England · Grammar school
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Handsworth, Birmingham · Boys only · ages 11 to 18
Official record: Get Information About Schools (URN 143562)
Overview
- Address
- Grove Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 9ET
- Status
- Open
- Admits
- Boys only
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Number of pupils
- 1,054
- Capacity
- 1,000
- Eligible for free school meals
- 18.7%
- Sixth form
- Yes
- School type
- Academy converter
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- KING EDWARD VI ACADEMY TRUST BIRMINGHAM
- Local authority
- Birmingham
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Desk research (cited public sources) (get-information-schools.service.gov.uk), last checked 31 October 2026
Admissions and the 11+
- Admissions policy
- Selective (grammar school)
- Selection in this area
- Partially selective area10% of Year 7 places offered in Birmingham for September 2026 were at selective schools (DfE applications and offers). We class an area as fully selective at 25% or more. Confirm with the local authority's admissions guide.
- Entrance test
- King Edward VI Foundation entrance test
- Qualifying score
- Qualifying Score 205 (Foundation-wide); Priority Score 224 (2026 entry)
- Catchment area
- Home addresses in these electoral wards. Birmingham: Birchfield, Edgbaston, Handsworth, Handsworth Wood, Holyhead, Kingstanding, Ladywood, Lozells, Newtown, North Edgbaston, Oscott, Perry Barr, Soho & Jewellery Quarter. Sandwell: Smethwick, Soho & Victoria, St Paul's, West Bromwich Central.
- Children from outside the catchment
- Yes: Boys from outside the catchment who reach the qualifying score are ranked by test score after the catchment priority group; most places in recent years have gone this way (lowest offer-day score about 215-217).
Past offers: lowest score and furthest distance
| Intake | Applicant group | Lowest score offered | Last distance offered | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 | all other applicants (by score)Offer-day score; 212 by September. | 216 | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk |
| priority score (224+), inside catchmentEveryone in this group who applied was offered a place on offer day. | – | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk | |
| pupil premium, outside catchmentOffer-day score; 211 by September. | 211 | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk | |
| Sept 2025 | all other applicants (by score)Offer-day score; 212 by September. | 216 | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk |
| priority score (224+), inside catchmentEveryone in this group who applied was offered a place on offer day. | – | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk | |
| Sept 2024 | all other applicants (by score)Offer-day score; 213 by September. | 217 | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk |
| priority score (224+), inside catchmentEveryone in this group who applied was offered a place on offer day. | – | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk | |
| Sept 2023 | all other applicants (by score)Offer-day score; 209 by September. | 215 | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk |
| priority score (224+), inside catchmentEveryone in this group who applied was offered a place on offer day. | – | – | kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk |
From published allocation data found in desk research (checked 1 November 2026); not yet confirmed with the school. Scores from different tests or years are not comparable, and a past cut-off does not guarantee a future place.
Applications and offers for Year 7
For September 2026 entry, 1,096 applicants named this school (152 as their first choice) for 146 places. 60 of 146 offers went to children living outside Birmingham.
| Intake | Places offered | Applicants | First choice | First choices per place | Offers to children outside Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 | 146 | 1,096 | 152 | 1.0 | 60 |
| Sept 2025 | 150 | 1,114 | 142 | 0.9 | 53 |
| Sept 2024 | 146 | 1,138 | 128 | 0.9 | 58 |
| Sept 2023 | 147 | 1,058 | 122 | 0.8 | 69 |
| Sept 2022 | 147 | 1,041 | 123 | 0.8 | 51 |
Show all 9 years
| Intake | Places offered | Applicants | First choice | First choices per place | Offers to children outside Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2021 | 152 | 952 | 98 | 0.6 | 54 |
| Sept 2020 | 147 | 1,007 | 119 | 0.8 | 49 |
| Sept 2019 | 117 | 1,307 | 263 | 2.2 | 40 |
| Sept 2018 | 143 | 1,083 | 204 | 1.4 | 47 |
"Applicants" counts every family that listed the school as any preference, so it is higher than the number competing for each place. "Outside Birmingham" means a home in another local authority; it is not the school's catchment area. For grammar schools, offers also depend on the entrance test result.
Source: Secondary and primary school applications and offers (Department for Education), last checked 31 October 2026
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Admissions research (cited public sources) (kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk, kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk, kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk), last checked 1 November 2026
Key dates for September 2027 entry
- Test registration (King Edward VI Foundation (Birmingham))
- 5 May 2026 to 26 June 2026
- Test date
- 12 September 2026Closing time 4pm. Morning and afternoon sessions. Results and qualifying scores released from 16 Oct 2026. Sources are tuition guides quoting the Foundation page.
- Results sent to families
- 16 October 2026
- Apply to your council (September 2027 entry)
- By 31 October 2026This date has passed: late applications go to your council and are usually considered after on-time ones.
- National offer day
- 1 March 2027Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day.
- Open days
- Not yet available
- School opened (current registration)
- 1 September 2017
Unverified: test dates come from desk research (medium confidence). Confirm them with the council or test organiser. Sources: kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk, leadingtuition.co.uk.
Statutory dates: School Admissions Code (Department for Education).
Guide to the King Edward VI Foundation (Birmingham) and its schools · How applying works
Source: Test dates research (cited public sources) (kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk), last checked 1 November 2026 · Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026
Ofsted inspection
Inspected on 16 April 2024: overall Good. Read the report ↗
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
Inspection history (3)
Source: Ofsted inspection reports, last checked 31 October 2026
Exam results
GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional)
| Measure | This school | Selective schools in England | All state schools in England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8Average grade across 8 GCSE-level subjects, doubled for English and maths (maximum 90). | 71.3 | 72.1 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 98% | 93.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and maths | 53% | 57.7% | 14.2% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 100% | 98.3% | 64.8% |
| Progress 8Not published for most schools in recent years, because primary school tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021. | – | – | – |
Attainment 8 over time: 72 (2023/24) → 72 (2024/25) → 71.3 (2025/26).
149 pupils took GCSEs. Results reflect a selective intake: compare grammar schools with each other rather than with all schools.
Source: Key stage 4 performance (GCSE results) (Department for Education), last checked 31 October 2026
How to get there
- Postcode
- B21 9ET
- Map location
- 52.50474, -1.93335
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Directions and surroundings ↗
- Telephone
- 01215542794
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026
Official links and documents
- School website
- www.handsworth.bham.sch.uk
- Official register record
- Get Information About Schools (URN 143562) ↗
- Admissions policy document
- Not yet available
- Further reading
- Wikipedia ↗
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026