When King Edward VI Grammar School for Girls opened in 1883 the first head was
Margaret Nimmo who had previously been second mistress and the first graduate teacher at
Blackheath High School. The school was then in the Aston area of Birmingham and it had 300 girls to educate. Half of the schools scholarships were given to girls from public elementary schools. The education approaches were information,
Rote learning and competition. Margaret Nimmo moved her school to Rosehill Road in Handsworth where it has merged with two others In the beginning, the sixth form was very small with as few as 6 pupils in a year. Transfer to
King Edward VI High School for Girls for sixth form studies was not unusual. It uses red brick,
ashlar dressings and a plain tiled roof. Chatwin's design featured a number of specialist areas, including a library, a whole school common-room, a gymnasium and a double-height, barrel-vaulted, central hall with ornate plasterwork, including a depiction of the coat of arms of King Edward VI. As the school was built on a slope, there are two ground floors, and originally the gymnasium was located in the room on the lower ground floor later used as a Music room. Since the renovation of the church (bought by the school) into a music centre, this room is now used as an ICT suite. In May 2025, the building was
Grade II* listed (the second-highest possible category), giving it legal protection from unauthorised alteration or demolition. The listing includes the boundary gates, railings and piers. To celebrate the centenary of the school in 1983 a new block was built to house a meeting room and the changing rooms for the sports field. In 1997 a new Sixth Form block was built with the help of the King Edward VI Foundation fund. In 2005, the new sports hall was built, using sponsorship money from companies such as O2, and a church organ was bought by the school to be renovated and used for music studies. The school also gained specialist performing arts status. 2011 saw the building of a new library by the field; a modern building with a slanting roof and colourful window panes. This includes a mezzanine area upstairs with computers. The centenary room is currently undergoing demolition as it is being replaced by a new, two-storey building, set for completion in February 2026. ==Uniform==