King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon - Thoughts and Opinions Please

[gldd]

Hi all. I'm hoping to canvas opinions of King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon, from anyone who has knowledge of the school (current or past parents, teachers, anyone with DC or friends there or elsewhere in Stratford-upon-Avon).

The school clearly does very well in terms of results at both GCSE and A-level is very high in national league tables. Is the 11+ entrance exam extremely competitive? Is it very difficult to pass? Is tutoring the norm to get in, and does it continue once there? What is the culture of the school like? Is it a academic super hot house, or just rigorous? Does the success stem from the culture of the school, of the parents / households of the boys, or both? What is the Headteacher like and how does their influence feed down into school life? The catchment area looks quite wide - is it largely boys from Stratford-upon-Avon, the surrounding countryside and villages, or both? Are there particular feeder schools (both state and independent)?

I'd love to hear some general thoughts and any answers you might have to the questions above. Hope you can help! Thanks so much, gldd

I don't know anything about the school personally, but it is one of the 17 grammar schools in the West Midlands Grammar Schools consortium. All those schools take the same test on the same weekend. More about the consortium here:

westmidlandsgrammarschools.co.uk/

The West Midlands grammars are highly competitive, though not quite so much as some of the very highest ranking schools in London. Roughly 15-25% of those taking the test get a place at one of the grammars, but of course many students living in the area don't even apply to take the test in the first place.

It looks as though KES Stratford requires the highest 11 plus results of the Warwickshire schools, though perhaps not quite as high as a couple of the KE grammars in Birmingham.

You will be able to do your own research into the admission requirements and how far away you can live to be eligible for a place etc. There is information on the school website and also the very good 11 plus forum - there is a section devoted to Warwickshire:

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=37

Many students are tutored, but not all. All will do some home prep though - it is important to get a feel for the question types and also get used to working at speed in the test.

Hopefully someone else will come along with specific knowledge of the school.

Any parents with knowlegde of King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon?
Bump

Not sure if they've reduced the catchment area, but a few years back pretty much everybody was from out ot town. A lad we met who was in the 6th Form and lived in Stratford had no friends living locally.

Just giving this thread a bump to see if there's anyone else with knowledge out there? Any current or past parents with children at KES Stratford or Stratford Girls Grammar School? I'd love to hear from you, either on thread or in direct messages.

Hope someone can help, thanks

Hi, one of my children went to KES.

Pupils come from a really wide area, many come in by train for example.

It is very competitive. My son actually did get in without tutoring but I don’t know anyone else who has attended without tutoring. School has high expectations.

It has the feel of a private school, lots of very wealthy families. Big value on sports, rugby in particular.

Thank you, that's interesting. Apologies, lots of question - hope you don't mind!

Was your experience similar to a poster up thread - most students coming in from outside Stratford-upon-Avon, rather than from the town itself? The catchment area is quite large, so were a lot of students coming from nearby towns or villages in Warwickshire?

Would you say that there were particular feeder schools (both state and independent)? Or did students come from all sorts of different primaries / preps?

Was it common for families to move into catchment for this(/these) school(/s), or were they typically local families?

The competitiveness you mentioned - is that to get in, or once there, or both?

Was it your experience that there is a lot of tutoring of children while at the school (as well as to get in)?

What is / was your opinion of the Headmaster, Senior Leadership Team, and the quality of teaching there?

Did your son enjoy it there and make some good friends? Did you get along with other parents?

Lots came from Birmingham/Solihull way. Some from the town itself (like us), many from surrounding villages.
I wouldn’t say there was feeder schools really although a fair number came over from private schools in the area.
Competitive to get in AND once there, I think some children were tutored all the way through.
I liked the leadership team but did feel that they were a little more interested in parents who had money.
My son loved it though. One of my others went to Alcester Grammar, I thought that was a lovely school, more balanced.

Thanks, this is really helpful. One final question if I may. I was a little surprised to hear of lots of students from Birmingham and Solihull, aren't they both outside the catchment area?

The catchment area, I believe is 17 miles as the crow flies from the American Fountain in the centre of Stratford.
It is very competitive to get in and most boys are tutored to get in. Stratford Prep is literally down the road and sends a couple of boys every year.

As a PP said, I’d look at Alcester Grammar personally, as it seemed more balanced when we looked round.

There seems to be an inner (13 miles) and outer priority circle (16.885 miles from the Rother Street Fountain), with the '...the highest scores in each category ... given highest priority for a place', when scoring above the 11+ Automatic Qualifying Score. Children living outside the outer circle and scoring above AGS are in category 5/6, after those who are: (i) looked after or previously looked after children; (ii) receiving free school meals; (iii) live in the inner priority circle, and; (iv) live in the outer priority circle. Which makes it all the more surprising that 'Lots came from Birmingham/Solihull way', which is outside the outer priority circle (so cat 5).

ninjahamster - was it your experience that the school frequently does not fill up with students down to cat 4, and has lots from cat 5 and even cat 6?

I think I need to get on to the Warwickshire 11+ Exams Forum...
Thanks

@gldd This year's information on how many got an offers day place at KES Stratford is available here:

https://api.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/WCCC-1990003847-3910

Only seven students got into KES from Cat 4: outer priority circle (with scores >=263) and nobody from Cat 5 or Cat 6.

I suspect some of the other posters on here have experience from quite a few years ago.

Thanks @LetItGoToRuin - that's really interesting, and much more in line with what I would've expected.

I wonder, @ninjahamster, has the catchment changed since your son's time there? Could it have been that similar to the Birmingham grammars there didn't used to be a catchment, so students came from throughout the Midlands, but now the Stratford grammars have more tightly defined (inner and outer priority circle) catchments, such that all or almost all children are from within these?

@gldd did you get enough info to help?
Just noticed this and have a son at KES and a daughter at SGGS so happy to answer questions if you still have any?