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Bishop Vesey's Grammar School

School typeGrammar

Also known asBVGS

AddressLichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West_Midlands, England, B74 2NH

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School (BVGS) is a selective boys' grammar school in Sutton Coldfield. For 11+ entry, boys sit the GL exam, and there is no interview stage. The school's catchment area extends up to 12 miles from the main school entrance.

If your son enjoys languages and likes the idea of finding his voice as well as his subjects, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield is worth a serious look. It is a selective boys' school with a co-educational sixth form — girls have been part of it since 1983 — and it sums up its ambition in two words: inspiration and excellence. The history earns that confidence: founded in 1527 by John Vesey, Bishop of Exeter and adviser to Henry VIII, it is among the oldest schools in the West Midlands and has been on its Lichfield Road site since 1729.

What distinguishes it day to day is a serious commitment to languages and oracy. All boys study two modern foreign languages in the early years, Mandarin Chinese among them, and the emphasis throughout is on learning to articulate ideas clearly, not just accumulate them. Co-curricular sessions are built into the timetable so every pupil takes part — and the clubs reflect a school that takes curiosity seriously, from a cipher challenge and engineering to an astrophysics club.

Boys take on leadership roles, do work experience in Year 10 and again in the sixth form, and inspectors found warm, purposeful relationships between staff and pupils throughout. It suits an academically able boy who wants a stretching, language-rich education and a school where curiosity is given genuine room to grow.

Key facts

Gender

Boys

Year 7 places

192

Annual fees

None

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

June

Registration opens

May

Registration closes

June

CAF deadline

Oct

Admissions contact

enquiry@bishopveseys.bham.sch.uk

Admissions phone

0121 250 5400

Registration form

https://westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk/

Sibling policy

What this school tests

West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test

English13 question types

Reading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / Choice

Maths23 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMagic squaresMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueNumber WallsOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning14 question types

Extended Figure SeriesFigure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure OperationsFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning26 question types

AnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter CalculationsLetter CodesLetter GridsLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersNumber AnalogiesNumber CalculationsNumber SequencesRelated WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning8 question types

2D RotationsBlock CountingCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeShape Completion

Catchment area

A straight-line measurement of up to 12 miles from the foot of the steps leading to the main school entrance of Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School.

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 77.1 across their GCSEs. 97.4% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 78.5% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved a B+ average grade per A-Level entry. 45.2% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Bishop Vesey's Grammar School use for the 11+?

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Bishop Vesey's Grammar School interview 11+ candidates?

No, there is no interview stage as part of the 11+ admissions process at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School.

Is Bishop Vesey's Grammar School a single-sex or co-educational school for 11+ entry?

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a selective boys' school for 11+ entry. Its sixth form is co-educational.

What is the catchment area for Bishop Vesey's Grammar School?

The catchment area is a straight-line measurement of up to 12 miles from the foot of the steps leading to the main school entrance.

What is Bishop Vesey's Grammar School's official website?

The official website for Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is https://bvgs.co.uk/.

How do you get a place at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School?

A child first needs to reach the qualifying score in the West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test, which covers verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning and is run by the Grammar Schools of Birmingham Consortium. Boys who qualify are then ranked. Places go first to looked-after and previously looked-after children, then to Pupil Premium children, capped at 38 places, then to all other qualifying children, each group ordered by score. There is no catchment area and no sibling priority. If scores are equal, the place goes to the child living nearest the school.

What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School?

If your child is ill, do not send them to the test. Phone the test centre to report the absence and get a doctor's note giving the dates and details of the illness. The reasons will be looked at carefully and, if possible, an alternative test date will be arranged. If a child sits the test while unwell, no allowance can be made to their score afterwards. Any access arrangements are decided case by case on the evidence you provide, and requests must be made by the consortium deadline. As the test is multiple choice, extra time is not automatic.

Location

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