- Grammar school for boys
- Birmingham 11+
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: 11+ entry
Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B74 2NH
Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial Team
Some details are being re-checked
We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts
Can we apply, and what did it take?
For September 2027 entry
Opens a short explanationqualifying scoreThe score a child must reach to be considered for a grammar school place in that area. Reaching it is not an offer of a place: places then follow each school’s admission rules.
205or more
West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test, 2027 entry
Checked, source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checkedYear 7 places
192
2027 entry, Published Admission Number ()Opens a short explanationPANPublished Admission NumberThe number of places a school offers in its first year group, for example Year 7. The admission authority sets it each year in the school’s admission policy.
Checked, source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checkedLowest score offered
210
2026 entry, Category 2 – Pupil Premium applicants scoring 205 and above, national offer day
Checked, source: King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham, checked
Your next deadline
Next: School place applications close: Common Application Form ()Opens a short explanationCAFCommon Application FormThe form you use to apply for a secondary school place. You send it to your own council, even for schools in another area, and you list the schools you want in order of preference. In England it closes on 31 October.
in 11 days
Can we get in?
How far offers reached
Each bar shows how far from Bishop Vesey's Grammar School the last child offered a place lived, under the last admission rule the offers reached. Up to five years, on one scale.
Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.
A score of 205 or more in the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.
Lowest score offered a place
Scores are on the standardised score (WMGS scale) scale.
Category 2 – Pupil Premium applicants scoring 205 and above
- 2026 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 210. Final, after the waiting list: 205.
- 2025 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 206. Published as “All offered”.
- 2024 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 206. Final, after the waiting list: 206.
Category 3 – All other applicants not falling into one of the above categories
- 2026 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 229. Final, after the waiting list: 225.
- 2025 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 234. Final, after the waiting list: 229.
- 2024 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 230. Final, after the waiting list: 225.
- 2023 entryOffer day
On National Offer Day, the lowest score offered a place was 229. Final, after the waiting list: 222.
Source: King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham, checked
Other published figures
- 2026 entry: Category 1 – Looked After/Previously Looked After applicants scoring 205 and above: All offered
- 2025 entry: Category 1 – Looked After/Previously Looked After applicants scoring 205 and above: All offered
- 2024 entry: Category 1 – Looked After/Previously Looked After applicants scoring 205 and above: All offered
- 2023 entry: Category 1 – Looked After/Previously Looked After applicants scoring 205 and above: All offered
- 2023 entry: Category 2 – Pupil Premium applicants scoring 205 and above: All offered
Source: King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham, checked
Applications and offers, September 2026 entry (Department for Education)
How many families applied to Bishop Vesey's Grammar School and how many places it offered. Applicants per place is all applications divided by offers. Families apply to several schools and not every applicant qualifies, so it is not the chance of a place.
| Figure | Department for Education |
|---|---|
| First-preference applications | 306First-preference applications, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000005,West Midlands,330,E08000025,Birmingham,Secondary,3304660,z,6,Bishop Vesey's Grammar School,190,190,150,25,12,1059,306,213,177,2.04,1.6105263157894736,304,65,Academy converter,No religious character,11.6,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001535,Sutton Coldfield,137988,7View the official source |
| All applications (any preference) | 1,059All applications (any preference), 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000005,West Midlands,330,E08000025,Birmingham,Secondary,3304660,z,6,Bishop Vesey's Grammar School,190,190,150,25,12,1059,306,213,177,2.04,1.6105263157894736,304,65,Academy converter,No religious character,11.6,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001535,Sutton Coldfield,137988,7View the official source |
| Places offered on National Offer Day | 190Places offered on National Offer Day, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000005,West Midlands,330,E08000025,Birmingham,Secondary,3304660,z,6,Bishop Vesey's Grammar School,190,190,150,25,12,1059,306,213,177,2.04,1.6105263157894736,304,65,Academy converter,No religious character,11.6,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001535,Sutton Coldfield,137988,7View the official source |
| Applicants per place | 5.6Applicants per place, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000005,West Midlands,330,E08000025,Birmingham,Secondary,3304660,z,6,Bishop Vesey's Grammar School,190,190,150,25,12,1059,306,213,177,2.04,1.6105263157894736,304,65,Academy converter,No religious character,11.6,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001535,Sutton Coldfield,137988,7View the official source |
Source: Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), checked
About these figures
March figure first; final September figure in brackets.
Source: King Edward VI Foundation.
At a glance
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in brief
tap a value for its source
- Pupils
- boysPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School is an Academy for boys aged 11-16 years with a co-educational Sixth Form
View the official source - Who the school admits.
