One of the oldest schools in Britain, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School (or BVGS) was founded in 1527 by the Bishop of Exeter John Vesey, a friend of Henry VIII and tutor of Queen Mary I. It is now a selective academy for boys aged 11–16 years with a mixed sixth form, and is partnered with the nearby Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls.
The school aims to provide inspiration and excellence to students across the Midlands. It prioritises academic excellence, inspirational teaching, and enrichment opportunities to build leadership, independence and resilience.
The 2023–2024 term dates at BVGS are:
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School shares a testing process with the seven other grammar schools in Birmingham, as well as the grammar schools in Warwickshire, Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton. You only need to register once to apply to any grammar schools across these areas.
Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.
When your child is in Year 5, register them for the 11 plus on the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal. Registration opens at 9 am on 9th May 2023 and closes at 4 pm on 30th June 2023.
Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results on the 20th October 2023. If your child achieves the qualifying score, you can include grammar schools on your local authority application form.
Before listing BVGS as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. As well as your child's exam score, how close you live to a school can be an important factor in whether your child is likely to be offered a place.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
The 11 plus exam for BVGS takes place on the 16th September 2023.
The West Midlands 11 plus test is provided by GL Assessment. It consists of two papers, each lasting about 60 minutes. A few minutes are allocated at the start of each paper for children to listen to instructions and complete some unmarked practice questions.
Both papers are divided into smaller, individually-timed sections that assess:
The test is entirely multiple-choice format, with no writing sections. Children record their answers in a separate answer booklet which is marked electronically.
The maths and English questions assess your child's understanding of Key Stage 2 national curriculum content, including Year 6 objectives. It tests their ability to reason and apply knowledge accurately.
The reasoning questions assess your child’s logic and problem-solving ability. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not typically taught at school. They are intended to measure how well children can spot patterns with, connect and manipulate written and visual information.
Learn more detail about each paper, and get free preparation resources, in our full 11 plus guide:
Scores from recent years above can be used as a guide only. Achieving the qualifying score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it's likely to be oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies and oversubscription criteria for your target schools.
After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across all papers. These total scores are ranked in order, and oversubscription criteria are applied.
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 192. Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming BVGS and who achieve the qualifying score are offered a place first. After this, when more children achieve the qualifying score than there are places available (highly likely), places are offered in this order:
1. Looked-After or previously Looked-After Children who achieve the qualifying score, ranked by order of test score.
2. Up to 38 children who get free school meals and achieve the qualifying score, ranked by order of test score.
3. Other children who achieve the qualifying score, ranked by order of test score.
When test scores are equal, children who live nearest the school will be prioritised. Distances are calculated in a straight line from the child's home address to the foot of the steps leading to the main school entrance.
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School no longer has a catchment area. Places are offered based on children's performance in the test. Priority is only given to children living nearest the school when test scores are equal.
| Type of School | Grammar |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.bvgs.co.uk/ |
| Address | Lichfield Road Sutton Coldfield Birmingham B74 2NH |
| Phone | 01212505400 | enquiry@bishopveseys.bham.sch.uk | Location | Region | Birmingham and Walsall |
| Admission Year | Sept 2024 |
|---|---|
| Gender in YEAR 7 | Boys |
| CAF form | 31/10/2023 |
|---|---|
| Registration | 9/5/2023 - 30/6/2023 |
| Academic Exam | 16/9/2023 |
| Test Results Day | 20/10/2023 |
| Open Days | 15/6/2023 |
| Allocation Day | 1/3/2024 |
| Number of Places | 192 |
|---|---|
| Standardised | No |
| Age Standardised | Yes |
| Total Number of Exams | 2 |
| Qualifying Score | 223 |
| Admission Policy | View |
| Name | Document or Link | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Familiarisation booklet | View | Mixed Subjects |
