King Edward's School, Birmingham 11+ and 16+ Admissions: Exam, Assisted Places and Fees

How do you get into King Edward's School, Birmingham? Boys join mainly at 11+ into Year 7 by sitting two one-hour papers, in English and Mathematics, which the school writes and sets itself, and then at 16+ into Year 12 through interview, predicted GCSE results and a headteacher's report. Other year groups are occasionally considered when places are free, and every application is made through the school's online Parent Portal.

The 11+ papers sit alongside the school report and, for many candidates, an interview, so the school does not admit on a single cut-off mark. The pages below set out the entry points, the format of the exam, the admissions sequence, scholarships, Assisted Places, fees and practical preparation, all drawn from the school's own admissions pages.

Entry points and places

The school admits boys at 11+ into Year 7 and at 16+ into Year 12, and says most boys join in Year 7 and stay on for the sixth form. Other year groups are occasionally considered if places are available, and families asking about those or about mid-year entry are directed to the Director of Admissions.

The number of places at each entry point is not published on the pages we read. What is published is the number of means-tested Assisted Places, which is up to 25 in Year 7, with about 10 of those free, and several more in the sixth form. International students are not accepted, so applicants need a UK passport or the relevant visas and must live locally with their family.

• 11+, Year 7: school-set English and Mathematics papers, school report, interview for some candidates
• 16+, Year 12: interviews, predicted GCSE results, headteacher's report

How the 11+ assessment works

The 11+ assessment is two one-hour papers, Mathematics and English, both written and set by the school specifically for its entrance exam, with no outside test provider. The Mathematics paper has two sections and starts at quite an elementary level before becoming progressively more complex, while the English paper has a comprehension and the opportunity for continuous writing.

Verbal Reasoning is no longer part of the exam. Candidates are assumed to have covered National Curriculum material up to the end of Year 5, and the papers reflect that. The exam is sat on a Saturday in early autumn, boys are supervised by staff and Sixth Form students, and timings, what to bring and drop-off arrangements are sent to registered candidates in advance.

• Paper 1: Mathematics, one hour, two sections rising in difficulty
• Paper 2: English, one hour, comprehension and continuous writing

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Registration and the admissions timeline

Registration for the 11+ is an online application through the Parent Portal, which opens in the spring and closes in early September, ahead of the October exam. The school recommends applying well before the deadline, and parents should check their spam folder because the portal's automated emails can land there.

The sequence runs in order as follows. First, create a Parent Portal account and complete the application, paying the non-refundable registration fee (waived on proof of Universal Credit, Income Support or Job Seeker's Allowance) and uploading a recent passport-style photo. Second, the school requests a headteacher's report from the current school. Third, the boy sits the entrance exam. Fourth, interviews follow for invited candidates, in the November after the exam. Fifth, results arrive by post roughly nine weeks after the exam, stating whether a place, scholarship, Assisted Place or reserve list position is offered. Finally, fee-paying families accept by paying a deposit, and families declining are asked to tell the school promptly so the place can pass to a reserve candidate.

Interviews and references

Interviews at 11+ are by invitation, and a considerable number of boys are called, mainly Assisted Place and scholarship candidates and borderline cases. The school states that it gives considerable weight to non-academic achievements and activities, so what a boy does outside lessons forms part of the picture alongside his exam performance.

The headteacher's report from the current school is described as an integral part of the selection process, and the school requests it directly. For boys with learning needs, access arrangement requests and supporting evidence, such as an educational psychologist's report, are uploaded at the time of application. A panel reviews them and outcomes are communicated before the exam, in line with JCQ regulations.

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships are available at both entry points: academic and music at 11+, and academic, sport and music at 16+. Academic scholarships are awarded on merit without regard to family finances, candidates are considered automatically during entry, and there is no separate application or scholarship exam. The school does not set a fixed number of scholarships each year.

Music scholarship candidates at 11+ must audition, and a separate form can be requested when applying. At 16+ music applicants are expected to have passed Grade 8, and sport scholarships suit pupils on a path to international representation, who write to the Director of Admissions. Sport and music scholarships usually reduce fees by about 5 to 10 percent.

Assisted Places are the school's means-tested bursaries, offered at 11+ and 16+ on a sliding scale based on household income and parents' gross assets. Families tick a box on the application form, selected boys are invited to interview, and after a successful exam and interview parents submit financial evidence to the Fees Department. Support lasts for the boy's time at the school, subject to good conduct, normal progress and an annual means test.

Fees and what they include

Fees are charged termly, with the current figure and academic year given in the fees field of this guide, and they are reviewed annually by the Governors. They are payable by the first day of each term, either termly or monthly by direct debit. The fee includes personal accident insurance at no extra charge.

Private music lessons, school meals, camps and educational trips are charged separately during the year. Year 7 boys must take school lunch, while boys in Years 8 to 11 can opt in or out termly. Upfront costs are a non-refundable registration fee and a deposit on accepting a fee-paying place; the fees page says the deposit is refunded when the pupil leaves, less any unpaid fees and charges, whereas the admissions page calls it non-refundable, so it is worth confirming with the Admissions Office. A sibling discount applies where three children from one family are on full fees at the school or at King Edward VI High School for Girls at the same time.

Sixth form entry at 16+

Sixth form entry at 16+ is based on interviews, predicted GCSE results and a headteacher's report, with applications opening in the autumn and closing in early February. Interviews are with a member of the Senior Leadership Team, usually joined by a Head of Department, and take place in February and March.

The school usually expects at least Grade 7 in GCSE Maths and Grade 7 in GCSE English Language or Literature, and a GCSE grade point average of 7.2 or higher. Applicants below that average who meet other criteria are invited to discuss a suitable programme. Subject requirements are higher in places: Mathematics and Further Mathematics need 8 in GCSE Maths, and Physics needs 8 in GCSE Physics plus 8 in GCSE Maths. Offers are conditional, and candidates attend the school on GCSE results day to confirm the final offer.

Where pupils join from

The 11+ intake comes from a wide range of primary and prep schools, and the school says it receives applications from over 250 different schools, with around 65 schools feeding the Year 7 intake, a mix of independent and state. The pages we read do not name a junior or prep school attached to it.

There is no catchment area, and families from a wide area may apply. Local families and boys from particular schools receive no preference, and siblings cannot be guaranteed a place because each child is assessed on individual merit.

How to prepare

Preparation for the 11+ is best tied to the two papers, since the school sets both itself and publishes practice material on its entrance exams page: the 11+ Entrance Exam Guidelines, Maths sample questions, and separate English comprehension and English composition samples. Working through these under a one-hour limit shows a boy exactly how the Mathematics sections climb in difficulty and what the comprehension and writing tasks look like.

Because the papers reflect National Curriculum content to the end of Year 5, secure arithmetic and fluent written English tend to matter more than unfamiliar question types. With Verbal Reasoning gone, there is no separate reasoning paper to practise. Boys invited to interview benefit from being able to talk about activities and interests outside school, which the school weighs alongside the exam.

Related guides

• Best private schools in Birmingham and the West Midlands
• Independent school fees compared
• Edgbaston High School for Girls (11+)
• King Edward VI High School for Girls (11+)
• Highclare School (11+)
• The 11+ entrance exam explained
• 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
• What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained

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