King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys is a state grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Kings Heath, Birmingham, part of the King Edward VI Foundation. It is one of the most heavily oversubscribed grammar schools in Birmingham, with 150 places available each year in Year 7.

Entry to Year 7 is through the shared West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test, set by GL Assessment and run for the King Edward VI Foundation. Camp Hill Boys does not set its own separate exam; instead, your son registers once and sits the same test used by every West Midlands grammar school, then names his preferred schools on the local authority secondary application form.

Camp Hill Boys works through its places in a strict order of priority: looked-after children first, then pupil premium boys in the catchment area, then other boys in catchment who reach the priority score, and finally all remaining applicants ranked by score and distance. Because the school is oversubscribed well beyond its qualifying score, both a strong score and living within catchment matter a great deal to your child’s chances.

Key information for 2027: King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: State grammar school (boys)
• Consortium: West Midlands Grammar Schools (King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham)
• Registration deadline: late June 2026, at westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk
• Exam date: September 2026
• CAF deadline: 31 October 2026
• National school offer day: March 2027
• Contact details: King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, www.camphillboys.bham.sch.uk; King Edward VI Foundation, kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk

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

Registration for Year 7 entry into King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys opens in early May and closes in late June 2026, through the West Midlands Grammar Schools registration portal. The test itself is held in September, with results (a standardised score, not an offer of a place) sent to families in mid-October.

You must also submit your Common Application Form (or your home authority’s equivalent) by 31 October 2026, listing King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys among your preferences; the order you list schools in is treated as your order of preference. National school offer day, when the actual offer of a place is made by your home local authority, falls in March 2027.

The published admission number (PAN) is 150 boys. Your son needs to reach the qualifying score to be considered at all, but places are then allocated by category: looked-after children, pupil premium boys in catchment, pupil premium boys outside catchment, other boys in catchment reaching the priority score, and finally all other applicants ranked by score and then by distance from the school. In recent years, boys reaching the priority score from within catchment have been offered places, while the general-applicant cut-off has sat well above the basic qualifying score, so a strong, secure result gives your child the best chance.

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

To register your child for the entrance exam, you as their parent or legal guardian must complete the online registration through the West Midlands Grammar Schools registration portal, before the late June 2026 deadline. Registering does not commit your child to Camp Hill Boys; you still choose which schools to name, and in what order, on the secondary application form in the autumn.

When registering, make sure your child’s home address details are accurate and submitted in good time, since your address determines whether your son is considered in the catchment-area categories that carry priority for a place.

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

The West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test used by Camp Hill Boys is two multiple-choice papers, each about an hour including instructions and practice questions, sat on the same day. There is no writing task, and children mark their answers on a separate answer sheet, which is a skill worth practising in its own right.

• 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 so younger children are not disadvantaged. English and verbal reasoning together carry half the marks, with maths and non-verbal reasoning a quarter each, and there is no re-marking once the answer sheets are computer-scanned.

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

Because Camp Hill Boys is so heavily oversubscribed, the aim is not just to clear the basic qualifying score but to push your son’s result as high as it will comfortably go, and because English and verbal reasoning carry half the marks, that is where preparation time pays off most. Little and often works well in the school term, with short daily sessions on verbal and non-verbal reasoning, since these question types are the least familiar from school.

Closer to the summer, full timed practice tests under exam conditions help your child get used to the pace and to transferring answers onto a separate answer sheet, a skill that costs easy marks if it is not practised. The King Edward VI Foundation also publishes free familiarisation materials showing exactly how the real papers and answer sheets look, which are worth using alongside full practice tests.

For King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys (West Midlands Grammar Schools) 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: