Expert tuition for a heavily oversubscribed selective boys’ grammar school in Walsall
Book a Free ConsultationQueen Mary’s Grammar School (QMGS) in Walsall is a heavily oversubscribed selective boys’ grammar school, offering 180 places for boys each September. Entry is based on performance in the GL Assessment 11+ entrance test — two multiple-choice papers covering Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning. For September 2027 entry, the test took place on 12 September 2026, with results due no later than 16 October 2026 and National Offers Day on 1 March 2027 (or the next working day).
Checked September 2026
Per Queen Mary’s Grammar School’s admissions page and the West Midlands Grammar Schools site: registration for September 2027 entry closed on 26 June 2026, the test (children now in Year 6) took place on 12 September 2026, results are due by 16 October 2026 and the Local Authority preference deadline is 31 October 2026.
Founded in 1554, Queen Mary’s Grammar School has more than 470 years of academic tradition. The school is located on Sutton Road, Walsall, West Midlands (WS1 2PG), and is part of the Mercian Trust alongside its sister school Queen Mary’s High School.
QMGS was rated Outstanding in every category by Ofsted following its inspection in March 2023. The school’s own summary of the report highlights pupils’ exceptional standards, exemplary behaviour and exceptional enrichment opportunities. The school offers a broad curriculum including English, mathematics, science, humanities, modern languages and arts, as well as enrichment that includes music, drama, sport and the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
As a member of the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership — a consortium of 19 grammar schools across Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire and Wolverhampton — QMGS operates a shared admissions test and data-sharing agreement that allows applicants to be considered by multiple schools with a single test sitting.
Admission to Year 7 at Queen Mary’s Grammar School is based on the results of the school’s entrance test: candidates must reach the Minimum Qualifying Score, and places are then offered in a set order of priority, ranked by standardised score within each group. There is no defined catchment area. Priority goes first to looked-after and previously looked-after children who reach the qualifying score, then to Pupil Premium-eligible children (limited to 30% of that category, with pupils at Walsall state-funded primary schools given priority if that group is oversubscribed), and then to all other candidates by rank order of standardised score.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Test provider | GL Assessment |
| Number of papers | Two multiple-choice papers |
| Duration per paper | Approximately 50 minutes |
| Subjects assessed | Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning |
| Answer format | Separate multiple-choice answer sheets, scanned by computer |
| Scoring | Age-weighted standardisation, median score 200 |
| Places available (boys) | 180 |
| Admissions consortium | West Midlands Grammar Schools (19 schools) |
Source: Queen Mary's Grammar School September 2027 entry page, retrieved 30 September 2026. The West Midlands Grammar Schools entrance test page describes each paper as approximately 50-60 minutes including instructions and example questions, with sections in English Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and Non-Verbal/Spatial Reasoning.
Registration for the QMGS entrance test is managed through the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal. For September 2027 entry, the portal opened on 5 May 2026 and closed at 4pm on 26 June 2026. At registration for September 2027 entry, candidates were allocated the test centre closest to their home address and could not choose a different centre. A photograph of your son had to be uploaded during registration.
Alongside registering with the school, parents must also apply to their own Local Authority, usually through its online application, listing their preferred schools. The LA application deadline for September 2027 entry is 31 October 2026. If your son does not achieve the minimum qualifying score, he should not be listed on your LA preference form for QMGS.
Both QMGS entrance papers are provided by GL Assessment and assess three core areas. Understanding exactly what each area demands helps our tutors design the most targeted preparation programme.
Verbal Reasoning tests how well a child can apply rules and work out relationships between words and letters. The consortium’s familiarisation guide shows question types such as word relationships, opposites and hidden words. A strong and wide vocabulary, built through extensive reading, is a valuable long-term asset for this section.
Non-Verbal Reasoning assesses how well a child can work out relationships between shapes and patterns. The consortium’s familiarisation guide shows question types such as figures alike and hidden shapes. This section particularly rewards deliberate practice, as children who have not encountered these question types before can find them unfamiliar under timed conditions.
Numerical Reasoning is the third area the school lists for its entrance papers. The consortium’s familiarisation guide says that the Mathematics section in its papers draws upon what children have been taught in class, and that some questions may be more challenging than they are used to. The papers are timed, so our tutors work on accuracy and speed together.
