Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) 11 plus guide

Thinking about a grammar school in Sutton for your child? This guide walks you through how the system works, key dates for entry, and how to support your child through the 11+.

In this guide, you'll find:

• How the Sutton grammar school system works
• Key 11+ dates and deadlines for 2027 entry
• Which schools use the Selective Eligibility Test (SET)
• What your child will be tested on
• How the exam is scored and how places are allocated
• Practical ways to support your child's 11+ preparation

Sutton grammar schools

There are five grammar schools in Sutton that use the Selective Eligibility Test (SET) for their 11+ entry:

• Nonsuch High School for Girls
• Sutton Grammar School (boys)
• Wallington County Grammar School (boys)
• Wallington High School for Girls
• Wilson's School (boys)

If you apply to more than one of these schools, your child only needs to take the SET once.

Greenshaw High School is a partially selective school that also uses the Selective Eligibility Test to allocate its 60 selective places. 

Key dates for 2027 entry

• Friday 1st May 2026: test registration opens
• Tuesday 12th June 2026: deadline for applying for access arrangements
• Thursday 31st July 2026: test registration closes
• Tuesday 15th September 2026: Selective Eligibility Test (SET)
• Saturday 26th September 2026: Stage 2 exam for Nonsuch High School for Girls and Wallington High School for Girls
• Saturday 3rd October 2026: Stage 2 exam for Wilson's School, Wallington County Grammar School, and Sutton Grammar School
• Saturday 10th October 2026: Aptitude Test Day (Wilson's School only)
• Saturday 31st October 2026: Secondary school common application deadline
• Monday 1st March 2027: National school offers day

Dates may be subject to change. Always check with your target school for the latest information.

What is the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?

The SET is an 11+ entrance test used to select pupils for grammar schools in Sutton. It takes place in September of Year 6, and you need to register online before your child can take part.

Your child only needs to take it once, even if you’re applying to multiple Sutton grammar schools.

Children born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016 will sit the SET on Tuesday 15th September 2026 for entry to Year 7 in September 2027.

What's in the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?

The SET consists of two multiple-choice papers:

• English: comprehension, spelling, and understanding different texts
• Maths: number, fractions, shapes, and problem solving

Each paper takes approximately 40–50 minutes, with a short break in between. The Sutton SET does not test verbal or non-verbal reasoning. The content is broadly based on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum.

Sutton SET: English

The English paper covers four sections:

• Spelling
• Comprehension based on text A
• Comprehension based on text B
• Comprehension based on a comparison of texts A and B

The format of questions is more varied than standard 11+ exams. Question types may include:

• Select one answer
• Select the two most accurate answers
• Select all that are correct
• Pick the most accurate explanation

Sutton SET: Maths

The maths paper is also multiple-choice, with five answer options per question. Topics covered include:

• Number and place value
• The four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)
• Fractions, decimals, and percentages
• Measurement
• Geometry (properties of shapes, position and direction)
• Statistics

What's on the second stage entrance exam?

Only children who pass the SET are invited to take the second stage entrance exam. The schools are divided into two groups for Stage 2:

• Saturday 26th September 2026: Nonsuch High School for Girls and Wallington High School for Girls
• Saturday 3rd October 2026: Wilson's School, Wallington County Grammar School, and Sutton Grammar School

The second stage consists of two papers that are not multiple-choice:

• English: 1 hour — an extended writing task
• Maths: 45 minutes — a standard maths paper

The content in both papers is broadly based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum.

Greenshaw High School does not include the second-stage entrance exam in its admissions process. 

Wilson's School: Aptitude Test

Wilson's School holds an additional Aptitude Test Day on Saturday 10th October 2026. This is unique to Wilson's and is taken only by boys who have been shortlisted following the SET and second stage. Check Wilson's School's admissions policy directly for the most up-to-date details on how this test is used.

How is the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test scored?

The total mark your child achieves in the SET is age-standardised to ensure that children born later in the school year are not disadvantaged.

Parents are told only whether their child met the required standard — not their exact marks.

What's the pass mark for the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?

Each school in Sutton sets its own pass mark for the SET. If your child has passed, you'll be informed that they've met the required standard and have been invited to the second-stage entrance exam.

Grammar schools are highly competitive, and passing the SET does not guarantee a place. Schools in the Sutton area are frequently oversubscribed with qualified candidates, so we always recommend reviewing each school's admissions policy carefully.

‍What's the pass mark for the second stage exam?

There is no fixed pass mark for the second stage exam. Each grammar school has its own process for using second-stage scores.

For example, children applying to Sutton Grammar School will be given four standardised scores:

• A standardised score for the SET English paper
• A standardised score for the SET maths paper
• A standardised score for the second-stage English paper
• A standardised score for the second-stage maths paper

The four standardised scores are weighted in a ratio of 2:2:3:3, and an age allowance is added. The total is then rounded to the nearest four marks to give a final score, on which offers are based.

How to apply for Sutton grammar schools

1. Register for the Sutton SET

To be considered for a place at any of the participating schools, you must register your child to sit the SET.

• Registration opens: Friday 1st May 2026
• Registration closes: Thursday 31st July 2026

2. Apply for school places

Test results are sent in mid-October 2026.

If your child meets the qualifying standard for a school, you can list it on your secondary school common application form, which must be submitted to your local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.

Before listing a school, check the admissions policy to make sure your child meets all criteria.

3. National Offer Day

On Monday 1st March 2027, you'll be informed which secondary school your child has been allocated.

If your preferred school isn't offered, your child will receive another local school place, and you'll be given information about how to appeal.

How can I help my child prepare for the Sutton 11+?

The Sutton 11+ can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be stressful. Here are some practical ways to support your child in a calm, structured way.

Stay on track with a clear Sutton 11+ revision plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation isn't motivation – it's knowing what to work on, when, and how to stay consistent without it taking over family life.

A clear plan helps your child build skills in the right order and avoid last-minute cramming.

With Atom's Exam Plan, you enter your child's exam date and target schools, and Atom builds a personalised weekly plan based on the key skills they'll be tested on. It adapts as they improve and shows them exactly what to focus on each week.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path to exam day.

Build 11+ exam technique with realistic practice papers

Once your child feels secure with the main topics, paper practice tests help them feel more confident with the exam format.

Atom's 11+ practice papers are designed to reflect real test conditions. Parents simply photograph their child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom for instant marking.

You'll get:

• a Standardised Age Score (SAS)
• clear insight into strengths and areas for improvement
• a comparison with other children applying to the same schools

The papers are unlimited, meaning your child can practise again and again with new questions each time.

Encourage regular reading for 11+ English success

Strong reading skills underpin almost every part of the 11+.

Encourage your child to read for 10–15 minutes a day, focusing on variety – fiction, non-fiction, different genres and authors.

This helps build:

• vocabulary
• comprehension and inference
• confidence with unfamiliar texts

If you're looking for ideas, Atom's recommended reading lists for Years 3–6 include a wide range of age-appropriate books.

Celebrate progress, not just 11+ scores

When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple view of how your child is doing across topics and how their performance is developing over time.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement – not just one-off test results.