At a Glance
Assessment: GL 11 Plus
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Boys Only
Places per year: 192
Competition: Very High
Introduction
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School is a selective grammar school for boys aged 11-18 in Birmingham and across the West Midlands. They pride themselves on academic excellence and an outstanding level of education, especially compared to other schools locally, regionally and nationally. The school was ranked in the top 20 grammar schools in England following their 2019 GCSE results, thus proving themselves as one of the leading state schools across the nation. Beyond academia, the school provides students with an extensive range of extra-curricular activities; one example of many includes the opportunity to join a successful and renowned rowing squad.
Attainment at GCSE is rising with, in 2019, 73% of all grades at Grade 7 or better (a grade A or above under the previous GCSE mark system), and progress is outstanding. It is also notable that 98% of all GCSE students in this cohort achieved a grade 5 or above (equivalent to a high grade C or B under the previous GCSE mark system). Further, 100% of students achieved a grade 4 or above (equivalent to a low C under the previous GCSE marking system). This is especially impressive compared to the local authority average of 43% achieving a grade 5 or above and 62% achieving a grade 4 or above. The school also boasts a Sixth Form abundant with academic excellence, admitting a minimum of 80 external students each year.
Applying to a grammar school is a competitive process and understanding how to prepare for selective testing is difficult. Bishops Vesey, in conjunction with all grammar schools under Birmingham City Council, require children to sit an entrance test, under the exam board GL 11 Plus. Our resources with 11 Plus Hero help prepare your child for the Birmingham grammar schools entrance test, providing them with a toolkit to have the best chance to succeed. We also provide information to help guide yourself and your child through the admissions process, so that you and your child can confidently and competently apply to your chosen schools.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School Key Information
Below, we list key information regarding Bishop Vesey’s direct contact details, parking information and relevant statistics for prospective students.
School Address
Full Address:
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Lichfield Road, Sutton ColdfieldBirmingham
B74 2NH
Contact Information
Parking in the school
- Parking can be found on the school premises and a number of car parks within a 10 minute walk.
- Anchorage Road Car Park, Anchorage Road, Birmingham B74 2PH (Opening Hours: Mon-Sat All day, Sun 08:00-18:00).
- Reddicroft Upper Car Park, Reddicroft Upper, Reddicroft, Birmingham B73 6BN (Opening Hours: Mon-Sat All day, Sun 08:00-18:00)
Key Information for Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School
PAN* for Year 7 intake (2023)
Total Student Capacity Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Total Students Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Percentage Capacity (2022)
Latest Ofsted Rating (2014)
Selection Test (In Depth Discussion Below - Link)
Bishop Vesey’s Key Dates and Application Information
Dates and deadlines which relate to grammar school entry in Birmingham, including Bishop Vesey’s, are vital to meet. 11 Plus Hero understands the necessity of this and is here to help. Listed below are key dates which prospective parents need to keep to to give their child the best chance of entry.
Applications for Secondary School intake 2023
Opening Evening
Open Morning
Registration for Birmingham Grammar Schools 11 plus exam
Reasonable Adjustments Deadline - deadline for requesting reasonable adjustments to allow your child to access the paper, for example if they have a disability. Requests should be submitted along with all relevant evidence.
Birmingham Grammar Schools Entrance Test Date
Birmingham Grammar Schools Entrance Test Results Date:
Preference Form Deadline
School Offer
Application Documents for Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School
Below, we list links which contain specific information to Bishop Vesey’s admission process, in addition to links containing information and tools regarding the process of the Birmingham Grammar Schools whole application process. These websites are essential to enlist your child for the Birmingham Entrance Test and apply to Bishop Vesey’s itself.
Birmingham Grammar Schools Entrance Test Format
Mutual to all the grammar schools under Birmingham City Council, Bishop Vesey’s uses the GL 11 Plus Test to test prospective students. Although the GL 11 Plus is daunting, we understand and are accustomed to the content of the test, its methodology and method of marking. The 11 Plus Hero is here to help; we can provide a toolkit to your child, familiarising them with the test format and ensuring they have the best chance to succeed.
The Birmingham Grammar Schools Entrance Test: Overview
There are four key components to the GL 11 Plus Test. Grammar schools in Birmingham, including Bishop Vesey’s. The school understands these components as vital to test. For an in depth breakdown of the GL 11 Plus content and format, please visit our Article ‘Selective Tests in Birmingham – The GL 11 Plus Test’.
Overview:
- There are two papers; both papers are approximately 60 minutes long.
- Both papers are divided into four separate subsections of English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning; hence, both papers may contain a mix of all four elements.
The Birmingham Grammar Schools GL 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
Test scores are received by October for the following year of entry. For example, for entry in 2023, test scores will be received in October 2022. It is notable that younger children are not penalised for their age, the results are statistically standardised to compare any child’s score average to the average score of their school year. Further, there is no ‘pass mark’, for the entrance test to Birmingham grammar schools; instead, admission is based on a ‘qualifying mark’, calculated by examining the marks of students who sat the test that year. This means that the ‘qualifying mark’ varies from year to year. Although the qualifying mark cannot be predicted, it is estimated that the top 25% of students will achieve the qualifying mark. For more information please see our article ‘Selective Test in Birmingham – GL 11 Plus”
Paper 1:
A mix of: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning
Paper 2:
A mix of: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning
The Birmingham Grammar Schools Entrance Test - GL 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ | n/an/a |
Catchment Area
To be eligible for admission to Bishop Vesey’s, candidates must achieve the aforementioned ‘qualifying mark’. Where the number of students achieving the qualifying mark exceeds the number of places at the school, priority is given to students in the ‘catchment area’ of the school.
The ‘catchment area’, and subsequent priority on admission to Bishop Vesey’s, is calculated on the following basis. A straight line measurement is calculated between the applicant’s home address and the steps leading to the school entrance; a computerised system measures this distance in metres, defining which students reside closest to the school.
Additional eligibilities:
Notably, Bishop Vesey’s reserve a number of places to students who fit certain categories, meaning that offers are made on a tiered basis. We outline this below.
- The highest priority students are ‘Looked After (or Previously Looked After) Children’* who have achieved the qualifying mark by rank order of standardised score. For example, the highest priority student would be a ‘Looked After (or Previously Looked After) Child’ who has received the highest mark in the GL 11 Plus in the rank order of the scores;
- Next, Bishop Vesey’s prioritise Children who attract the Pupil Premium**, who achieve the qualifying mark by rank order of standardised marks;
- Last, places will be offered to children who do not fit into the aforementioned categories. The criterion for this is that places will be offered to children who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score. Where children are equal on standardised score, places will be offered based on the catchment area.
*A child who is (or has been) in state provided social care.
**A child who has been registered for free school meals at any point in the 6 years prior to the closing date for test registration.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School FAQs
There is no official ‘pass mark’ for Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School. Instead, a ‘qualifying mark’ is used to compare all candidates’ results against. This is the minimum standardised mark which makes a candidate eligible for admission to Bishop Vesey’s. The qualifying mark is subject to change each year.
- Bishop Vesey is a grammar school under Birmingham City Council, meaning that students are selected based on their performance in the entrance test to Birmingham grammar schools. This entrance test is sat under the GL 11 Plus exam board; GL 11 Plus exam papers are multiple choice, and test a child’s competence in English, Maths, Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning.
- For more details see ‘Section 4: Bishop Vesey’s Grammar Exam Format’ LINK
- Birmingham City Council hosts familiarisation material to allow children to get used to the format of their exams.
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