I have heard that at a recent council education meeting and meeting of head teachers of Birmingham grammars catchment areas for Bishop Vs and SCGS was extensively discussed and is likely to come into effect for the academic year commencing September 2020.


This has been going around for sometime and with the king Edward grammars enforcing it , it was only a matter of time before it was implemented everywhere

Any thoughts?

Can't happen in 2020, the admissions arrangements have to be published by end of February of the preceding year; the published arrangements for 2020 don't include catchments so it isn't happening. 2021 is a different matter, I would imagine it's a racing certainty that they will be introduced and I would imagine there's a slim chance that as a result catchments for the KE schools may be adjusted in 2021 or 2022 to exclude Sutton Coldfield.

Yes it is only fair
We need catchment areas for all schools and can't have it for a few and not for others

Its only a matter of time before parents in Sutton Colfield to raise concern on their lack of catchment policy. I have some friends in Solihull and Coventry with DC taking the GS exam this September already aiming to get into BV and SCGS. I think the cut off score for BV and SCGS will spike up next year.

I wouldn't be surprised if by 2021 all schools have their own catchment areas like they do in Buckinghamshire and Kent

they have been changing gradually over the years, Ermysted's was score based outside the local catchment until about 2006-7 then changed to distance - I think some boys were travelling far too far. The out of catchment pupils accounted for well over 50% of the places as the catchment is very rural

I would have thought people from solihull and Coventry would aim for Stratford rather than bv or sutton girls..

Solihull and Coventry people can we hear your thoughts??

The problem is that not all areas of Solihull/Coventry and surrounds are within the southern priority circle.

I didn’t know that.. that makes sense then.

I would have assumed it’s a very long journey on public transport. Am I wrong ?

When we were at a BV open evening there were parents from Solihull. They asked if the school had a bus service.

Maps says the journey is 18 miles and 2 trains ranging from 56mins to 1hr 16 (or 2 buses).