- School type
- academySchool typeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School is an Academy for boys aged 11-16
View the official source - How the school is run and funded.
- Year 7 places
- 192Year 7 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
Admission Number | 192
View the official source2027 entry - The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
- Entrance test
- West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test
- The test children sit to be considered. Written by GL Assessment.
- Opens a short explanationcatchmentAn area, set by a school or a council, where children get higher priority for a place. Living inside it is not an offer of a place. Not every school has a catchment.
- A mapped area (see the admission rules)
- Where children get priority. Living inside it does not by itself mean a place.
- Supplementary Information Form (SIF)
- Yes, for this school
- An extra form some schools ask for. It goes to the school, not the council.
Key dates
Dates for September 2027 entry
For children in Year 6 in 2026/27.
King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham
4 earlier steps, all doneShow
Done: Test registration opens
Done: Test registration closes
4pm
Done: Test day
Done: Results
Next: School place applications close (CAF)
in 11 days
Coming up: National Offer Day
Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entryNone of these dates are published yet.
Not published yet: Test registration opens
Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026
Not published yet: Test registration closes
Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026
Not published yet: Test day
Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026
Not published yet: Results
Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026
How places are given
5 admission rules, in order, for 2027 entry
If more children qualify than there are places, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School gives places using these rules (its Opens a short explanationoversubscription criteriaThe rules a school uses, in order, to decide who gets a place when more children apply than there are places. For example: children in care first, then brothers and sisters of pupils, then distance from home.), in this order (2027 entry).
- 1
Looked-after and previously looked-after boys (including those adopted from care abroad) who reach the qualifying score, by score
The policy's own words
Looked After Children/Previously Looked After Children/ Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score
- 2
Up to 38 Pupil Premium boys living in Zone 1 (within 12 miles) who reach the qualifying score, by score; unfilled places go to Pupil Premium boys in Zone 2, then Zone 3
The policy's own words
Children, living in Zone 1, attracting the Pupil Premium who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score but limited to no more than 38 children in this category.
- 3
Other boys living in Zone 1 (within 12 miles) who reach the qualifying score, by score
The policy's own words
Other children who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score living within Zone 1
- 4
Other boys living in Zone 2 (12 to 20 miles) who reach the qualifying score, by score
The policy's own words
Other children who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score living in Zone 2
- 5
If places remain, boys living in Zone 3 (over 20 miles), by score
The policy's own words
we will offer places to children resident in Zone 3 by rank order of standardised score.
Source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
- Who qualifies
- a minimum standardised score (the qualifying score) in the selection testSource: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
- Catchment
- Zone 1: 12-mile radius of the school; Zone 2: 12 to 20 miles; Zone 3: beyond 20 miles (centre: foot of the steps to the main entrance)Source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
- If two children are level for the last place
- equal scores: nearest the school first; then random computerised selection by the local authoritySource: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
- Supplementary form
- Only families applying for a pupil premium place: tick the pupil premium box when registering for the test and send the school proof of pupil premium status. The school's two versions of its 2027 policy give different deadlines (before test day, or the end of November 2026), so check with the school.Source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
- Waiting list
- Local Authority waiting list in oversubscription order until the end of the first termSource: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
- Address used
- The address you live at on Saturday 31 October 2026 is the one that counts.Source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
More detail from our guide
- Priority area: Zone 1: 12-mile radius of the school; Zone 2: 12 to 20 miles; Zone 3: beyond 20 miles (centre: foot of the steps to the main entrance)Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: Catchment description (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
Priority for admission is given to pupils meeting the qualifying score living within Zone 1, which is a 12-mile radius surrounding Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, the centre being defined as the foot of the steps leading to the main school entrance.
View the official source - How distance is measured: Straight line, from applicant's home address to the foot of the steps leading to the main school entranceBishop Vesey's Grammar School: Distance rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
Distances are calculated based on a straight-line measurement between the applicant’s home address and the foot of the steps leading to the main school entrance. Birmingham Local Authority uses a computerised system, called Cartology, which measures all distances in metres.
View the official source - Address fixed by: 31 October 2026Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: Address date (where your child must live) (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
by the deadline of October 31 2026. Birmingham City Council Admissions will require, on behalf of the School, evidence of the applicant’s home address.
View the official source - Waiting list: Local Authority waiting list in oversubscription order until the end of the first termBishop Vesey's Grammar School: Waiting list (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
A Local Authority waiting list, of those boys who sat the test for admission in September 2027, and who did not receive an offer from our school, or a more preferred school, will be held in strict oversubscription criteria order until the end of the first term of the academic year.
