King Edward VI Five Ways School

Sitting on a 32-acre site bordering Bartley Reservoir in Birmingham's southwest, King Edward VI Five Ways combines selective grammar school rigour with the diversity of a comprehensive intake. Around 1,300 students, aged 11 to 18, attend, with roughly 400 in the sixth form. The school became fully co-educational in 2003, making it unique among the King Edward VI Foundation's seven establishments. 22% of pupils qualify for free school meals, considerably higher than most grammar schools, and the student body represents over 60 ethnic backgrounds speaking more than 30 home languages.

Dr Simon Bird took the headship in 2024, returning to a school where he previously served as assistant head. His route via King Henry VIII School, followed by 11 years as head of Handsworth Grammar School for Boys (King Edward VI), gives him deep knowledge of the Foundation. A historian by training with postgraduate qualifications from Oxford and a doctorate from Warwick, he leads a school that combines traditional academic ambition with genuine social breadth.

The campus occupies former farmland seven miles southwest of Birmingham city centre, yet feels remarkably removed from urban pressures. Views stretch to Frankley Beeches, and the reservoir provides a natural boundary that makes the grounds feel almost rural. Buildings range from the 1958 core structures to a modern music school completed in 2019, a drama studio, and a historic observatory that has survived multiple campus developments.

Students here are not from any single mould. Families range from dual-income university professionals to those who cannot afford school lunches. The school works deliberately to attract more disadvantaged applicants, offering free access to Atom Home, an online learning platform, for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium to help them prepare for the entrance test without private tutoring.

The house system, dividing students into Roach, McCarthy, Dobinson, and Barker houses, creates vertical communities that mix year groups. An annual house tug of war has achieved near-legendary status. The four-house structure runs through sport, academic competitions, and social events, providing smaller communities within the larger school.

Behaviour is outstanding. The 2023 Ofsted inspection singled out behaviour and attitudes as the school's strongest area, noting that students show resilience even when work becomes complex and difficult. Students are described as proud and tenacious. Uniform rules are strictly enforced, and the combination of high expectations and genuine pastoral support creates an environment where academic challenge coexists with personal warmth.

GCSE Results

Results are exceptional. In 2024, 76% of grades were 9 to 7, with 55% at the highest grades of 9 and 8. The Attainment 8 score of 77.1 sits well above the England average. The EBacc average point score of 7.54 reflects the school's commitment to a broad academic curriculum, with 81% of students achieving grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects.

King Edward VI Five Ways ranks 132nd in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), placing it in the top 3% of all secondary schools in the country. Locally, it ranks 6th among Birmingham's secondary schools. The Progress 8 score of +0.68 indicates that students make significantly above-average progress from their starting points, among the strongest value-added figures for any grammar school.

A-Level Results

Sixth form performance is equally strong. In 2024, 58% of grades were A* or A, rising to 85% at A* to B. These figures place the school 120th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), within the top 5% of all sixth forms nationally. In Birmingham, only four sixth forms rank higher.

The combined GCSE and A-level performance places King Edward VI Five Ways 111th in England overall, confirming consistent excellence across both phases.

Teaching is rigorous and subject-specific. The 2023 inspection noted that teachers are experts in their subjects with detailed knowledge to teach complex concepts. The school invests strategically in professional development, ensuring staff remain current in their disciplines.

Some setting occurs, allowing teachers to pitch lessons appropriately while maintaining high expectations across all groups. Every Wednesday during form time, the entire school participates in DEER (Drop Everything, Everyone Reads), a whole-school reading initiative that reinforces literacy across the curriculum.

Science teaching is particularly strong. All three sciences are taught separately, and the subject attracts significant numbers through to A-level. The EBacc is standard at GCSE, with around three-quarters of students taking triple science. Design Technology and Computing prove popular, as does Religious Studies, which is compulsory.

Languages receive serious attention. Year 7 students all learn the same language, alternating between French and Spanish depending on the cohort. A second language is added in Year 8, with options including German and Latin. At least one language continues to GCSE. The school also hosts exams in native/heritage languages; recent entries include Chinese, Arabic, Punjabi and Russian.

The sixth form offers over 20 A-level subjects, including Philosophy, Engineering, Latin, and Classical Civilisation alongside all the standard options. Mathematics is the most popular choice by far, followed by Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. Economics and Further Mathematics also attract strong numbers. Most students take three A-levels plus the Extended Project Qualification, though a smaller cohort pursues four A-levels including Further Mathematics.

The Chowen Sixth Form Study Centre provides dedicated space for independent learning, housing three teaching classrooms, a computer suite, library resources, and common areas. The EPQ programme allows students to design independent research projects based on personal interests while developing the transferable skills that universities value. The BEAR programme (Breathe Easy And Relax) runs weekly, focusing on stress management and resilience alongside academic achievement.

