King Edward VI Aston School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About King Edward VI Aston School

King Edward VI Aston School is a state grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Aston, inner Birmingham, and is part of the King Edward VI Foundation. The school serves a diverse inner-city community in north Birmingham and has 140 places available each year in Year 7.

Like the other King Edward VI Foundation schools, Aston does not set its own entrance exam. Boys are selected through the shared West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test, written by GL Assessment and run for the Foundation, so families register once and the result can be used for any West Midlands grammar school named on the application.

Key information for 2027: King Edward VI Aston School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: State grammar school (boys)
• Consortium: King Edward VI Foundation / West Midlands Grammar Schools
• Registration deadline: June 2026
• Exam date: September 2026
• CAF deadline: end of October 2026
• National school offer day: March 2027
• Contact details: www.keaston.bham.sch.uk, kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk/the-test

Admissions information for 2027 entry: King Edward VI Aston School at 11 Plus (11+)

Registration for Year 7 entry to King Edward VI Aston School closes in June 2026 via the West Midlands Grammar Schools registration portal. The shared entrance test is held in September, with results issued in October.

You will also need to submit your Common Application Form (CAF) to your home local authority by the end of October, listing King Edward VI Aston School in your order of preference alongside any other schools.

The published admission number (PAN) is 140. Reaching the qualifying score, which has sat around 205 in recent years, makes a boy eligible, but Aston then ranks qualified boys, giving priority to those whose home address falls inside its defined catchment area. The catchment covers a wide swathe of Birmingham electoral wards, including Aston, Alum Rock, Bromford & Hodge Hill, Castle Vale and Erdington, plus several Solihull wards such as Castle Bromwich, Chelmsley Wood, Kingshurst & Fordbridge and Smith’s Wood. National school offer day is in March 2027.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exam at King Edward VI Aston School?

To register your son for the entrance exam, you as their parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration form through the West Midlands Grammar Schools registration portal, before the June 2026 deadline.

When registering, check carefully whether your home address falls inside King Edward VI Aston’s defined catchment area, since the school prioritises catchment boys who reach the qualifying score ahead of those applying from further afield.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for King Edward VI Aston School?

The West Midlands entrance test used by King Edward VI Aston School is two multiple-choice papers, each about an hour including instructions and practice questions, sat on the same day in September of Year 6. There is no writing task, and children mark their answers on a separate answer sheet.

• English comprehension: a reading passage with questions, plus vocabulary and wider literacy.
• Verbal reasoning: word and logic puzzles not usually taught in primary school.
• Maths: the Year 5 curriculum at pace, rewarding speed and accuracy.
• Non-verbal (spatial) reasoning: pattern and shape puzzles.

Each section is given a standardised age score, which adjusts for your son’s age. English and verbal reasoning together carry half the marks, with maths and non-verbal reasoning a quarter each.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) King Edward VI Aston School exam

Because King Edward VI Aston selects on score and then by catchment, the aim is not just to reach the qualifying mark but to push your son’s score as high as it comfortably can go, particularly in English and verbal reasoning, which carry half the marks between them.

Little and often works best in the run-up: short daily sessions on verbal and non-verbal reasoning question types, plenty of wide reading for the comprehension paper, then full timed practice papers under exam conditions closer to September, including practising transferring answers to a separate answer sheet against the clock.

For King Edward VI Aston School (West Midlands Grammar Schools test) 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: