Chatwin,[6] opened in 1883 and is still, with additional buildings, located on its original site, in the Aston area of Birmingham, England.

King Edward VI Aston is the only school in the foundation that still occupies its original site.

], 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 37 years.

building a new catering facility near the sports hall, and has already constructed a new car park at the top of Albert Road.

From late 2009 until 2017, there were once more four houses, each of which took its name from a previous Headmaster at the school (i.e. Manton, house colour yellow, emblem a portcullis; Temperley, purple, Tudor rose; Floyd, blue (formerly brown), lion rampant; and Brandon, green, fleur de lis).

Sixth form pupils are offered the chance to take part in sporting activities during their games lessons.

Here, they take part in outward bounds activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, orienteering and hill walking.

The department draws senior musicians from all ensembles to form pit bands for the school productions.

They met with and performed for Ian Smith and toured the country before coming under attack by the Zanu-PF on the train from Bulawayo to Pretoria.

In recent years, Aston has staged West Side Story, The Threepenny Opera, October's Children, The Visit and Guys and Dolls.

Productions of Return to the Forbidden Planet, Little Shop of Horrors, Grease and Fame have been staged at the girls' school with boys from Aston taking part.

The combined Sixth Forms of Aston and Handsworth also stage a production of one of Shakespeare's plays once a year.

For many, the highlight of the school year is the annual Festival of Cultures held in July, after all examinations have finished.

It also provides students with opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities associated with individual cultures in workshops.

Previous workshops have included origami, Bhangra dancing, magic, yoga and pizza making, amongst many more.

Senior Prefects also decorate the quadrangle and piazza areas with flags and bunting to add to the festival atmosphere.

[14] Research in the school's Archive Centre has so far found the names of 100 holders of the post, stretching back to 1910.