Glad your DS1 has settled in well.
We purchased the Green Bus pass early (before 1st March on the punt that 217 would secure a place at HGS), as they are cheaper in January - they just have your money for longer

Sometimes they drop at the boys in addition to the girls, and pretty much no boy would ever walk alone. The buses do go back from the girl’s school, but the boys meet up in the playground and walk together.
Like us, if we didn’t get the Green Bus to KEA it would have been a 15 minute walk from Aston Station or the bus stop. That walk seemed more problematic / iffy than a walk up the Soho Road which is full of people, but just a personal opinion.
We felt HGS a better fit for DS2 - slightly more relaxed, but still with a good work ethic. I prefer the Head at HGS, but obviously they can move on. I like the fact that the homework is all online, whereas at KEA they rely on the boys to write it down - that worried me as I thought DS2 would miss some of the info
DS2 liked the fact that KEA had a dark room and did more athletics, but opted for HGS.
Would it be quicker for your son to get a bus / tram into Birmingham and another one out home on the way back? Appreciate this may be Y8 onwards if you wanted to do the Green Bus in Y7 for piece of mind.
As you say, great that he’s scored enough for either and good luck with your decision. If you do have anything specific you want to know just ask
