Bishop Vesey's Grammar School

About Bishop Vesey's Grammar School

Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a boys' state secondary in Birmingham that is significantly oversubscribed, reflecting its strong local reputation. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 1,126 applications for just 187 places, an oversubscription ratio of 6.02 to one. Of those applicants, 338 put the school as their first preference, and 133 first-preference offers were made. The school currently has 1,413 pupils on roll, exceeding its official capacity of 1,360, which suggests a high level of sustained demand. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 11.6%, which is below the national average for secondary schools and indicates a relatively less disadvantaged intake compared with many schools in the Birmingham local authority area. The school is non-denominational and operates a selective admissions process, which likely contributes to its academic profile and the intense competition for places.

Academically, Bishop Vesey's delivers results that place it well above the national average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.75 is classified as 'well above average' and far exceeds the Birmingham local authority average of 0.09. The Attainment 8 score is 75.8, and 100% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, with 98.4% achieving a grade 5 or above in both. The EBacc entry rate is very high at 93.2%, and the EBacc average point score is 7.37. In the most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Outstanding across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. This is a repeat of its previous Outstanding rating from 2014. At A-level, the average points per entry is 45.04, equivalent to an A- grade, and 47.5% of entries achieved AAB or higher. The sixth-form value-added score is -0.03, which is in the 'average' band, suggesting that while students arrive with very high prior attainment, the school maintains strong outcomes.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a theatre, swimming pool, tennis courts, astro turf, a library, a sixth-form centre, ICT suites, and art studios. Sports on offer include football, hockey, rugby, rowing, cross country, and gymnastics, while extracurricular clubs cover drama, choir, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Model United Nations, and science and eco clubs. The school has a dedicated sixth form and provides support for a wide range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing and visual impairments, and speech, language and communication needs. For families considering Bishop Vesey's, the key takeaway is that it is a highly selective, academically demanding school for boys, with a strong track record of outstanding Ofsted grades and exceptional GCSE results. The intense competition for places means that preparation for the entrance process is essential, and the school is best suited to academically able boys who thrive in a structured, high-achieving environment.

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