Yes, and inside the West Midlands you do not even need a second test. One entrance test covers all nineteen partnership schools across Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Warwickshire.
Applying beyond the partnership is also possible, and it works differently in a way that catches people out.
Inside the partnership: one test, nineteen schools
Your child sits two papers once, in September of Year 6, and the result can be used by any of the nineteen. So a Birmingham family applying to a Birmingham school and a Walsall school is not applying in "two areas" in any meaningful sense. It is one test and one result.
What differs is the threshold. the King Edward VI Foundation sets a qualifying score for its Birmingham schools, while the Walsall, Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Warwickshire schools each set their own. See our guide to all nineteen.
The step that actually stops people
Here is the real answer to "can I apply in two areas", and it is procedural.
Your result is not automatically visible to every partnership school. At registration, in May and June, you indicate which schools the result should be shared with. Haberdashers' Adams requires you to tick SWW on the online form and states that a child whose data was not shared will not be considered even if the school is named on the local authority preference form.
So the honest answer is: yes you can apply across areas, provided you ticked the right boxes in June. There is no repairing it in November.
Outside the partnership
If you want a grammar school in an area that is not in the West Midlands partnership, such as Buckinghamshire or Trafford, you register separately with that area and sit its own test, on its own date, in its own format.
Test dates often fall within a few weeks of each other in September, so two areas is usually practical and three rarely is. Weigh it carefully: a child sitting several unfamiliar formats in a fortnight is not at their best in any of them.
One application form, whatever the area
This part surprises almost everyone, and it is the most useful thing on this page.
You apply for every state school through your home local authority, on one form, no matter which local authority the school is in.
| What you do | Who to | When |
|---|---|---|
| Register for the entrance test | The partnership, online | May to late June of Year 5 |
| Tick the schools to share results with | Same form | Same deadline |
| Name your school preferences | Your home local authority only | By 31 October of Year 6 |
So a Birmingham family wanting a Walsall school does not apply to Walsall Council. They name the Walsall school on the Birmingham form, and Birmingham coordinates with Walsall. Applying directly to the other authority is a common and costly mistake.
See our guide to ranking preferences.
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One form, your own council, whichever school you want
The biggest problem I see is not ability, it is research. Parents inside a Birmingham postcode look at the Birmingham schools and stop there. The marks are shared across the whole partnership, the cut-off scores are different for Birmingham and Walsall, and a child who falls just short of 205 still has real options elsewhere.
Two things undo families every year. The first is that box at registration confirming you want your result shared with the other schools. Miss it and your marks simply do not travel, however well your child did.
The second is thinking they have to apply to the other council. You do not. Everything goes on your home authority's form, and they sort it out between them. I have seen families waste weeks on that misunderstanding, and weeks is exactly what you do not have in October.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
Can you apply to grammar schools in two different areas?
Yes. Inside the West Midlands partnership you do not even need a second test, because one shared entrance test covers all 19 schools across Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Shropshire and Warwickshire. For grammar schools outside the partnership you register separately and sit that area's own test.
Do I apply to the local authority where the school is?
No. You apply for every state school through your home local authority, on one form, whichever authority the school sits in. A Birmingham family wanting a Walsall school names it on the Birmingham form, and the authorities coordinate between themselves.
Does my child's 11+ result go to every partnership school?
Not automatically. At registration you indicate which schools the result should be shared with. Haberdashers' Adams, for example, requires you to tick SWW and states that a child whose data was not shared will not be considered, even if the school is named on the preference form in October.
Should my child sit two different areas' 11+ tests?
It is practical for two areas and rarely sensible for three. Test dates often fall within a few weeks of each other in September, and a child sitting several unfamiliar formats in a fortnight is unlikely to be at their best in any of them.
Is it harder to get in from outside the area?
It depends on the school rather than on the area. Some, such as Wolverhampton Girls' High School, have no catchment at all and rank on test score. Others give priority to local children or to pupils at named primary schools, which places an out-of-area applicant in a later category.