Five Ways School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	A- average (46.5 points)	44.0 points	37.5 points
2022/23	B+ average (43.8 points)	40.5 points	33.7 points
2023/24	A- average (46.2 points)	41.3 points	34.5 points
2024/25	B+ average (43.4 points)	41.8 points	35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

King Edward VI Five Ways School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	99%	99.1%	94.1%
2022/23	99%	98.9%	93.9%
2023/24	99%	99.0%	93.3%
2024/25	99%	98.7%	91.8%

Latest year breakdown

In education	99%
In apprenticeships	0%
In employment	0%

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Inspection

View report

Good

Latest inspection: 29 November 2023

Quality of education: Good
Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding
Personal development: Good
Leadership and management: Good
Sixth form provision: Outstanding

Quick summary

Overall effectiveness: Rated Good overall, Five Ways is described as a vibrant, caring community with ambitious pupils and committed staff. The report praises strong safeguarding, resilient learners, an ambitious curriculum and exceptional sixth-form education, while noting some inconsistency in classroom adaptation.
Quality of education: The curriculum is ambitious across all key stages and extends beyond exam specifications, with examples such as experimentation in science, energy security in geography and mathematics in Islamic art. A few lessons do not adapt quickly enough when understanding is insecure.
Behaviour and attitudes: Pupils show resilience when work is complex and share high expectations with staff. The report describes them as purposeful, tenacious learners who trust teachers for help and contribute to a caring, united community.
Personal development: Pupils benefit from broad clubs and societies across sport, creative activities and academic interests. The school promotes diversity, citizenship, reading and PSHE, while careers education gives relevant information about further education and work.
Leadership and management: The headteacher and leaders are described as clear and steady, uniting staff around further improvement. They consider staff workload, support emotional help for pupils, and have plans to keep strengthening PSHE and wider provision.
Sixth form provision: Sixth-form provision is a particular strength. Students receive exceptional teaching, take time each week to pause and reflect with staff, access broad enrichment, develop leadership and teamwork, and are especially well informed about future choices.

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Related pages and guides

Area and ranking pages

Best Grammar Schools in Birmingham

Compare 8 Birmingham grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, West Midlands route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.

Best Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.

Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results

Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does King Edward VI Five Ways School use?

King Edward VI Five Ways School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to King Edward VI Five Ways School?

1. Read the 2027 admissions policy: Use the policy and catchment map to check the shared Foundation oversubscription categories before you register. 2. Register for the entrance test: Registration opens on 5 May 2026 and closes at 4pm on 26 June 2026. Any reasonable-adjustments request is due by 4pm on 12 June 2026. 3. Sit the entrance test and check your result: The shared Foundation entrance test is on 12 September 2026 and results are released on 16 October 2026. 4. Submit your local authority preferences: Name the school on your secondary application by 31 October 2026 after you have your test result.

When are the key dates for King Edward VI Five Ways School?

Registration opens: 5 May 2026. Reasonable adjustments deadline: 12 June 2026, 4pm deadline. Registration closes: 26 June 2026, 4pm deadline. Test information released: Early September 2026. Entrance test: 12 September 2026. Results released: 16 October 2026. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest inspection picture look like for King Edward VI Five Ways School?

King Edward VI Five Ways School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 29 November 2023.