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Introduction
A new collaboration has been established amongst selective grammar schools in the Midlands region to streamline the 11+ entrance procedure.
The newly formed entity, known as the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership, brings together grammar schools from the following areas:
⦿ Birmingham
⦿ Shropshire
⦿ Walsall
⦿ Warwickshire
⦿ Wolverhampton
This strategic collaboration represents a significant step towards fostering educational synergies across the region.
In a pioneering approach designed to alleviate stress and foster a healthier environment for students, the partnership will implement a single unified test. This test will not only reduce the pressure students often feel during the entrance process, but also actively promote their well-being and positive mental health.
Scheduled to take place in September of the year prior to entry, this unified entrance examination aims to provide a smoother, more integrated admission process. One of the key advantages of this approach is the ability to share candidates’ test scores amongst all schools within the partnership. This eliminates the need for children to sit through multiple tests, thus simplifying the admissions process and reducing stress on both students and their families.
Complete List of Grammar Schools in West Midlands
The West Midlands Grammar School Partnership is an alliance of 19 grammar schools, which are as follows:
Birmingham
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
King Edward VI Five Ways School
King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
Shropshire
Haberdashers’ Adams Grammar School
Walsall
Warwickshire
Stratford Girls’ Grammar School
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton Girls’ High School
⬇️ Read on to learn more about their exam and admissions process!
11 Plus (11+) Exam Information for the West Midlands Grammar School Consortium
The results of the West Midlands entrance examination will serve as a unified standard for making admission decisions across the participating grammar schools. Students who excel in the examination will have the unique opportunity to be considered for entry to several schools within the area. This broadens their prospects of gaining a position at a grammar school.
Exam date: September
Exam board type: West Midlands Partnership (GL Assessment)
Pass mark: Aim for 80%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
Results date: OctoberAllocations date: March
How to Register for the West Midlands Grammar School Consortium 11 Plus (11+) Exam
If your child wishes to be considered for a grammar school place in the West Midlands area, they should be pre-registered for the entrance examination and sit the relevant assessment at a designated test centre.
This can be done using an online portal, where you initially need to enter your postal code and your child’s gender. The portal will then take you to the relevant website, where you can register for the entrance test.
West Midlands Consortium 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The test will comprise two papers assessing the children’s skills in the following topics:
- English Comprehension
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-Verbal + Spatial Reasoning
- Mathematics
The weightings for the test results are 50% for English/verbal reasoning, 25% for non-verbal reasoning and 25% for mathematics.
Each paper will be approximately 50 minutes in length, with a one-hour administration time. Candidates will have a short break between papers and must record their answers on separate answer sheets provided. All questions are multiple-choice.
To help prepare candidates, familiarisation guides will be available from GL Assessment, who are the test providers for the West Midlands Partnership. However, it’s worth noting that these are generic familiarisation materials and do not accurately reflect what the new West Midlands Partnership test will actually be like in terms of layout, timings, format and question types.
West Midlands Consortium 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Test results will use age-weighted standardisation with a median score of 200. This adjustment affects grammar schools in Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton, which previously employed a median score of 300.
Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our 11+ West Midlands practice tests should be on track to pass the 11 Plus.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this is a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the West Midlands 11+ exam.
Passing the test does not guarantee that your child will be offered a place. It simply means they have surpassed the required threshold. As such, it makes sense to aim for as high a score as possible.
Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice papers from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!
Practice Papers for the West Midlands Consortium 11 Plus (11+) Exam
The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the West Midlands 11+ Exam. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
Practice Papers
The packs below will introduce your child to all the key question types used in GL Assessment 11+ English exams, such as the West Midlands assessment. The timings and types of passages used are typical of what you can expect in the actual exam.
The packs below will introduce your child to all the key question types used in the West Midlands 11+ Verbal Reasoning exam sections, using the correct timings and pitched at just the right difficulty level. Each pack comes with free, detailed video explanations for every question to help your child learn and improve quickly.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
The packs below will introduce your child to all the key question types used in the West Midlands 11+ Mathematics exam sections, using the correct timings and pitched at just the right difficulty level. Each pack comes with free, detailed video explanations for every question to help your child learn and improve quickly.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
The packs below will expose your child to all the key question types used in the West Midlands 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning exam sections, using the correct timings and pitched at just the right difficulty level.
If you don’t buy a Bundle, don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250
West Midlands Grammar School Consortium: Leavers’ Destinations
Leavers’ destinations here refer to the next steps that students take after completing their studies at West Midlands grammar schools.
Universities within the Russell Group are highly respected and sought-after institutions, celebrated for their impressive performances across a variety of significant metrics. These universities are renowned for their exemplary research contributions, providing a home for top-tier scholars and making pioneering discoveries.
Prominent among the illustrious members of the Russell Group are the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Both universities command a noteworthy position as two of the world’s oldest and most prestigious academic institutions. Their longstanding tradition of scholarly excellence, underpinned by stringent academic programmes and distinguished faculty, only adds to their elevated status.
📊 The charts below show the recent leavers’ destinations for grammar schools in West Midlands:
Source: Gov.uk
As the chart above shows, a significant number of grammar school students from the Midlands region are offered places at top universities in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions About The 11 Plus (11+) West Midlands Grammar School Consortium
There are 19 grammar schools in the West Midlands Grammar School Partnership. Click here to access the articles we have for each of these schools, addressing their history and ethos, as well as all the details about their 11+ entry procedure.
Registrations for the exam are done online. Initially, you need to enter your postal code and your child’s sex in this online portal, which then takes you to the relevant website where you can register for the entrance test.
The West Midlands Partnership 11+ exam is held in September.
The West Midlands 11+ exam consists of GL-style papers assessing English Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning.
Test results will use age-weighted standardisation with a median score of 200. Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our 11+ West Midlands practice tests should be on track to pass the 11 Plus.
Grammar schools in West Midlands use GL Assessment as their exam provider.
The information provided about the West Midlands Grammar Schools Partnership was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the schools directly if you are unsure of anything. Contact details are provided within individual school posts.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by West Midlands Grammar Schools Partnership.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
