King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys
Grove Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 9ET
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Boys
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- KING EDWARD VI ACADEMY TRUST BIRMINGHAM
- Headteacher
- Mr Tim Johnson
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Sponsor
- King Edward VI Foundation
- Constituency
- Birmingham Perry Barr
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,000
- Pupils on roll
- 1,054
- URN
- 143562
- Local authority
- Birmingham
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01215542794
About this school
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is a boys' secondary academy in Birmingham. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 1,054 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 149 | 150 | 149 |
| Attainment 8 score | 71.4 | 72.0 | 72.0 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.61 +0.37 to +0.84 | +0.78 +0.55 to +1.01 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 97% | 93.3% | 96.6% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 100% | 96.7% | 98.7% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 38% | 32.7% | 57% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.6 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Birmingham average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 71.4 | 40.1 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 72 | 40.3 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 72 | 40.6 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,065 |
| 2023/24 | 1,046 |
| 2024/25 | 1,044 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys compares
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys ranked 7th of 85 secondary schools in Birmingham for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 98% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 72 | 5.4% | 19.7% | 1,054 | — |
| King Edward VI Handsworth School | 74.2 | 6% | 24.4% | 1,365 | 0.4 miles |
| Holyhead School | 43.2 | 6.7% | 62% | 1,257 | 0.6 miles |
| Windsor Olympus Academy | — | 6.8% | 69.4% | 533 | 0.6 miles |
| King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy | 48 | 8.5% | 53.8% | 1,052 | 0.7 miles |
| St John Wall Catholic School | 44.7 | 8% | 60.3% | 591 | 1.1 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 16 April 2024
-
Ungraded inspection report23 March 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 19.73%
- English as an additional language
- 26.1%
- Overall absence
- 5.37%
- Persistent absence
- 15.68%
Location
Nearby schools
-
King Edward VI Handsworth School0.4 miles
Secondary · Birmingham
-
Holyhead School0.6 miles
Secondary · Birmingham
-
Windsor Olympus Academy0.6 miles
Secondary · Birmingham
-
King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy0.7 miles
Secondary · Birmingham
-
St John Wall Catholic School1.1 miles
Secondary · Birmingham
Other schools in Birmingham
King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys ranks 5th of the 87 ranked secondary schools in Birmingham.
- Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School Secondary
- Arena Academy Secondary
- Ark Boulton Academy Secondary
- Ark St Alban's Academy Secondary
- Aston Manor Academy Secondary
- Aston University Engineering Academy Secondary
- Bartley Green School Secondary
- Birmingham Ormiston Academy Secondary
- Bishop Challoner Catholic College Secondary
- BOA Digital Technologies Academy Secondary
- Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form Secondary
- Broadway Academy Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys teach?
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Birmingham.
- Who is the headteacher of King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys?
- The headteacher of King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is Mr Tim Johnson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys?
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys has 1,054 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys full?
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys has capacity for 1,000 pupils and 1,054 on roll (105%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys a faith school?
- No. King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys has no designated religious character.
- Is King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys a selective school?
- Yes. King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is recorded as Selective in the schools register, so entry involves selection.
- Who runs King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys?
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is part of KING EDWARD VI ACADEMY TRUST BIRMINGHAM. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 71.4 in 2022/23 and 72 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys rank locally?
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys ranked 7th of 85 secondary schools in Birmingham for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 98% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys's absence rate?
- King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys's overall absence rate is 5.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.