September 2024 - Queen Mary's Grammar School

SEPTEMBER 2024 Entry QMGS – NOW CLOSED

The registration period for our main Entrance Test for Year 7 entry September 2024 is now closed. The closing date was 4pm on 30^th June 2023 and the QMGS entrance exam took place on Saturday 16th September 2023.

Late Applications

The registration period for our late entrance Test is now closed. The Late test portal closed on 02.02.2024 at 9:00am and no applications will be accepted after that date.

The late entrance Test will take place in March 2024.

Late applications are those where the parents of a candidate have not registered with the school by 4:00pm on 30^th June 2023. All late candidates will be tested as per our published Admission Arrangements for a waiting list place..

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This year we are pleased to announce a collaboration between Midlands based selective schools.

This new partnership, known as ‘West Midlands Grammar Schools’, will incorporate all Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire, and Wolverhampton grammar schools.

For September 2024 entry there will one test for all children, reducing stress for candidates and ultimately supporting children’s well-being and positive mental health.

This one selective school entrance test will take place across the West Midlands Grammar School partnership on the same day – 16^th September 2023, or within an agreed testing window on Monday 18^th September, (certain schools only). With parental consent, candidates’ tests scores can be shared between all schools within the partnership. There will be no need for any child to sit multiple tests over different weekends.

Dates and key processes have been aligned and all applications will be directed to one centralised application portal, opening at 9:00am on 9^th May 2023. (It will be available at the bottom of this page on 9^th May). Parents will be asked to enter their home postcode and their child’s gender and will then be directed to the relevant website to register their child for the entrance test. Children will be tested at their local test centre and will be eligible to apply for any of the schools in the group. There will no longer be a need to sit tests at every school of interest. Following the notification of test scores in October, the parents will be able to list their schools of interest on the Local Authority Preference Form.

RESULTS & OFFERS – West Midland Grammar Schools

2023 has seen a collaboration between Midlands based selective schools resulting in a new partnership, known as ‘West Midlands Grammar Schools’, which incorporates all Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire, and Wolverhampton grammar schools.

Sharing Data

The West Midlands Grammar Schools Partnership can share results. This means that if your child sits the entrance test in Birmingham, they can be eligible to apply for any of the grammar schools in, Shropshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire. Likewise, applicants sitting the entrance test in, Shropshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Warwickshire can be eligible to apply for any of the grammar schools in Birmingham.

If you intend to apply for multiple schools, you must have ticked the relevant box on the test application form to consent to share your child’s details and entrance test result. Any request to share results after the registration closing date (30.06.2023) will not be considered until after school offers have been made in March 2024.

Please note that Admission criteria to each school within the partnership will differ and we strongly recommend you check individual school websites for further details.

Aged Standardised scoring:

Results will be released throughout the West Midlands Grammar Schools’ partnership using an age-weighted standardisation around a median score of 200. This will mean a change for those grammar schools in Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton who previously used a median score of 300.

Examples of age standardisation to 200 will be given for previous years data, although please note that this WILL be approximate.

	Intake	Minimum Qualifying Score	Lowest score offered a place
2024 ENTRY	180	200*	n/a
2023 ENTRY	180	295 (200)	333 (222)
2022 ENTRY	180	295 (200)	326 (218)

* This is an approximate minimum qualifying score and is subject to analysis and governors’ confirmation in November 2023

In Red above, we have given you previous years scores standardised to a median of 200 as a comparison. This is approximate

Minimum qualifying scores and cut off scores:

For 2024 entry, you will receive your child’s test score by Friday 20 October 2023 prior to you completing your Local Authority preference form by 31 October 2023. Parents/carers can then decide whether or not to include any of the Grammar Schools in Shropshire, Walsall or Wolverhampton on their home Local Authority preference form. If your child does not achieve the qualifying score or above they will not be considered for a place and you should not list the school on your child’s preference form.

The scores for each section are standardised to take into account differences in age, meaning younger children are not disadvantaged compared to children in the same cohort who could be almost a year older.

We do not provide raw scores and we do not provide information that details how many available marks there are in each section or in the test as a whole.

The multiple-choice answer sheets are scanned and marked by a computer. We do not re-mark answer sheets. The entrance test score provided in the results letter is accurate and based on how many questions your child has answered correctly – any re-mark would result in the same test score.

The West Midlands Grammar Schools’ partnership will provide a much-improved entrance test process for all children. We thank you for your continued support, understanding and interest in our schools.

SCHOOLS INCLUDED in the West Midlands Grammar School Partnership include: Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, King Edward VI Aston School, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, King Edward VI Five Ways School, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls, Queen Mary’s High School, Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Newport Girls’ High School, Wolverhampton Girls’ High School, Haberdashers’ Adams, King Edward VI School Stratford, Lawrence Sherriff School, Stratford Girls Grammar School, Rugby High School and Alcester Grammar School.

The registration period for our main Entrance Test for Year 7 (entry Sept 2024) will open at 9:00am on 9^th May 2023. The closing date will be 4pm on 30^th June 2023 and the entrance test will take place on Saturday 16th September 2023

Places available at the school

There are 180 places for boys at Queen Mary’s Grammar School for entry to Year 7 in September 2024. Admission is based on the results of the School’s Entrance Test.

The Test

We administer the Test as part of a Consortium of grammar schools in Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton but are part of the larger partnership of grammar schools, known as ‘West Midlands Grammar Schools’, which incorporates all Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire, and Wolverhampton grammar schools.

