Book your place at one of our open evening or open events.
View the AUEA curriculum document for a detailed look at the courses that are available.
For more details of Aston University Engineering Academy please download our parent handbook.
UTC Foundation (Year 9) Applications for September 2025
Open evening
The Principal's presentation from the recent UTC Foundation Year open evening (2nd October 2024) is available view here
AUEA is a co-educational University Technical College for girls and boys aged 13-19, and admits students in to Year 9 and Year 12 each academic year.
It is expected that ALL applicants for entry to Year 9 believe that specialist engineering focused education in a University Technical College is most appropriate to their child’s needs, and that they support the distinctive ethos, policies and procedures of AUEA.
At AUEA, our UTC Foundation Year 9 curriculum is designed to provide knowledge fo r l i fe and sk i l l s for the future, supporting progression into successful and rewarding careers. We offer unique pathways in Engineering, Business, and Health, and our curriculum promotes STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, and Medical) education.
As a result, our students will have more opportunities to excel and stand out than their peers in other schools and colleges, especially with our expanding partnership with the NHS and other Birmingham STEM industries. This is achieved through a bespoke curriculum, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and the uniformed cadet programme. One of the greatest senses of achievement in education is seeing the growth and development of our students and celebrating their success beyond their time at AUEA.
AUEA UTC Foundation Year - How to apply
There will be 80 places for students from across Birmingham and the West Midlands to join us in Year 9 in September 2025.
Consideration of Applications for Year 9
The Academy will band across the ability range of applicants for admission to the Academy. All applicants will take a test with a verbal, non-verbal and quantitative aspect. This is not a pass/fail test. Based on their mean CAT scores in the test, all applicants will then be placed in one of five ability bands. The highest ability students will be placed in band 1 and the lowest ability in band 5.
50% Male and 50% Female students will then be selected from each band. This will ensure that a fully comprehensive intake from the most able to the least able are offered places.
To Apply complete the online application form.
Invitations to sit the Fair Banding test will only be sent to those applicants that have applied directly to AUEA by 31st October 2024.
Applicants who sit the Fair Banding test prior to 31st January deadline will be considered for admission first.
Applications remain open until 31st January 2025.
Offers are awarded on 1st March 2025.
If you apply after the closing date your application will be added to the waiting list.
Contact the admissions team if you require any support with your application admissions@auea.co.uk
In-Year Admission
To register to receive an application form for entry during the academic year2024/25 please contact admissions@auea.co.uk with your home address details and an AUEA application form and the Local Authority Change of School form will be sent to you in the post. A waiting list is in operation for in-year admissions.
Year 9
The September 2025 Pupil admission number (PAN) for Year 9 is 80.
Where the number of applications for admission is greater than the published admission number, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below. After the admission of pupils with statements of Special Educational Needs where the Aston University Engineering Academy Birmingham is named on the statement and application received via Birmingham SENAR service.
i. Looked After Children in the care of a local authority; These applicants will be included in the band in which they fall.
ii. The remaining places in each band will be allocated by random allocation.
iii. TIE-BREAK: If, after consideration of the oversubscription criteria is needed, a tie breaker will be via random allocation for each band.
iv. If there are the same number or fewer applicants from any band than places available, then all applicants will be offered a place. Any unfilled band places will be offered to those applicants in other bands using random allocation.
v. Applications from sets of twins or other children from multiple births will be treated as individual applicants; this may result in one child being allocated a place under random allocation and another not.
Applicants who sit the Fair Banding test prior to 31st January deadline will be considered for admission first.
Any late applicants may be offered an additional banding test. However if this is not possible, or for those that choose not to sit the Fair Banding test will be classed as ‘non-banded’ and will be ranked in order of priority (after all the Page 8 of 11 banded applicants) with the level of priority then determined with reference to the ‘non-banded oversubscription criteria set out below
i. Distance between home address and the nodal point nearest to that address for 50% female students and 50% Male students.
ii. Distance will be calculated according to a straight line measurement between the applicant’s home and the nodal / measuring point (as the crow flies).
iii. In the event that a tie break situation occurs for the distance criteria, a random allocation tie break will be used.
iv. The nodal points have been selected to allow access to the Academy for pupils living in a wider area than that local to the school. Railway stations have been selected as the nodal points for their obvious links to engineering, to allow a good geographical spread of points and to encourage pupils to use public transport when travelling to school. There is one nodal point in each of Birmingham’s six area networks.
v. The points selected are Hall Green Station, Moor Street Station, Perry Barr, Stechford Station, University Station and Wylde Green Station.
If Aston University Engineering Academy (AUEA) is oversubscribed in any year group, all unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list and informed by AUEA.
The list will operate in accordance with the over subscription criteria defined for Year 9 and for Sixth Form and will operate until the end of the academic year. This will be maintained by AUEA.
Appeals
Aston University Engineering Academy will ensure that parents and relevant children will have the right of appeal to an Independent Appeal Panel if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of Aston University Engineering Academy.
The arrangements for appeals will comply with the School Admission Appeals Code. The determination of the appeal panel is binding on all parties.
We will prepare guidance for parents and relevant children about how the appeals process will work and provide them with a named contact who can answer any enquiries they may have about the process.
Further information on the admissions arrangements for the Academy can be downloaded here.
