King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys

King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is a state grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Handsworth, Birmingham, and part of the King Edward VI Foundation. It is one of the West Midlands’ long-established grammar schools and offers 150 places 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. Handsworth Boys does not set its own separate exam; you register once, your son sits the test once, and the result can be used by any West Midlands grammar school you name on the secondary application form in the autumn.

Handsworth Boys is a separate school from the nearby King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls. Both are King Edward VI Foundation grammars in Handsworth and both use the same shared entrance test, but they have their own admissions and their own catchment, so make sure you are reading the boys’ school policy. Reaching the qualifying score makes a boy eligible, but the school then ranks qualified applicants, with priority for those living inside its defined catchment area.

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

• School type: State grammar school (boys)
• Consortium: West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test (King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham)
• Registration deadline: 4pm, end of June 2026, at westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk
• Exam date: September 2026 (Saturday, morning or afternoon session)
• CAF deadline: end of October 2026
• National school offer day: March 2027
• Contact details: King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, www.handsworth.bham.sch.uk; King Edward VI Foundation entrance test, kingedwardvifoundation.co.uk/the-test; registration portal, westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk

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

Registration for Year 7 entry into King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is made through the West Midlands Grammar Schools registration portal, which typically opens in May and closes at 4pm at the end of June 2026. The test itself is held in September, with results sent to parents in October, ahead of the secondary application deadline.

You must also submit your Common Application Form (CAF) to your home local authority by the end of October 2026, listing ‘King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys’ among your preferences. The order in which you list schools is treated as your order of preference.

National school offer day falls in March 2027. The published admission number (PAN) is 150 Year 7 places. The qualifying score is set each year from standardised scores and has sat around 205 in recent years, though this is not a guarantee for 2027 entry; always confirm the current figure in the admission policy once published.

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

To register your son for the entrance exam, you as their parent or legal guardian complete the online registration through the West Midlands Grammar Schools registration portal, before the end-of-June 2026 deadline. Registering does not commit you to Handsworth 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 son’s home address is recorded correctly, as this determines whether he is assessed against the school’s catchment area. Registering in good time is worthwhile, as late registrations are not guaranteed a test place.

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

The West Midlands entrance test used by Handsworth Boys is sat over one day and consists of two multiple-choice papers, each about an hour including instructions and practice questions. Children mark their answers on a separate answer sheet, which is a skill worth practising in its own right. There is no writing task.

• 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.

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

Because Handsworth Boys selects on score and is regularly oversubscribed, the aim is not just to reach the qualifying mark but to push the score as high as it will comfortably go, and because English and verbal reasoning carry half the marks, that is where the time pays off most. Little and often works well in the run-up to the summer, moving to full, timed practice tests under exam conditions once the school holidays begin.

Practising the transfer of answers onto a separate answer sheet against the clock is also worth building in, since this catches out children who have only ever written answers directly onto a question paper. The King Edward VI Foundation also publishes familiarisation materials showing exactly how the real papers and answer sheets look, which are worth using alongside full practice tests.

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