King Edward VI Aston School

​​​​​​​King Edward VI Aston School is a multi-ethnic, selective school for boys

We are one of the twelve schools in Birmingham that are supported by the charity, the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham. The school has been part of the Aston community since 1883 and has strong links with many local schools and organisations primarily through the work of the school’s Sports Partnership.

We have the highest expectations of our students, not only in their academic performance, but in their commitment to extra-curricular activities be it in sport, drama, music or wider community service. By the age of eighteen we expect all Aston students to be articulate, well-educated young men, capable of independent thought with the confidence and flexibility to face future challenges. Our latest Ofsted inspection report described our provision as outstanding across all areas of the judgement.

The King Edward VI Aston Grammar School was opened in 1883. In 1911, the girls' school moved out to a new building in Handsworth and merged with two smaller Foundation schools (Summer Hill and Bath Row). The whole Aston building was then used for boys. With the departure of the girls, the Pyramus and ThisbeWall (which had previously served to separate the boys from the girls) was also removed. Aston is the only school in the Foundation that still occupies its original site. The original buildings are still in regular use, but there have been significant alterations and extensions. In 1963, the 'New Building' was opened. More recently, the school has added a sports hall and a building to house the languages departments, and has acquired the part of Frederick Road that formerly bisected the site.

The 1963 building, now known as Douglas House (after a double-fronted Victorian villa that stood on the same site), has been extended and refurbished to provide: four extra laboratories; a teaching kitchen; new classrooms for art, design technology and music; a conference room; a first aid room; and offices. The extension was named the Watcyn Thomas Wing, after a former Welsh rugby international who taught at the school for thirty-seven years. It was opened on 20 May 2008 by Bob Simpson, an Aston Old Edwardian (as former pupils are known) and governor of the school.

• The school also has a school song written in the late 1800s to commemorate the stature and honour of Edward VI.
  King Edward VI Aston School is a wonderful place to work and learn. It has been one of the schools in the King Edward VI Foundation since it opened in 1883 as a grammar school for boys, and is still located on its original site.

Our vision is to provide a first-class education to all our learners in an inclusive and caring environment. Supported by an outstanding enrichment programme, our aim is to ensure that every student develops into an articulate, confident and compassionate young man. This well-rounded education is very important to us and is driven by our four key values of diligence, honesty, integrity and kindness.

Aston has deep roots in its community and is proud to work in collaboration with a whole host of partners, including our local School Sports Partnership and the nationally acclaimed Swire Chinese Language Foundation. This wider 'family' of partners supports the fantastic teaching which takes place in our classrooms throughout the academic year. We are insistent on the highest standards of effort, uniform and behaviour to ensure that academic outcomes are the very best they can be. Every year, students leave us to attend the highest performing universities in the country.

Although the students' academic performance is incredibly important to us, we understand that all young people face difficulty in their lives at some point. Consequently, we have a team of dedicated pastoral and support staff who work tirelessly to ensure that well-being, both in terms of physical and mental health, is nurtured and developed.

Our ethos and values
At King Edward VI Aston School, we aim to ensure that all students become aspirant, confident and articulate global citizens. To achieve this, our core values of diligence, kindness, honesty and integrity underpin everything we do as a community together.

Diligence - We expect our students to work hard in everything they do at school. Through continuous commitment to self-improvement, with confidence to work outside their comfort zone, and by matching their effort with their potential, our students aim to be as best as they can. Working hard to achieve at any level is the norm at Aston: staff and students themselves are proud of their positive attitude to learning.

Kindness - People often say that when they come to Aston, they are surprised at how friendly the school is. This is a result of continuous work with the boys to celebrate their achievements at the same time as keeping them firmly grounded in modesty and warmth towards others. At Aston, we ensure that our pupils understand that being humble is as important as being successful.

Honesty - Staff are honest with the boys about their progress and achievements, and always seek to point out potential areas for development. In return, boys are expected to be honest about their feelings and to share problems when they arise. In this way, a climate of honesty leads to a culture of care where boys feel safe, well and nurtured.

Integrity - All the boys who graduate from the school should leave with a sense of integrity in everything they do. This ensures they have self-confidence to deal with challenges and a sense of equality and justice in the way they interact with others. In this way, they can become the respectful global citizens as we expect them to be.