Admissions FAQs

Open Events for students researching their options for September 2024 entry will take place in October 2023. Our Open Events are a great way to see what King Ed’s has to offer. It allows you to meet teachers and current students from all subject areas, and find out what you could study with us at King Ed’s. There will be presentations to provide you with more information about what King Ed’s can offer you, as well as discover more about other exciting opportunities at the college. You can familiarise yourself with the college campus, and get a feel for the atmosphere and learning environment. There will be two events as follows :

• Thursday 12 October (5pm-9pm)
• Saturday 14 October (9am-3pm)

Further information regarding the events, and links to book your event tickets, will be available on the college website from June 2023.

If you were unable to attend the Open Events in October, the college admissions team are holding a limited number of group tours of the college campus.

You will be able to ask the admissions team any questions you may have about college life and view the campus. There will sadly not be an opportunity to speak to subject teachers during the Campus Tour.

You can book your space on a tour by clicking here. Tours will depart promptly at the start time specified.

Tickets are limited to 2 per household. Unfortunately there is no on-site parking available, however there are public car parks available nearby within Stourbridge town centre. If you are a blue badge holder, please email admissions@kedst.ac.uk and we can organise on-site parking for you.

If you would prefer to visit us for a single household tour, please email admissions@kedst.ac.uk. We can discuss your requirements before finding a mutually convenient date and time for you to visit.

Three Subject Programmes

Our minimum entry requirements to study three subjects at the college are six GCSEs at grade 5 or above. 96% of King Ed’s students will be studying on a programme of three subjects.

Four Subject Programmes

If you wish to take four subjects, you will need to achieve seven GCSEs at grade 7 or above. Only 4% of students in the college will take four subjects, and these will generally be students taking Mathematics and Further Mathematics. UK universities make offers based upon students taking three subject programmes, and it is better to excel in three subjects rather than stretch yourself thinly across four subjects.

A number of subjects have their own minimum entry requirements, so please check the information provided for each of our subjects as part of our prospectus to find out more.

BTECs and CNATs do not form part of our minimum entry requirements. 

Conditional offers – stating specified grades – are made to applicants whom the college believes have the potential to most benefit from a place, based on their application form and personal statement.

Each year we are contacted by students who wish they had applied but chose not to ahead of the 28 February deadline. If in doubt, you are encouraged to apply! Remember, you can apply to multiple colleges.

Our Admissions Team can offer lots of practical advice and will be happy to talk through any dilemmas or concerns you may have.

All applications made between Monday 26 September 2022 and Tuesday 28 February 2023 will receive equal consideration for a conditional offer.

Once we are in receipt of a fully completed application (e.g. we have received your Personal Statement and Career Aspirations documents, as well as your initial application) we will make a decision on your application.

This will be communicated to you via a letter delivered by Royal Mail.

We no longer interview students as part of the application process.

If you are still interested in joining us after the deadline, you will need to contact the admissions team and request to be added to the waiting list. We cannot guarantee a place in college if you make a late application, even if you have met the minimum entry requirements for the college. You would be placed on a waiting list for consideration, dependent upon capacity within the college. Therefore, it is always best to fully complete your application prior to our 28 February deadline.

Please email admissions@kedst.ac.uk with your full name name, the subjects you wish to study, the name of your current school and a photo of your GCSE results slip once you receive it in August. We will then check if there are any places remaining.

Before choosing courses and after getting your results, you should look carefully to see that you have met the entry requirements for any subjects you might be interested in.

Any applicant who was not successful in receiving a conditional offer when applying for a place as part of the initial application cycle (e.g. prior to 28 February deadline) can appeal to the Principal for their application to be reconsidered. Any appeal should include new information such as school reports or results not available when their original decision took place.

Please see the links below for further information about our appeals procedure.

Appeals Procedure

Appeal Form

Please note that the appeals process does not apply to students who are unable to take up their place to study with us following the publication of GCSE results, because they did not meet the entry requirements stated in their offer.

If you receive a conditional offer from the college, you must have responded to us by Wednesday 26 April 2023 (23.59pm). If we do not receive your acceptance by this point, your conditional offer will be withdrawn.

It is acceptable to hold offers at multiple institutions, attend College Orientation Days, and to make a final decision at a later point (e.g. GCSE Results Day). All we ask is that you let us know if you no longer need wish to be considered for a place at the college. You can do so by emailing us at admissions@kedst.ac.uk

The college provides alternative travel solutions for some students who live in areas where there is little or no suitable public transport. At present, chartered coaches travel into college from Bridgnorth, Cleobury Mortimer (via Bewdley), Bromsgrove, South Birmingham (Longbridge, Northfield and Rubery) and West Worcestershire (Martley, Great Witley and Stourport). A new route from Wolverhampton was introduced in September 2021.

The cost for all of the routes from September 2023 will be £180 per term. Therefore in Year 12, the cost will total £540.

To reserve a seat, please email: travel@kedst.ac.uk

For further details, including the bus routes and stops we offer, please visit our College Transport page.

Please note that reservations on college transport are subject to availability. Where a route is oversubscribed, we will operate a waiting list for places.

The average group size at the college is 19 students.

Level 3 Mathematical Studies (Core Maths)

This one-year qualification carries a maximum of 20 UCAS points and will build on your existing GCSE maths knowledge by developing problem-solving skills, the ability to communicate your mathematical ideas in the areas of statistics, finance and estimation. You will need to have achieved a GCSE grade 5 in maths to do this course. Students studying Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science or Physics may be required to study Core Maths as a part of their programme.

Following enrolment, Core Maths will be automatically added to student timetables where they meet the following criteria :

Students at King Ed’s have had an amazingly successful year, with record numbers of high grades (36.8% A*-A), A* grades in every subject, and 17 confirmed Oxbridge places.

These results are a true testament to the dedication and resilience of students and staff at King Ed’s, all of whom worked hard to make sure that every opportunity to learn was taken. Talented and driven staff made sure that the curriculum was covered seamlessly and that students were well looked after. With the support of their families, students rose to the challenge and worked tenaciously to achieve a record set of grades, with an overall pass rate of 99.6%

87.4% of students achieved A*-C, and 67.4% achieved A*-B, in both cases 5% above the national average, setting students in good stead to secure university places and career opportunities.

Holly Bembridge, Principal of the college said, ‘Our students should feel incredibly proud of the resilience they have shown in getting themselves ready for the first A level exams in several years, with these results giving them a head start as they set out on their path towards a fulfilling career. We have seen their potential to do tremendous good, and with over 200 students moving on to train as key workers, we expect that society will soon be benefitting from their skills.’

We have a 16-19 Bursary Fund which students can apply for if they meet the criteria. To find out more about, please click here.

You should find all the information you need on this website.  However, if you have a specific enquiry, please contact our Admissions Team for more help.

You can do this by emailing us at: admissions@kedst.ac.uk

The Admissions Team office hours are Monday – Thursday 8am-4pm, and Friday 8am-3.30pm. The team will always endeavour to reply to you as soon as possible.