United Kingdom · Birmingham
KES is a selective boys’ day school for locally resident families. A Levels returned in September 2025; the last IB cohort finished in 2026. Check Year 7 deadlines, funding and the full cost before applying.
King Edward’s School, usually called KES, is a selective independent day school for boys aged 11–18 in Edgbaston, Birmingham. It offers GCSEs followed by A Levels. The main entry points are Year 7 at age 11 and Sixth Form at age 16.
It is a separate school from King Edward VI High School for Girls, or KEHS, on the same road. It is also distinct from the state-funded King Edward VI grammar schools. A family considering more than one of these schools must follow each school’s own admissions process.
Our starting question is whether a boy would benefit from a strongly academic boys’ school while continuing to live at home. Selection, transport and long-term affordability matter together; meeting one of those conditions does not resolve the others.
The admissions page says KES does not accept international-student applications. Applicants must have a UK passport or the relevant permission to remain in the UK, and live locally with their family. A non-UK passport is not itself disqualifying, but this is not a boarding or overseas-student route.
The school’s Assisted Places scheme provides means-tested help. It describes more than £1.5 million a year in funding, with up to 25 Year 7 awards, around ten covering all tuition. Several places are also available at Sixth Form.
The published income scale starts with possible full support below £28,000 and extends to £80,000. These are screening figures, not automatic entitlements. The school assesses the family’s wider resources and says it cannot fund every academically successful applicant.
Indicate interest on the admission form. Selected 11+ applicants are interviewed in November before a detailed financial application is assessed. An unfunded candidate may still receive a full-fee offer after an affordability discussion with the bursar.
Full Assisted Places may also bring help with meals, travel, uniform and compulsory educational trips. Ask which additional costs your award would cover.
KES reintroduced A Levels in September 2025. Its final IB Diploma cohort completed examinations in 2026, as the results page explicitly confirms. Older IB results are therefore historical evidence, not the programme offered to a new Sixth Form entrant.
The current Sixth Form offers subjects across sciences, mathematics, languages, humanities, social sciences and the arts. The Extended Project Qualification, or EPQ, is an additional independent research project rather than an alternative to A Levels.
For external Sixth Form entry, the school normally expects Grade 7 in GCSE Mathematics and in English Language or Literature. It also expects a grade-point average of at least 7.2. Applicants below that average who otherwise meet requirements may be invited to discuss a suitable programme.
Subject requirements must be checked separately. Mathematics requires Grade 8 in GCSE Mathematics; Physics requires Grade 8 in Physics and Mathematics, or the specified combined-science alternative. A satisfactory overall average does not override a missing subject grade.
Sixth Form offers depend on interviews, predicted results and the current school’s report, then confirmation of GCSE results. The page still gives 2 February 2026 as the deadline for September 2026 entry. Ask admissions for the next intake’s confirmed timetable or any late vacancy.
Candidates should have been born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016. Apply online, upload a recent passport-style photograph and expect KES to request a headteacher’s report.
The entrance examination consists of two one-hour papers: English and Mathematics. There is no longer a Verbal Reasoning paper. KES provides sample questions and advises against additional tuition.
Interviews consider more than the examination score. The school particularly interviews candidates for Assisted Places or scholarships and candidates near the admission threshold. Interests and non-academic achievements also inform the decision.
| Step | Published date |
|---|---|
| Applications opened | 30 March 2026 |
| Special educational needs/disabilities consideration deadline | 9 September 2026, 09:00 |
| Application deadline | 21 September 2026, 12:00 noon |
| Entrance examination | 3 October 2026 |
| Invited interviews and music auditions | November 2026 |
| Results sent by post | 11 December 2026 |
| Acceptance deadline | March 2027; exact date unconfirmed |
These are the published dates checked on 4 September 2026. Families requesting examination access arrangements must meet the earlier deadline and upload supporting evidence with their application.
The school lists recent educational-psychologist or medical evidence and information from the current school about normal assessment arrangements. Its panel reviews the request before the examination. Discuss individual documentation needs with admissions rather than assuming that a diagnosis automatically secures a particular adjustment.
Other year groups and mid-year entry depend on vacancies. Contact admissions before registering for an entry point other than Year 7 or Sixth Form.
The fees page publishes £7,695 per term including VAT for 2026–27. Three terms give a calculated annual tuition total of £23,085. This is a calculation from the published inclusive amount, not a quotation for September 2027 entry.
Fees are due by the first day of term, with termly or monthly direct-debit arrangements. Private music lessons, meals, camps and educational trips are charged separately; personal-accident insurance is included.
| Cost | Published amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Registration at 11+ or 16+ | £60 including VAT, non-refundable |
| Registration at other entry points | £180 including VAT |
| Acceptance deposit for a fee-paying place | £400 |
| Year 7 lunch | £4.75 per school day, compulsory and billed termly |
| Sibling discount | 25% off the eldest child’s tuition when three children simultaneously pay full fees at KES or KEHS |
Registration is waived with evidence of Universal Credit, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance; Tax Credits alone do not qualify. Years 8–11 can opt into or out of school lunches each term, while Sixth Form has separate catering choices.
The £400 deposit needs clarification. The admissions page calls it non-refundable; the fees page says it is returned when a pupil leaves, after unpaid charges are deducted. Ask for the contractual treatment of withdrawal before entry and repayment after attendance.
For a new full-fee Year 7 pupil, tuition, registration and deposit total £23,545, calculated from £23,085, £60 and £400 respectively. Meals, uniform and chosen extras are additional. Do not treat a potentially repayable deposit as permanent tuition.
The fees page still links a detailed schedule labelled 2025–26. Obtain the current schedule and withdrawal terms before accepting; the live tuition figure alone does not establish every 2026–27 condition.
KES is a strong candidate for a locally resident boy who enjoys academic challenge and wants A Levels within a boys’ day-school setting. Its Assisted Places programme makes it worth investigating beyond the full-fee market, although funding is competitive.
If you need boarding, international-student sponsorship or a co-educational classroom, look at schools designed for those requirements. For a daughter, KEHS is a separate relevant option rather than a substitute application to KES.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
KEHS is a selective girls’ day school for ages 11–18. The main entry points are Year 7 and Year 12. For September 2027 Year 7 entry, applications close at noon on 21 September 2026. Families should also understand the local-residence rule, current fees and means-tested Assisted Places.
LondonAlleyn’s is a selective co-educational day school for ages 4–18. This guide explains the different junior-school routes, the 11+ and 16+ processes, and the costs that sit outside tuition.
BristolBristol Grammar School is a selective, co-educational independent day school from Reception through Sixth Form. Its subject range makes it worth considering for a child who wants academic choice while living at home. Senior and Sixth Form fees are £7,422 per term from autumn 2026. Admissions pages still describe the previous entry round, so families applying for 2027 need a new timetable.
CheltenhamCheltenham College is a selective co-educational senior school for ages 13–18. It combines day places, full boarding and limited day boarding with GCSE, A-level and vocational routes.
King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls share an Edgbaston foundation and admissions timetable, but they are separate single-sex day schools.
5 minStart with your child’s needs and the schools you can realistically access. A boys’, girls’, or co-educational label does not tell you enough about teaching, friendships, support, or daily life.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.