Teaching Success prepares West Bromwich and Sandwell children for Birmingham grammar schools — all four GL Assessment sections, taught by qualified teachers. In-person sessions at our Smethwick centre or online from home. Free first lesson for every family.
West Bromwich sits in Sandwell borough — outside Birmingham but with access to the full range of Birmingham grammar schools via the shared GL Assessment process. Here are the most common targets for families in this area.
The most geographically accessible King Edward's school for West Bromwich families. Located in Bartley Green, just south of the A456. Academically strong and well-regarded. Regularly the first-choice King Edward's school for children in the Sandwell corridor.
A boys' grammar independent of the KE foundation. Located in Handsworth — straightforward to reach from West Bromwich via the A41. Popular with Sandwell families as a realistic stretch target. Consistently strong academic outcomes.
Girls' grammar in Handsworth Wood. Many West Bromwich girls include this alongside King Edward's Five Ways on their school list. Competitive entry but achievable with systematic preparation. Strong tradition of academic and extracurricular achievement.
Selective boys' school in Oldbury — very close to West Bromwich. Uses the 11+ selective process and is an achievable target for boys who may not quite reach the King Edward's benchmark. A strong school with close community links in Sandwell.
Boys' grammar in Aston with a strong STEM tradition. Accessible from West Bromwich via public transport or car. Boys who perform well in preparation are encouraged to include this on their list alongside other schools.
The most selective grammar school in the region — boys performing in the top 3–5% nationally. West Bromwich boys with strong potential are prepared for this as part of a balanced school list. Teaching Success is clear about benchmarks from the start so expectations are realistic.
All Birmingham grammar schools use the same GL Assessment format. Four timed sections, all multiple-choice. Teaching Success covers every section.
Kevin covers mental arithmetic speed, fractions and percentages, multi-step problems, shape and data questions. All in GL Assessment multiple-choice format from day one.
Serena covers inference strategies, systematic vocabulary building, synonym and antonym practice, cloze passages and grammar — the full English paper in one programme.
Verbal reasoning combines language and logic — covered by Serena alongside English. Non-verbal reasoning uses visual patterns — covered by Kevin alongside maths. Both improve rapidly with regular timed practice.
West Bromwich families have both options. Here is what each looks like in practice.
Sessions are one hour, one-to-one, with a consistent structure that builds habits over time — not just covers material once.
Quick-fire mental arithmetic for maths sessions; vocabulary recall for English sessions. The goal is automatic recall, not effortful calculation or word-search. Speed drills become a reliable habit over several months.
Focused teaching or review of the week's topic area — fractions, inference, verbal codes, non-verbal patterns. Explanation, worked examples, and guided practice using real GL Assessment question formats.
A section from a full past paper, completed under timed conditions. Immediate marking and walkthrough of every error — not "this was wrong, the answer was X" but "here is the thinking that led to the right answer and where yours went wrong."
Most commonly: King Edward's Five Ways, Handsworth Grammar (Boys), King Edward's Handsworth (Girls), Q3 Academy Langley and King Edward's Aston. All use GL Assessment format and are reachable from West Bromwich within 15–20 minutes.
Both work well. In-person sessions at Smethwick are roughly 4–5 miles away. Online sessions use identical materials and include timed practice papers sent in advance. The choice depends on your family's schedule and whether your child works better with direct teacher presence.
Children starting in Year 4 or 5 have 12–18 months — the most effective approach. Year 6 starters can still make significant progress in 6–9 months with two sessions per week and consistent home practice. We tailor the intensity to the time available.
Both teachers hold QTS — Kevin for secondary maths/science, Serena for primary. Every session uses real GL Assessment past papers. The free trial lesson means you can judge the quality of teaching before spending anything. No long-term contracts.
In-person at Smethwick or online — your choice. Sessions from £15/hr. Call 07909 274901 to book.