Sutton Grammar School 11+ guide

Thinking about applying to Sutton Grammar School? Find out everything you need to know about admissions and how to prepare your child for success in the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test.

Key information about Sutton Grammar School

• Address: Sutton Grammar School, Manor Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4AS
• Number of pupils: 1,000+
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• Number of places in Year 7: 135
• 11+ exam: Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) and second stage exam
• Catchment area: yes

Dates for your diary

• Thursday 1st May 2025: Sutton Selective Eligibility Test registration opens
• Friday 1st August 2025: Sutton Selective Eligibility Test registration closes
• Tuesday 16th September 2025: Sutton Selective Eligibility Test
• Saturday 4th October 2025: shared second stage entrance exam
• Mid-October 2025: parents receive Sutton SET results
• Friday 31st October 2025: secondary school common application deadline
• Monday 2nd March 2026: national school offers day

About Sutton Grammar School

Sutton Grammar School is a boys' grammar school with a mixed sixth form on the border of Surrey and London. It's a leading school for academic results and has been featured as one of the Sunday Times Best Secondary Schools in London. In 2023, students' exam results placed Sutton Grammar within the top 50 grammar schools in the UK.

The school is diverse and welcoming. Ofsted praises how students celebrate each others' differences. There is a culture of high achievement, respect and participation, with plenty of extracurricular opportunities on offer.

How to apply to Sutton Grammar School

Sutton Grammar School is a selective school. This means that your child will need to take the 11 plus exam to be eligible for a place. In Sutton, the 11 plus is known as the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET). All of the grammar schools in Sutton (and one partially-selective school) use the Sutton SET.

Children applying to Sutton Grammar School also take a second stage exam to qualify for a place. This exam is shared with the other boys’ grammar schools in Sutton – Wilson’s School and Wallington County Grammar School. Only children who meet the qualifying standard in the Sutton SET are shortlisted for the second stage entrance exam.

Registration for the 2025 Sutton Selective Eligibility Test opens on Thursday 1st May 2025 and closes on Friday 1st August 2025. The Sutton SET takes place on Tuesday 16th September 2025. You’ll find out whether your child has qualified for the second stage the following week.

The shared second stage exam takes place on Saturday 4th October 2025 and you’ll receive your child’s results in mid-October. You can then use these results to decide whether to apply for a place at Sutton Grammar School.

To apply, you’ll need to name the school as one of your preferred schools on the secondary school common application form. This will be available on your home council website from early September and must be submitted by 31st October 2025.

Remember – passing the entrance exam doesn’t guarantee that your child will be allocated a place at your preferred school. Many grammar schools are often oversubscribed with qualified children. Schools and their admissions authorities work through admissions criteria to prioritise children for places. We’ve included the admissions criteria for Sutton Grammar School below.

What subjects are on the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test?

The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test consists of two multiple-choice papers. Each paper takes about 40–50 minutes to complete.

• English: this paper is split into four sections. One assesses Key Stage 2 spelling and the other three test reading comprehension skills.
• Maths: questions cover the Key Stage 2 maths topics. These include number and place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages, measurement, geometry and statistics.

The second stage exam also tests English and maths, but these papers are not multiple-choice. The English test is a one-hour extended writing task and the maths test is a standard 45-minute maths paper.

How does place allocation work at Sutton Grammar School?

The marks from both the second stage exam and the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test are used by the school to set a required standard for eligibility. Sutton Grammar School adjusts the marks for a child’s age and income deprivation score.

Places are offered first to boys with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who meet the required standard. Places are then allocated in this order to children who have passed the two entrance exams:

1. ‘Looked after’ and ‘previously looked after’ children
2. Sons of staff employed at Sutton Grammar School for a minimum of two years
3. Up to 10 places are reserved for boys who receive Free School Meals and who live in the catchment area (allocated in rank order of score)
4. 75 places are reserved for boys who live in the catchment area (allocated in rank order of score)
5. Any remaining places are then allocated in rank order of score

What is the catchment area for Sutton Grammar School?

The catchment area for Sutton Grammar School covers the postcode areas SM1-7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4 and CR4. Boys who live within these areas are prioritised for places under criteria 3–4 of the admissions policy.

Atom’s top tips for Sutton SET preparation

The Sutton SET and second stage exams are designed to select the most academically able children in the Sutton area. Here are our top tips to help you and your child feel confident for exam day!

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before the exam. Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with 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.

Read widely

The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test assesses 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 by a diverse range of 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.

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 consolidate 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.

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.