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If you're thinking about grammar schools in Sutton, South London, your child will need to sit the Selective Eligibility Test (SET). This guide explains what it is, which schools use it, and how to help your child prepare.
Find out more about grammar schools in Sutton
Learn about the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) – the local 11 plus exam
Discover which subjects your child will be tested on
Plus, get exclusive resources to help your child prepare!
Which schools use the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?
The following schools in Sutton use the SET for their 11+ entry:
Sutton Grammar School (boys)
Wilson’s School (boys)
Greenshaw High School (Partially selective with 60 selective places.)
If you apply to more than one of these schools, your child only needs to take the test once.
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.
You only need to complete one registration form, regardless of how many participating schools you’re interested in.
The registration deadlines and exams have passed for 2025. Dates for registration in 2026 will be released at a later date.
Key dates for 2025
Registration opened: 1 May
Registration closed: 1 August
Test dates: Mid-September and early October (second stage)
Sutton SET results: Mid-October
Secondary school application deadline: 31st October
National school offers day: Monday, 2nd March 2026
If your child meets the required score in the SET, they’ll be invited to sit a second-stage test. Some schools in the group have a shared second stage exam.
Sutton SET practice papers and online learning
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What's on the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?
The SET has two multiple-choice papers:
English: comprehension, spelling, and understanding different texts
Maths: number, fractions, shapes, and problem solving
Each paper takes about 40-50 minutes, with a short break in between. The Sutton SET does not test verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
The content of the Sutton SET 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 the questions is more varied than standard 11 plus exams, which usually require only one answer. In the Sutton SET, question types might include:
Select one answer
Select the two most accurate answers
Select all that are correct
Pick the most accurate explanation
Sutton SET: maths
The Sutton SET maths paper is also multiple-choice. There are five answer options for each question. Your child will need to choose one correct answer and mark their choice on the answer sheet provided.
The topics covered include:
Number and place value
The four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and subtraction)
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 Sutton SET are invited to take the second stage entrance exam. Some schools share a joint second stage exam - check with your target schools for more.
The Sutton second stage entrance exam consists of two papers which are not multiple-choice:
English: 1 hour. This is an extended writing task
Maths: 45 minutes. This is a standard maths paper
The content in both of these papers is broadly based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum.
11+ subject guides
How is the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test scored?
The total mark your child achieves for the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test is age-standardised to make sure children born later in the school year aren’t disadvantaged.
Parents only find out if their child met the required standard — not the exact marks.
What's the pass mark for the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?
Each of the schools in Sutton decide their own pass mark for the Sutton SET. If your child has passed the SET, you'll be told they've met the required standard and been invited to the second-stage entrance exam.
In general, UK grammar schools tend to consider the top 25% highest-scoring children for a place. This still doesn't guarantee a place at the school of your choice, as schools in many areas are oversubscribed with qualified candidates.
We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools. Pay close attention to their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area (if they have one).
What's the pass mark for the second stage exam?
There is no set pass mark for the second stage exam in Sutton. Each grammar school has its own process for using the second-stage scores.
For example, children applying to Sutton Grammar School will be given four standardised scores:
A standardised score for the Sutton SET English paper
A standardised score for the Sutton 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 the final score. This is the score which places are then based on.
How can I help my child prepare for the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?
The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test is challenging. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the exam in September 2025.
1. Bitesize learning
Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains remember new information more effectively when learning smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.
Atom Home makes learning a more enjoyable process for your child. They'll explore exciting worlds full of interactive questions, earning coins to spend in the Atom shop. Atom adapts to your child, showing them questions at just the right level of difficulty to keep them motivated.
2. Read widely
11 plus exams test your child’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.
Encourage them to read books from different genres and different authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.
3. Refine exam technique
When your child feels confident with the topics they’ve learnt in Year 5, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.
Practice tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and build confidence working under test conditions. They’re also a great way to test learning and highlight knowledge gaps for further improvement.
With Atom Home, you'll unlock online mock tests and printable practice papers. Enjoy automatic marking and progress tracking with the online tests, and help your child get familiar with the real exam experience with printable practice papers.
4. Celebrate progress
Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.
Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement!
When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.
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