About the school
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, known as BVGS, is a selective state grammar school with academy status for boys in Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands, with a co-educational sixth form. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, it educates pupils aged 11 to 18 and is one of the top-performing state grammar schools in the region.
Founded in 1527 by Bishop John Vesey, it is one of the oldest schools in Britain and the oldest state school in the West Midlands. It became a Language College in 2004 and an academy in 2012, and is a partner school of Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School is part of The Grammar Schools in Birmingham, within the wider West Midlands Grammar Schools’ partnership, and selects pupils through the shared entrance test for Year 7 entry. The school admits 192 boys into Year 7 each year.
School type
Boys' Grammar (mixed Sixth Form)
Exam date
Sat 12 & Sun 13 September 2026 (West Midlands Test)
Exam board
GL Assessment (West Midlands Test)
Address
Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B74 2NH
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Bishop Veseys Grammar School entrance test is the West Midlands Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test, used by The Grammar Schools in Birmingham. Here is everything you need to know about the Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School admissions criteria and exam structure.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School selects pupils on academic ability through the West Midlands Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test, used by The Grammar Schools in Birmingham. The test is provided by GL Assessment and consists of two multiple-choice papers, each lasting approximately 60 minutes, assessing English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
Each of the two papers is divided into separately timed sections, and all questions are multiple-choice, with answers recorded in a separate answer booklet that is marked electronically. Scores are age-standardised so that younger children are not disadvantaged, and candidates are then ranked by their combined standardised score. A single sitting can be used to apply to several West Midlands grammar schools.
Parents register their son for the West Midlands Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test through The Grammar Schools in Birmingham registration system. For September 2027 entry, registration opens in early May 2026 and closes at the end of June 2026. Parents must also name Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School on their Birmingham City Council Common Application Form, which is due by the 31st October.
Test results are emailed to parents on Friday 16 October 2026, after which families confirm their secondary school preferences through their local authority. School place offers are confirmed on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027. Meeting the qualifying score does not guarantee a place, as the school is heavily oversubscribed.
Key admissions details
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School admits 192 boys into Year 7 each year.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School does not have a fixed catchment area, and pupils are admitted on the basis of their 11 plus results. Within its criteria, priority is given to looked-after children and pupil premium pupils who meet the qualifying score, followed by children living in the school’s priority area, then others by rank order of score.
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Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School is located on Lichfield Road in Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands, B74 2NH. It is a selective state grammar school for boys with academy status and a co-educational sixth form, rated Outstanding by Ofsted, serving pupils aged 11 to 18.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School was founded in 1527 by Bishop John Vesey, making it one of the oldest schools in Britain and the oldest state school in the West Midlands. It became an academy in 2012.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School uses the West Midlands Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test, provided by GL Assessment. It consists of two multiple-choice papers, each lasting about 60 minutes, assessing English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School does not have a fixed catchment area, and boys are admitted on the basis of their 11 plus results. Within its criteria, children living in the school’s priority area are given some priority, with remaining places allocated by rank order of score.
For September 2027 entry, registration for the West Midlands Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test opens in early May 2026 and closes at the end of June 2026, through The Grammar Schools in Birmingham. The Common Application Form is due to the local authority by the 31st October.
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School admits boys only in Years 7 to 11, with a co-educational sixth form. It is a partner school of Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls, which is also part of The Grammar Schools in Birmingham.
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