The misconception that closes a door too early
This is the most common mistake I meet, and it costs families a genuine option every year.
A child scores under 205, the parents conclude the 11+ is over, and they never look further than Birmingham. But 205 is a King Edward VI Foundation figure for its Birmingham schools, set out by the King Edward VI Foundation. It has nothing to do with Walsall.
Queen Mary's Grammar School sets its own threshold, and it is considerably lower.
The numbers, and what each one means
From Queen Mary's own September 2026 entry page, for September 2026 entry:
| Figure | QMGS | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Qualifying Score | 180 | The threshold to be considered at all |
| Lowest score offered a place | around 200 | An outcome of that year's competition, not a target |
| Lowest score on the waiting list | 225 | How the list itself was ordered |
| Places available | 180 boys | Published admission number for September 2026 |
Two warnings about that table. The school marks the roughly 200 figure as provisional, subject to confirmation by its Governors, so treat it as indicative. And those three numbers measure three different things: quoting the middle one as "the score you need for Walsall" is the single most common error made about this school.
The one to act on is the first. 180 is the threshold, and a child who missed Birmingham's 205 by ten or fifteen marks is comfortably above it.
Yes, Birmingham families can apply
Children with Birmingham postcodes do attend the Walsall grammar schools. It is more common than most parents realise.
And here is the detail that surprises people. For the general route, the school's own criteria state that qualifying candidates are considered by test score alone, regardless of location. A Birmingham address is not a disadvantage in that pool. You are ranked against everyone else who qualified, on the mark.
Where location does bite is inside the Pupil Premium route. Those places are capped at 54, and within them children attending a state-funded primary school in Walsall are considered before Pupil Premium applicants from outside Walsall, who are then taken by rank order of standardised score.
Who should actually put it on the form
- A child between roughly 180 and 205. Birmingham is closed to them, and Walsall is not. This is the group that most often gives up too early.
- A child on 205 to 215 who was not placed in Birmingham. A strong score that ran into a crowded catchment is a good candidate here.
- A Pupil Premium child, particularly one at a Walsall state primary, because of the capped route above.
Who should think harder: a general applicant whose score is only just over Walsall's threshold. Being considered is not the same as being offered, and with the last offer around the 200 mark in a recent year, a score in the 180s is a long way down a ranked list.
The part families underestimate
Travel. Birmingham to Walsall is a real daily journey for an eleven year old, and it is the thing that turns a good decision into a difficult year if it has not been thought through.
Families I work with who make it work usually do the same thing: they find the other children travelling the same route and arrange it together. Do that before you accept, not in September.
It comes down to your six choices
All of this only matters if the school is on your preference form. Your local authority form allows several ranked preferences, and the schools you do not list cannot consider you no matter what your child scored.
A family whose child scored 195 and listed only Birmingham grammar schools has spent those slots on schools that will not look at them. The same family listing Queen Mary's has a real application.
See our guide to ranking preferences for how the form works, and our guide to missing the qualifying score for the wider options.
See where your child stands today
Timed sections in the GL Assessment format, marked instantly, with a topic-by-topic breakdown. No sign-up to start.
Parents close the Walsall door before they have looked at it
The common misconception about Queen Mary's Grammar School for boys is a very common mistake amongst parents. A lot of them believe that if their child misses out on the qualifying score, they have no place at any grammar school. They think of the Birmingham number and stop there.
But if they get somewhere in between 200 and 205, there is a real possibility for the Walsall grammar schools. And it is a common thing that children who live in the Birmingham catchment, with a Birmingham postcode, go to the Walsall grammar schools. That surprises people every time I say it.
If a child gets a score above 205, say 205 to 215, and they did not get placed in Birmingham, then Walsall may well be an option worth taking seriously. But all of this comes down to the choices on the initial application. If the school is not on the form, none of it matters.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
What score do you need for Queen Mary's Grammar School Walsall?
The Minimum Qualifying Score is 180 for September 2026 entry, which is the threshold to be considered. That is different from the lowest score actually offered a place, which the school gives as around 200 for that year and marks as provisional, and different again from the lowest score on the waiting list, which was 225.
Can a child from Birmingham go to a Walsall grammar school?
Yes, and it is more common than parents realise. For the general route the school states that qualifying candidates are considered by test score alone, regardless of location, so a Birmingham address is not a disadvantage in that pool.
Is 205 the qualifying score for Walsall?
No. 205 is a King Edward VI Foundation figure for its Birmingham grammar schools. Queen Mary's Grammar School sets its own Minimum Qualifying Score, which is 180 for September 2026 entry.
My child scored under 205. Is it worth applying to Queen Mary's?
If they scored between roughly 180 and 205, yes, because Birmingham is closed to them and Walsall is not. Be realistic about where a score sits in a ranked list: with the last offer around 200 in a recent year, a score in the 180s is some way down.
How does Pupil Premium work at Queen Mary's Walsall?
There is a capped Pupil Premium route of 54 places. Within it, children attending a state-funded primary school in Walsall are considered first, followed by Pupil Premium applicants from outside Walsall taken by rank order of standardised score.
How many places are there at Queen Mary's Grammar School?
The school states there are 180 places for boys entering Year 7 in September 2026.