King Edward VI Five Ways School

It was first in the school league tables in 2007.[1] Currently the school has around 1000 pupils in attendance amongst the lower school (years 7-11) and over 100 staff, some of whom are former pupils, as well as around 300 in the school's sixth form. The school is unique amongst the King Edward VI Foundation, being the only fully co-educational one. The school scored "outstanding" in every category with Ofsted report in November 2008.[2][3] The school is Voluntary Aided. Parents are asked to make a voluntary contribution each year of around £30 per pupil to provide extras and benefits for all school pupils throughout the year.[4] The school uses some unusual terminology, matching that of other Foundation schools, such as naming site managers or caretakers "porters" and homework "private study" or "HIPPO",[5] though not all teachers employ these terms. The school is much over-subscribed, the ninth in the country, according to The Times, with 10.6 candidates competing for 1 place.

A 19th century photograph of the school when it was at Five Ways island.

Established as a boys' school in 1883, part of the King Edward VI Foundation,[6][7] the school's original building was that of the former Edgbaston Proprietary School, on Hagley Road at its junction with Ladywood Road, at Five Ways, approximately 1 mile south-west of Birmingham city centre. The school, designed by J.A. Chatwin was opened on 16 January 1883 by A. J. Mundella with provision for 350 boys[8] the Headmaster being E.H.F. MacCarthy, formerly a master at the main King Edward's School. He remained in the post until retirement in 1916, and now has a building named after him at the Bartley Green site. Originally the school educated only up to age 16, Fifth Form, and to go to Oxbridge a pupil had to transfer to the main King Edward's School, at the time in New Street. However, MacCarthy's successor, Mr Barker, introduced a Sixth Form.

During the Second World War, the Headmaster at the time, Mr Dobinson, decided to evacuate the school to Monmouth, and the boys attended Monmouth School, the two staffs sharing the teaching. This meant that all the staff and pupils were lodged in the town, and could only keep in contact with family via correspondence; Mr Dobinson was able occasionally to visit Birmingham.

After the war the school was becoming overcrowded, but due to development around the school there was no opportunity to expand, so a new site was found. On 23 April 1958 the school opened at its current home in Bartley Green, a suburb on the extreme south-west of Birmingham. The new school was built on the site of the Bartley Farm, which had been purchased by the Foundation, next to Bartley Reservoir. The site was elevated, and in the winter a bleak place.

The relocation was not universally popular. The school Debating Society passed a motion regretting the move. Staff were concerned about the effect the relocation to such a distant suburb would have on the school's intake, which because of the central position had been drawn from the whole city; many boys who had joined the school at Five Ways, easily reached from all parts of the city, suddenly had considerably longer journeys to its new remote location. This undoubtedly affected admissions in later years. Then the school's corridors were considered too narrow, and whilst the playing fields were extensive the school buildings themselves were small and rather basic, with limited common areas.

The time since 1958 has seen the development of much improved facilities, largely due to Arminio, however. Buildings new to the Bartley Green site include the Eyles and Chowen Centres, the former and current home of the school's Sixth Form. A music block and technology block have been added, as well as a Sports Hall and the MacCarthy Block. There has also been the expansion of the Science Wing, and increased seating capacity in the hall with an annex and balcony, as well as the Fitness Suite and extension to the art rooms in the MacCarthy Block. In recent years, a sports pavilion, a new astro turf playing field, a mobile classroom, a languages centre, and an Observatory have been built. The Eyles building has been renovated into the Eyles-Music Block, to replace the old Music block, which had become too small. It itself has also been renovated into a large computer suite and staff offices.

Five Ways was one of the first schools in the West Midlands to introduce computer technology in 1978. This was achieved with a communications link to use computing facilities at Aston University.