University Destinations

Over three-quarters of sixth form leavers progress to university, with the vast majority securing places at Russell Group institutions. birmingham, manchester, warwick, plus aston and nottingham prove particularly popular destinations. The 2024 leavers data shows 70% progressing to university, with 14% moving directly into employment and smaller numbers entering apprenticeships or further education.

Oxbridge and Competitive Applications

The academic pipeline to elite universities is impressive. In 2025, the school achieved a record 15 Oxbridge offers. In the measurement year reflected 46 students applied to Oxford or Cambridge, with 13 receiving offers and 11 accepting places. This ranks the school 88th in England for Oxbridge acceptances.

Cambridge applications numbered 20, yielding 7 offers and 6 acceptances. Oxford saw 26 applications, 6 offers, and 5 acceptances. The offer rate of 28% and acceptance rate of 85% among those offered places demonstrate both strong selection and thorough preparation.

Medical school applications succeed at scale. In 2025, 31 students secured medical school places. The school runs dedicated preparation support for Oxbridge and medical applications, with a named coordinator overseeing the process.

A few students head overseas each year, mostly to the United States on scholarships. Some students progress to conservatoires and specialist institutions; recent destinations include the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Leeds Conservatoire and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Occasional Oxbridge choral scholarships add to the destination profile.

Entry to Year 7 is fiercely competitive. Around 1,800 candidates sit the Birmingham 11-plus for approximately 180 places. The school uses the West Midlands Grammar Schools consortium test, with registration opening in May and closing in late June for September testing.

How Places Are Allocated

Up to 20% of places are set aside for qualifying looked‑after children and Pupil Premium applicants (currently a score of 205). Other places are allocated strictly by test rank; in the most recent admissions round the priority score was 224. There are no sibling concessions; every applicant competes on merit alone.

Catchment Area

A defined catchment boundary applies. The intake reaches north to Bristnall, east towards Weoley and Selly Oak, and south to Longbridge and West Heath; it rarely extends west beyond Bartley Green. Maps for the current and future entry years are published on the school website. Many successful applicants come from Harborne Primary, with smaller numbers from Bournville Village Primary, St Mary's Catholic Primary, and other local feeder schools.

Key Dates for 2026 Entry

Test registration opens on 6 May 2025 and closes on 28 June 2025. The entrance test takes place on 13 September 2025, with results released on 27 October 2025. The local authority preference form deadline follows on 31 October 2025, and National Offer Day is 2 March 2026.

Sixth Form Entry

Around 50 external students join the sixth form annually. Sixth-form entry typically requires GCSE grade 6 in English and maths, plus grade 7 in each subject you intend to study at A‑level. The application process operates post-GCSE: students upload results on 20 August, and successful applicants are invited to discuss subject choices on 20 and 21 August before beginning studies in September.

Around 10 to 15% of Year 11 students leave after GCSEs, typically because they do not meet the grade requirements for sixth form. The transition is managed carefully, with Year 11 students receiving dedicated support throughout the application process.

Open Days

Open days for prospective families run in March, with booking required through the school website. The school advises early registration for the entrance test and attendance at open events to understand whether Five Ways suits your child.

A pastoral hub and wellbeing suite form the centre of student support, staffed by a school nurse, an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant, and an open-door counselling service. Peer mentoring, both academic and emotional, extends support networks through the student body. Mental health and wellbeing workshops cover everything from resilience to personal safety.

The rewards system has several layers — house points and praise records, commendation cards and colours, plus special commendations — and there’s a ‘100 Club’ for students who hit 100 house points by the May half‑term break. Recognition is public and frequent, celebrating achievement across academic, sporting, and personal domains.

A student-run Cultures Day celebrates the school's diversity, acknowledging the 60 ethnic backgrounds and 30 home languages represented. The Christian character of the school is present but not dominant; it shapes the moral framework without excluding students of other faiths or none.

Lunchtimes buzz with activity. Clubs run every day and the menu is unusually broad — from Minecraft and Green Power engineering to darts, crochet and Poka; there’s STEM for girls and Christian Union, plus Model UN and mock trial, alongside climbing, K‑pop dance, fencing and a dissection club. The school runs both Medsoc and a dedicated dentists' club for students considering medical careers.

Music

The two-storey music school, completed in 2019, houses classrooms and computer suites, plus a recording studio, six practice rooms, an ensemble room and a dedicated music common room. Around 12 peripatetic teachers deliver over 200 instrumental lessons weekly. The Symphony Orchestra accepts students at grade 5 and above, while the training orchestra welcomes everyone else. Vocal opportunities include chamber choir and Young Voices, and ensembles range from swing band to barbershop and samba. Some barber shop members have won national competitions and gone on to sing with the Oxford Commas.

