Alcester Grammar School has 150 Year 7 places for 2027 entry, it is co-educational, and its qualifying score is set after the test rather than published in advance. It is part of the same West Midlands partnership as the Birmingham grammar schools, so your child sits one entrance test.
For a Birmingham family the co-educational part is the draw, because most of the realistic alternatives are single sex.
The co-educational option
Most of the Birmingham grammar schools are single sex: Camp Hill, Handsworth and Sutton Coldfield all run separate boys' and girls' schools. King Edward VI Five Ways is the exception, and it is heavily oversubscribed precisely because of it. So families who want a mixed grammar school have genuinely few choices in this region, and Alcester is one of them.
That matters most to parents of a son and a daughter who would rather not run two different school runs, two uniforms and two sets of term dates for the next seven years.
What the school publishes
| What | Alcester Grammar School, 2027 entry |
|---|---|
| Places in Year 7 | 150 |
| Intake | Co-educational |
| Entrance test | The shared West Midlands partnership test |
| Automatic Qualifying Score | Set after the test by the Committee of Reference |
| Priority area | A circle of radius 16.936 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon |
| Admissions administered by | Warwickshire School Admissions |
Those figures come from Alcester Grammar School's determined admissions policy for 2027/28. Governors determine the admission number each year, so confirm the current cycle before relying on it.
The priority area, measured from a fountain
Alcester's priority area is unusually precisely defined: a circle with a radius of 16.936 miles, drawn from the Fountain in Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, out to the county boundary south of Long Compton.
Most of Birmingham falls outside a circle drawn that way. The southern edge of the city and parts of Solihull are closer to the boundary than families expect, which makes this one worth checking properly rather than assuming.
Do not eyeball it on a map. Warwickshire School Admissions administers admissions for the school and can tell you whether a specific address falls inside. The policy also says evidence of residence within the priority area should be provided by the deadline, so settle it early.
Two scores, set after the test
There is no number to aim at, and I would rather say that plainly than let you chase one.
A Committee of Reference sets both the Automatic Qualifying Score and a lower Required Minimum Academic Standard for the school, for each year of entry. It does so after the test, taking into account the aptitude of that year's cohort, the oversubscription categories, and the number of places available.
The lower figure governs the waiting list, which is the part families miss. A child below the AQS has not necessarily finished. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted first, subject to meeting that minimum standard.
Is it realistic from Birmingham?
Straight answer: it depends entirely on where in Birmingham you are.
From Kings Norton, Northfield, Solihull or Shirley, the drive to Alcester is a real daily proposition and the priority boundary is at least worth checking. From Erdington, Handsworth or Sutton Coldfield it is not, and I would not encourage it.
If you are in the southern half of the city and you want a co-educational grammar school, this is the one to look at. Under equal preference, adding it to your form costs you nothing at the schools you rank above it.
See our guide to all six Warwickshire grammar schools for the others in the county, and our guide to ranking preferences for how to place it.
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Check the boundary before you rule it out
The priority area here is drawn as a circle from a fountain in Stratford, which sounds quaint until you realise how much turns on it. Families in south Birmingham look at Alcester, assume they are miles outside, and never check.
Some of them are closer to that boundary than they think. It costs one phone call to Warwickshire Admissions to find out, and the answer changes whether this school is a realistic first choice or a hopeful fourth.
The other thing I would say to parents of a boy and a girl: do not underestimate how much easier life is with both children at the same school. Two school runs in opposite directions for seven years is a genuine cost, and it is one families almost never factor in while they are focused on the test.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
How many places does Alcester Grammar School have?
150 places in Year 7 for 2027 entry. The governors determine the published admission number each year in line with the Admissions Code, so confirm the current cycle's figure in the school's own determined admissions policy.
Is Alcester Grammar School co-educational?
Yes. Co-educational grammar schools are scarce in this region: Camp Hill, Handsworth and Sutton Coldfield all run separate boys' and girls' schools, and King Edward VI Five Ways is the main mixed option in Birmingham, which is part of why it is so heavily oversubscribed.
What is the qualifying score for Alcester Grammar School?
It is not published in advance. A Committee of Reference sets the Automatic Qualifying Score, and a lower Required Minimum Academic Standard used for the waiting list, after the test, taking account of that year's cohort, the oversubscription categories and the number of places.
What is Alcester Grammar School's catchment area?
The priority area is a circle with a radius of 16.936 miles drawn from the Fountain in Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, out to the county boundary south of Long Compton. Evidence of residence inside it should be provided by the deadline, and Warwickshire School Admissions can confirm whether a specific address qualifies.
Can a child from Birmingham get into Alcester Grammar School?
Yes, and the same entrance test covers it. Whether it is realistic depends on where in Birmingham you live: from the south of the city and Solihull the journey is a genuine daily proposition and the priority boundary is worth checking, while from the north of the city it is not practical.