King Edward VI Five Ways School

About the School

King Edward VI Five Ways School is a selective grammar school/converter academy on the southwest tip of the City and one of the eleven “Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham”. The Foundation dates from 1552, although its origins can be traced back two centuries earlier. As a selective state grammar, all running expenses are met from state funds and so parents pay no fees. In September 2004, King Edward VI Five Ways School became a Specialist Humanities School and in 2008 took on a second Specialism in Science, although today specialisms are no longer funded by government.​

The school was established as part of the Foundation in 1883 at Five Ways, just west of the City centre. It moved in 1958 to a particularly attractive 32-acre site, seven miles to the southwest of the City centre, bordering Bartley Reservoir and looking out to Frankley Beeches. In September 2003, the School completed the move towards full co-education, making it the only mixed, non fee paying Grammar School in the West Midlands. Currently there is an intake at the age of 11 of 180 pupils per year (irrespective of gender) on the basis of performance in the entrance examination set by the King Edward Foundation. The School has approximately 1300 pupils on roll.

In recent years, the entry has been many times oversubscribed and the school draws pupils from our catchment area. Applications are welcomed from all boys or girls. Boys and girls are also admitted at 16 into our large Sixth Form, which has 400 students.

The heart of the buildings remain those erected over fifty years ago when the school moved from Five Ways, but over recent years there have been substantial developments in the facilities. Most recent additions include The Chowen Sixth Form Centre, a Drama Studio, a £1 million Osmend Language Centre and Pavilion complex including hospitality and changing facilities. All of the existing classrooms and toilet facilities have been renovated.

This follows a major building programme, during the expansion of the school as it became fully co-educational. The MacCarthy Building has specialist rooms for English, Religious Studies, Art, Photography, Expressive Arts and Food Technology. King Edward VI Five Ways School's Sports Hall, climbing wall and changing rooms form a sports complex together with the Dance Studio, Swimming Pool plus a purpose built Fitness Suite, completed in 2008. In 2015 King Edward VI Five Ways School were delighted to open Fox Field, a multi-use astro turf pitch, and in 2017 a Pavilion and new changing room facilities.

Wheeldon's Dining Room serves pupils freshly cooked food daily, as well as providing an exhibition space for works of art by our own students.

Within the older buildings, recent alterations have resulted in new and refurbished laboratories, computer rooms and an extension to the library. The Assembly Hall has also been extended, including a balcony completed in 2009.​

In 2019 King Edward VI Five Ways School were delighted to open their new Music School in the Eyles Centre, complete with practice rooms, recording facilities, office space and music classrooms. This ‘build-conversion’ also involved the relocation of ICT facilities to a new home within the school.