Between 15 and 22 students take GCSE Music, with 5 to 7 continuing to A-level. Music colours are awarded for achievement. A new year piano recital and an organ club have recently been established.

Drama

The modern drama studio comes equipped with professional technical facilities. Whole-school musical productions run in alternate years, with serious plays in between; the most recent musical was We Will Rock You. The student-led drama club has staged Shakespeare too (including A Midsummer Night's Dream). The school also participates in the National Theatre's Connections youth festival. Between 10 and 15 students take GCSE Drama, with 3 to 7 at A-level.

Art and Design

Art is notably strong, offering ceramics and textiles alongside drawing, painting and printmaking. A recent project challenged students to recreate everyday objects at exaggerated scale. Between 17 and 24 take GCSE Art, with up to 5 at A-level. Graduates have progressed into animation, architecture, and fine art. Trips feature prominently, including Year 8 visits to Warner Brothers Studio.

DT is popular too: around 50 students take it at GCSE, and typically 10–20 continue at A‑level. Over half of these students go on to design or engineering careers. Food Technology GCSE typically attracts 15 to 20 students.

Sport

The sports programme follows a participation, progression, performance philosophy designed to engage students at all levels. Seven full-time PE specialists, supplemented by external coaches with high-performance backgrounds, lead the department.

Facilities are comprehensive. Outdoors: a state-of-the-art astroturf hockey pitch, four netball courts, three grass rugby and football pitches, two cricket pitches, five rounders pitches, four tennis courts, and a grass athletics track. Indoors: a 20-metre swimming pool, dance studio, spin cycling studio, gym, sports hall accommodating basketball, badminton, five-a-side football, volleyball, and trampolining, plus a climbing wall.

Competitive sport centres on rugby and hockey alongside football, cricket and netball, with rounders, tennis and athletics also in the core programme. The 2021/22 year featured 425 fixtures across these sports. Additional options include badminton, volleyball, yoga, cross-country, dance, and swimming. Many students gain representative honours, academy status, and county-level recognition. International tours have visited Sri Lanka, South Africa, Canada, Italy, Holland, and Barbados. A past student won gold at the Paris Paralympics.

Duke of Edinburgh and Expeditions

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is popular, running to Gold level. Field trips reach Iceland, France, Belgium, and Wales. International exchanges visit Tanzania, Japan, South Africa, and Chicago. World Challenge expeditions and staff-organised trips to Borneo, Morocco, and Peru extend horizons further. Regular climbing and walking weekends build outdoor skills.

The school day runs from 8:45am, with students expected on site before registration. The school operates a full five-day week with no Saturday school. Transport links serve the southwest Birmingham catchment, though families from further afield should allow for journey times; some students travel considerable distances. The nearest train stations are Longbridge and Northfield, both requiring onward travel. Parking is available for open days but limited during term time.

The school offers three dining facilities on site. The library, centrally located in the main building, provides nearly 50 study spaces and over 15,000 books.

Entrance test pressure. Competition is intense: roughly 1,800 candidates for 180 places. Tutoring for the Birmingham 11-plus is widespread, though the school provides free access to Atom Home for Pupil Premium families. Families should prepare for the emotional stakes of the process; rejection after months of preparation affects children and parents alike.

Peer group recalibration. Every student here excelled at primary school. Arriving and discovering that everyone was top of their class requires adjustment. This recalibration is ultimately healthy, teaching resilience and realistic self-assessment, but the transition can bruise egos.

Travel distances. The catchment area is defined but still substantial. Some students travel over an hour each way, which accumulates fatigue across a demanding academic week. Families should calculate realistic journey times before committing.

Sixth form attrition. Around 10 to 15% of Year 11 students leave because they do not meet sixth form entry requirements. The grade thresholds are published, but families should understand that progression is not guaranteed.

King Edward VI Five Ways delivers grammar school excellence without fees, making it one of the most valuable state school options in the West Midlands. Results at GCSE and A-level rival independent schools, while the Progress 8 score confirms that students genuinely advance from their starting points rather than simply reflecting advantaged intakes. The 22% free school meals figure, unusually high for a grammar, demonstrates that academic selection and social mobility can coexist.

Best suited to academically able students who thrive on challenge and respond to high expectations. The atmosphere combines rigour with genuine warmth, and the breadth of extracurricular opportunity ensures that students develop beyond their examination results. The main challenge is entry: securing one of 180 places from 1,800 candidates requires preparation, resilience, and a degree of luck. For families who succeed, the education that follows represents exceptional value.

Parents comparing local performance can use the Local Hub page to view these results side-by-side using the FindMySchool Comparison Tool.