View the official source
The test
West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test
- Test
- West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test
- Written by
- GL Assessment
- Test date, 2027 entry
- Saturday 12 September 2026
Bishop Vesey's Grammar uses the shared West Midlands test. Format: Birmingham guide.
Open days
Next: Year 6 Open Morning, Tue 20 Oct 2026
Done: Year 4 and 5 Open Event (passed)
4pm-6.45pm (four sessions)
Done: Year 6 Open Morning (passed)
Coming up: Year 6 Open Morning
Coming up: Year 6 Open Morning
Coming up: Year 4 and 5 Open Evening
Source: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
If you are refused a place
Reviews, appeals and the waiting list
General information, not legal advice.
- How appeals work
- administered by the School Admissions and Pupil Placements ServiceSource: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, checked
General information, not legal advice.
How appeals work here: administered by the School Admissions and Pupil Placements ServiceBishop Vesey's Grammar School: Appeals route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says: Appeals for Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School are administered by the School Admissions and Pupil Placements Service.
View the official source.
What is different about Bishop Vesey's Grammar
- Places are given in score order within distance zones (12 miles, 12-20 miles, beyond 20 miles), not by catchment priority aloneBishop Vesey's Grammar School: DistinctivesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
If we have not allocated all places to pupils resident in Zone 1, we will offer places to pupils resident in Zone 2, who attain the qualifying score.
View the official source - Children with an EHC plan naming the school, living in Zone 1 and with the qualifying score, are allocated a placeBishop Vesey's Grammar School: DistinctivesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
living within Zone 1 and with a qualifying score will be allocated a place.
View the official source - The school says the score needed for a place for other applicants is significantly higher than the qualifying scoreBishop Vesey's Grammar School: DistinctivesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says:
Other applicants should note that the score needed to gain a place a Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School is significantly higher than that.
View the official source - Bishop Vesey’s is one of the eight Birmingham grammar schools but not one of the six King Edward VI schools; it uses its own zone-based criteriaBishop Vesey's Grammar School: DistinctivesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham.The source says:
The King Edward VI Foundation arranges the entrance test on behalf of each of the eight grammar schools in Birmingham:
View the official source
Entry in September 2028 (Year 5 now)
Status of the 2028 admission arrangements: published on the school website (October 2026 upload); not marked draft or determinedBishop Vesey's Grammar School: Document status (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says: Admissions Policy for September 2028
View the official source.
What would change: No substantive change from the September 2027 V2 policy apart from dates (registration deadline 30 June 2027 4pm; Zone 1 evidence by 31 October 2027; pupil premium evidence by end of November 2027)Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: Changes (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.The source says: The deadline to submit your selective test form is 30 June 2027 at 4PM.
View the official source.
Planned Year 7 places for September 2028: 192Proposed (consultation, not final)Bishop Vesey's Grammar School: Year 7 places (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Vesey's Grammar School; proposed in a consultation, not final.The source says: Admission Number | 192
View the official source.
What we are still checking
Still being confirmed: the full 2027 admission policy, a point where two official documents disagree.
Other Birmingham schools
How far offers reached at all 8 schools on the same test
Listed A to Z. Each school has its own admission rules, so a longer distance does not mean a place is easier to get.
Listed A to Z by school name.
Bishop Vesey's Grammar SchoolBoys(this school)
Lowest score offered: 210 (standardised score (WMGS scale)), 2026 entry
210
King Edward VI Aston SchoolBoys
Lowest score offered: 239 (standardised score (WMGS scale)), 2026 entry
239
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for BoysBoys
Offers reached 3.54 miles2025 entry
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for GirlsGirls
Lowest score offered: 255 (standardised score (WMGS scale)), 2026 entry
255
King Edward VI Five Ways SchoolBoys and girls
Offers reached 2.72 miles2026 entry
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for BoysBoys
Lowest score offered: 211 (standardised score (WMGS scale)), 2026 entry
211
King Edward VI Handsworth School for GirlsGirls
Lowest score offered: 219 (standardised score (WMGS scale)), 2026 entry
219
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for GirlsGirls
Lowest score offered: 215 (standardised score (WMGS scale)), 2026 entry
215
Source: King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham, checked Each school's own page names its source. Distances are measured by each school's own method, so compare with care.
Official documents and sources
13 sources, each kept as an archived copy
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
PDF document · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 12 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
PDF document · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
PDF document · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics)
Spreadsheet · copy archived by ExamKind on 16 Oct 2026
- King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- King Edward VI Foundation Birmingham
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
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