All answers are recorded on separate multiple-choice answer sheets scanned by computer. The school does not release raw scores or the total number of marks available — only the final standardised score is provided. Because scores are age-weighted, younger children are not disadvantaged compared with children in the same cohort who could be almost a year older.
QMGS is heavily oversubscribed. The school’s published data shows a consistent pattern: while the minimum qualifying score sits at approximately 200, the practical cut-off for a place on National Offers Day is significantly higher.
| Entry year | Intake | Minimum qualifying score | Lowest score offered (non-PP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Entry | 180 | 200 (approx.) | 225 |
| 2025 Entry | 180 | 200 | 224 (last offer from the waiting list: 221) |
| 2024 Entry | 180 | 200 | 223 (last offer from the waiting list: 218) |
Source: Queen Mary's Grammar School September 2027 entry page, retrieved 30 September 2026.
These figures show that the lowest score offered a place to a non-Pupil Premium child was between 223 and 225 — 23 to 25 points above the minimum qualifying threshold. The Pupil Premium criterion adds an important nuance: it is limited to no more than 30% of students in that category (54 of the 180 places for September 2027 entry), with pupils at Walsall state-funded primary schools given priority if that group is oversubscribed. This means that, if the Pupil Premium limit is reached, 126 of the 180 places remain for other applicants, and because the school is heavily oversubscribed, competition for them is particularly intense.
The data-sharing arrangement within the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership means that children who sit the test have their result shared automatically with the other Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton grammar schools, and with the Birmingham and Warwickshire grammar schools if they select those at registration. This single test can therefore open doors to multiple schools, making thorough preparation especially valuable.
Preparing for QMGS 11+ Entry?
Our specialist tutors build personalised programmes covering all three GL Assessment areas — Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning — to help your son achieve the competitive scores QMGS demands. Sessions are delivered online across Walsall, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Book a free consultation to discuss your son’s QMGS preparation.
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With the latest lowest offered score for non-Pupil Premium children (225 for 2026 entry) 25 points above the minimum qualifying mark, sustained, structured preparation matters, which is why our specialist tutors recommend it over at least a year. Below is the timeline our specialist tutors recommend for families targeting a September entrance test at the start of Year 6; for September 2027 entry, that test took place on 12 September 2026.
Year 4 (autumn and spring): Build the foundations. Focus on broad reading to develop vocabulary and comprehension speed, consolidate KS2 maths with particular attention to number work, fractions and data handling, and introduce the concept of 11+ preparation through vocabulary games and puzzle books. There is no need for intense drilling at this stage — the goal is to develop strong core skills organically.
Year 4 (summer) to Year 5 (autumn): Introduce structured 11+ practice. Begin working through GL Assessment-style VR, NVR and Numerical Reasoning question types systematically, ideally with a specialist tutor who can identify specific gaps early. The focus at this stage is on understanding question types and developing strategies, rather than timed performance.
Year 5 (spring): Increase pace and introduce timed sessions. Begin working through full timed practice papers. Track scores across multiple sittings to identify recurring weak areas. At this stage children should be encountering every major question type and developing consistent technique. Our tutors use mock-paper analysis to prioritise revision focus in the months ahead.
Year 5 (summer): Intensive preparation. This is the critical stretch before a September test, which falls in the first weeks of Year 6. Regular timed full-paper practice, performance review, targeted drilling in weaker areas, and increasing exam stamina are all key. We recommend regular full mock-paper sittings through the spring and summer terms, rising to weekly in the final weeks before the September test date.
The August before the test: Final-weeks consolidation. Avoid introducing new material. Focus on accuracy under timed conditions, reviewing technique for question types your son still finds difficult, and maintaining confidence. Brief, focused sessions are more effective than marathon revision at this stage. Ensure your son knows the format of the test day — two papers, each roughly 50 minutes, with a short break between them.
For families who began preparation later than Year 4, our tutors can design accelerated programmes that prioritise the highest-impact areas. Contact us for a bespoke assessment and plan.