Girls have been admitted to Five Ways since 1988, first in the Sixth Form, then in the main school ten years later. Today Five Ways is the largest co-educational grammar school in the West Midlands, and one of the top five co-ed grammar schools nationally.[9]

Pupils must pass an 11-plus entrance exam to get into the school. The King Edward Schools are academic powerhouses and therefore fiercely competitive to get admission. The entrance examination is tough and only 1 in 10 is successful. The King Edward VI Foundation holds its exams at the same time, and generally a candidate will sit one exam for multiple schools within the foundation. Formerly 155 were selected from each year, from more than 1,500 candidates; with a few more accepted every year on appeal. From September 2014 the school increased its intake to 180 pupils in Year 7.[10] A pupil has the opportunity to list the Foundation schools that he or she prefers, and depending on the results, may get allocated into one of the schools.

Students can also enter the school at sixth form level, though they do not have to take a test for this. Instead, places are awarded based on GCSE grades, requiring at least a 7 in any subject you wish to take, 8 in Maths to take Further Maths, and a 6 in English and Maths if they do not already form part of your offer. Again, at this level places are highly competitive with students applying from all over Birmingham and the surrounding areas. There are approximately 50 external candidates in each year. Pupils studying at the school in the lower years must get an additional four 7s (or five 8s if they wish to take four A-levels). The Sixth Form has approximately 210 students in each L6 and U6.

Notable alumni include:

• Richard Adams (Traidcraft) - Fair Trade pioneer
• Arun Arora - Anglican priest and former Director of Communications of the Church of England
• Kate Ashfield - actress [22]
• Prof Michael Beesley CBE, Professor of Economics from 1965–90 at the London Business School
• Peter Bennett, 1st Baron Bennett of Edgbaston OBE, Conservative MP from 1940–53 for Birmingham Edgbaston and President from 1955-57 of the British Productivity Council
• Jon Burgerman - artist
• Prof Sir David Cannadine - historian
• Sir Michael Checkland - former Director General from 1987-92 of the BBC, Chairman from 1997-2001 of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
• Tom Butler - Bishop of Southwark
• Jodie Cook, entrepreneur
• John Copley, opera director
• Sir Guy Dain, Chairman from 1942-48 of the British Medical Association (BMA)
• Nigel Dakin - CMG, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, career Diplomat and soldier.
• Oscar Deutsch - founder of Odeon Cinemas
• Keith Fielding - international Rugby Union and Rugby League player [23]
• Geoffrey Filkin, Baron Filkin CBE, Chief Executive from 1988–91 of Reading Borough Council, former husband of Elizabeth Filkin
• Daniel Fox (field hockey) - Olympic field hockey player
• Anisa Haghdadi - social entrepreneur
• Charles Hare - tennis player - represented Great Britain in the 1937 Davis Cup
• Geoffrey Jones (academic) - Professor at the Harvard Business School and business historian
• John Kenneally V.C. (born Leslie Robinson)
• Prof Michael Laughton, Professor of Electrical Engineering from 1977–2000 at Queen Mary, University of London
• Joe Lycett - comedian
• Prof Raymond Lyttleton FRS, Professor of Theoretical Astronomy from 1969–78 at the University of Cambridge, presenter in 1956 of the BBC's The Modern Universe (a precursor to The Sky at Night, with the same theme music - Pelléas et Mélisande by Sibelius)
• Mazher Mahmood - The "Fake Sheikh" journalist
• David Maloney - former BBC television director and producer
• Martha Howe-Douglas - actress
• Geoffrey Jones (academic) - Professor at the Harvard Business School and business historian
• Simon Morgan - former Leicester City F.C. and Fulham F.C. footballer [24]
• Nerm - BBC broadcaster and musician
• David Parsons - England cricket coach
• Tom Parsons - international sportsman [25][26]
• Rahul Potluri - doctor, researcher, scientist and Founder of ACALM
• Paul Ready - actor
• Alex Smith - won "The Wolfram 2,3 Turing Machine Research Prize" [27][28]
• Frederick Stratton FRS OBE, Professor of Astrophysics from 1928–47 at the University of Cambridge, and President from 1933-35 of the Royal Astronomical Society, Director from 1928-47 of the Solar Physics Observatory
• Ben Wright - BBC political correspondent
• Jeremy Williams (actor) - actor/writer/photographer
• Alex Holowczak (International Chess Arbiter - Arbiter at several Olympiads and World Junior Championships. Head of England Junior Chess

• School Official site