Our youngest travels to CHB from Wolverhampton and so do other boys. He has others on the train for CHB and CHG travelling from Derby, Walsall and one from Telford. I agree with Quasi you must carefully consider the commute, but for us it has not been an issue so far, and DS seems to be enjoying it. Yes, a shorter commute would have been ideal but that is the school he wanted to attend, and that's what we picked. We have given both our boys, one in FW, now in Year 11, the option of relocating but they seem to be well settled now and wouldn't like to move.

And it doesn't appear the long commute has any way impacted on their studies. My eldest is doing just fine and the youngest has always had that carefree attitude and I am sure he too will excel when he puts his mind to it.

I thought this link might be useful. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=49143

KenR was right catchment areas do change when he suggested looking at the green bus routes.The green bus as of last year no longer runs from Walsall.

We are in half term and traffic is always far less during the holidays making an easier commute.I would take the trip during term time in the rush hour.

_________________
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln

It's going to be a long and arduous journey...and it will depend on the child too.
Different children (even among my own children who are siblings) have different capacities for commuting and some get more tired easily, while others don't seem to mind.
I can understand commuting to a grammar in favour of a local comprehensive school but cannot fully understand making a long commute to one grammar, when another excellent grammar is very close by.
I have had two boys at CHB myself (eldest at Uni now, second still there).
If your son has the score for a QM place, I would seriously consider whether he would not be happier/do better there without the long commute.

The best route I could think of is for your ds to take a bus to the station at Walsall, get the train to Bournville, changing at Aston, and walk (20- 25 minutes) to CHB.
Other posters may have better ideas and it does depend on exactly where in Walsall you live, too. A bus straight to Birmingham then the train from New Street could also work.

I was on QM boys website a few days ago and I noticed a new recruit to their maths department.This was recruitment of the very highest intellectual level and calibre.It is amazing the coincidences one sees in life.She was a friend of my eldest when each was at KEHS in Edgbaston. They were however not on the same level as far as maths was concerned no one in her year was.I hope I don't embarrass this teacher if she was ever to read this.I am aware this teacher now a young recruit 4 years back at KEHS was on a scholarship/bursary.She was from a gifted family of mathematicians and would regularly at that time attend maths lectures at Birmingham University across the road.She went on to do Cambridge to do her degree and now is in teaching at the school.If her teaching is as good as her academic record then she will have a lot to offer and the boys will have a lot to gain.

_________________
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln

It does sound like a long journey. One of my early jobs involved getting a bus from Walsall to Birmingham then another out past five ways (not same journey as yours, but tiring and longwinded).

My DS started QM this September and I cannot praise the school enough. The short commute is a God send. The new maths teacher sounds wonderful!