At Leading Tuition, our specialist tutors have extensive experience preparing boys for the QMGS 11+ entrance test and for the wider West Midlands Grammar Schools consortium. We understand that achieving a score at or above the latest published lowest offered score of 225 (2026 entry) requires more than simply working through a revision book — it demands deliberate, data-driven preparation that identifies your son’s specific gaps and systematically closes them.
All sessions are delivered online, making expert tuition accessible to families in Walsall, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and across the wider West Midlands — no commute required. Each pupil receives a personalised learning plan built around their current performance profile, learning style and target school’s requirements.
Our approach includes: diagnostic assessment at the start of the programme to benchmark performance; targeted topic work for VR, NVR and Numerical Reasoning; regular timed mock papers using GL Assessment-format questions; performance tracking across sittings to measure progress; and parent updates after each tutor review so families stay informed throughout the process.
We also support families whose sons are applying across the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership — the data-sharing arrangement means a child may simultaneously be targeting QMGS, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School or other consortium schools with the same test result. Our tutors help families understand the strategic dimensions of this, including how to structure Local Authority preference forms once results arrive by 16 October 2026.
Explore our 11+ preparation hub for a full overview of our selective school support, or read our guides on Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and King Edward VI Birmingham. For families also considering independent schools, our free consultation covers all secondary options.
Leading Tuition is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 59 reviews, read on 3 October 2026, and 91% of our students achieve their desired grades.
Reviewed September 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against Queen Mary's Grammar School's September 2027 entry, admissions arrangements, history, Ofsted and curriculum pages, the West Midlands Grammar Schools site and familiarisation guide, GIAS and Ofsted's provider page.
Queen Mary’s Grammar School offers 180 places for boys each September. The school is heavily oversubscribed: in recent years the lowest score offered a place to a non-Pupil Premium child on National Offers Day has been 225 (2026 entry), 224 (2025 entry) and 223 (2024 entry) — well above the minimum qualifying score of around 200. Starting preparation early gives your son the best chance of competing for a place.
The QMGS entrance test is provided by GL Assessment and consists of two multiple-choice papers, each approximately 50 minutes in length. Both papers assess Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning. Answers are recorded on separate answer sheets and scanned by computer. Scores are age-weighted and standardised around a median of 200, so younger children in the cohort are not disadvantaged.
The minimum qualifying score has been 200 for each of the last three published entry years (approximate for 2026 entry), and the school’s Governors determine it after the test results are available. However, achieving exactly 200 is unlikely to secure a place for a non-Pupil Premium child — for 2026 entry the lowest score offered was 225, and for 2025 entry it was 224. Pupil Premium-eligible boys who reach the qualifying score are ranked ahead of applicants in the general category, in a group limited to no more than 30% of students in that category (54 places for September 2027 entry).
For September 2027 entry, the QMGS entrance test took place on Saturday 12 September 2026. Registration via the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal closed at 4pm on 26 June 2026; the school tests late candidates for a waiting-list place in March 2027. Test results will be sent no later than 16 October 2026, before the Local Authority secondary school application deadline of 31 October 2026. National Offers Day is 1 March 2027 (or the next working day).
Yes. Queen Mary’s Grammar School is a member of the West Midlands Grammar Schools partnership, which encompasses 19 grammar schools across Birmingham, Shropshire, Walsall, Warwickshire and Wolverhampton. If a child sits the entrance test, their result is shared automatically with the other Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton grammar schools, and with the Birmingham and Warwickshire grammar schools if they select those at registration, potentially making them eligible for multiple schools with a single test sitting.
We recommend starting preparation in Year 4 or the beginning of Year 5 — at least a year before the September test, which falls in the first weeks of Year 6. Early preparation allows time to build strong foundational skills in Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning without creating excessive pressure. Regular timed practice, targeted weak-area work and GL Assessment-style mock papers in the final weeks before the test are all key components of effective preparation.
Our specialist tutors design bespoke preparation programmes aligned to the GL Assessment format used by QMGS. Sessions cover all three paper areas — Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning — and are delivered online so families across Walsall, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands can access expert tuition. We build exam technique, speed under timed conditions and the confidence your son needs to achieve a competitive score. Book a free consultation to discuss your son’s needs.
Ready to start your son’s QMGS 11+ journey? Our specialist tutors are available across Walsall and the wider West Midlands.
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