The Test comprises two papers, which assess Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning provided by GL Assessments. Normally, each test paper is approx. 50 minutes in length. School administration for each test will normally be one-hour.

Candidates are given a short break between the papers. Questions are included in question booklets. Candidates MUST write answers on the separate answer sheets provided. To help candidates prepare before the Test GL provide familiarisation guides (links below).

How places are allocated at the School

To be considered for a place at the school, a candidate must achieve the Minimum Qualifying Score. This score is determined by the School’s Governors after the Test results are available. Any candidate scoring below the Minimum qualifying Score will not be offered a place.

As the School is heavily oversubscribed, places are offered to candidates who score above the Minimum Qualifying Score in the following preference order (based on Test scores in each category):

a) A ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those children who appear to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions as defined by section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989.

b) Children eligible for Pupil Premium at the time of the Test who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score but limited to no more than 30% of students in this category (currently 54 places);
If the number of students applying under this criterion exceeds the number of places available, priority will be given to students as follows:
B1. For those students attending a State-funded Primary School in Walsall at the time of the Test. A list of such schools is appended.
B2. For those students who do not attend a State-funded Primary School in Walsall but who achieve the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score.

c) other children who have achieved the qualifying score by rank order of standardised score until the Published Admissions Number is reached.

Application Process – Application to the School to sit the Test

All applications have to be made before the deadline, which is 4pm on the 30^th June 2023. When you are ready to register for the entrance test for Admissions 2024 please ensure you have a colour head and shoulders photograph of your son ready to upload onto the portal (this does not need to be an official passport photograph).

For any aspects of the portal, you tick that require supporting documents i.e. EHCP, adoption certificate, Pupil Premium Form, you have until the portal close date as above to upload the documents.

Only once you have completed the registration form will you receive an acknowledgement email. Once you have submitted your registration form you will be able to download and print a copy of your registration form for your records. If you have made any errors, you must contact admissions@qmgs.merciantrust.org.uk immediately and the error can be amended. No changes can be made after the closing date.

All applications after this time will be considered “late” as defined in our Admissions Arrangements. See information relating to late applications in PART 2 below.

Application Process – Application to the Local Authority

As well as applying to the school to sit our Test, parents must also apply to their own Local Authority. This usually involves completing their Local Authority’s online application, indicating parents’ preference of schools. Parents should list schools in order of their choice and not based on test result. Local Authorities will allocate boys the highest school they are eligible to be offered a place at. The deadline is 31 October 2023. Places are allocated by parents’ Local Authorities, on 1st March 2024.

Special Arrangements

Parents may apply for special arrangements for the Test if they satisfy the School’s Governors that their son has special educational needs or is suffering from a disability. A request for special arrangements must be indicated when completing the online application form. Parents who request special arrangements must then complete the Consortium’s special arrangements request form, which will available during completion of the online admissions application. You must include educational or medical evidence, and the relevant part completed by their son’s school. This form should be completed and submitted to the school no later than 14^th June 2023.

Pupil Premium evidence

If parents indicate their son is eligible for Pupil Premium, a Pupil Premium form must be completed. This will be available for download during the application. Only candidates eligible at the time of the Test can be offered a Pupil Premium place. If a boy becomes eligible for Pupil Premium after the application is made, but before the test takes place, parents should contact the school. This form also requires completing by the candidate’s primary school. Parents should complete this before the entrance test date, or their son will not be considered for a Pupil Premium place.

Open evenings

An open evening will take place at QMGS on 8^th June 2023.

PART 2 – Late Applications

Further details will be available in October 2023 on this website.

Application Form and Important Information about the School

Please read all of the documents in the links below before completing the online application form (open from May 23).

Familiarisation material 2024 entry

Free Materials – GL 11+ (gl-assessment.co.uk)

Admission Timetable – QMGS – September 2024 Entry
Online registration portal opens	09/05/2023 (9:00am)	Your application will be confirmed at the end of the process, we suggest you print your application at this stage. You will then be sent an email in due course confirming the venue of the test
Deadline for submitting SEN form (if applicable)	14/06/2023 (9:00am)	This is the deadline for requesting reasonable adjustments are made to the entrance test to allow your child to access the paper, if for example they have a disability. Requests for adjustments must be submitted by this date along with evidence. Contact the Admissions office if you did not download this form during your application.
Online registration portal closes	30/06/2023 (4:00pm)	4pm is the deadline for registering for the entrance test. It is not possible to register for the test after this time.
Test Information	September 2023	You will be sent information about the test and procedure for the day of the test. This will be posted to your home address. If you have not received this by 11 September, contact Admissions – admissions@qmgs.merciantrust.org.uk. Do not contact us before 11 September.
Entrance Test	16/09/2023	Your child sits the entrance test on this date. It is likely that two sessions will be held (AM and PM). Your child will be allocated a session and you should therefore keep the whole of 16 September free.
Test Results	20/10/2023	The entrance test results will be sent prior to you completing your Local Authority preference form – Note this is not the offer of a place.
Deadline for submitting LA preference form	31/10/2023	You must have applied for school places via your local authority by this date. You are advised to wait for the entrance test results before applying for school places
National Offers Day	01/03/2024	1 March or next working day is the national date for local authorities to notify parents which school their child has been offered.