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Are you considering Wallington County Grammar School in Sutton for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7, including key dates, how to register and what's on the 11 plus exam.
About Wallington County Grammar School
Established in 1927, Wallington County Grammar School is a selective boys' school with a mixed sixth form. It's one of the highest-ranking state schools in the country based on A level and GCSE results.
The school's motto, ‘Per Ardua ad Summa’ (Through Difficulties to the Heights), reflects meeting challenges as a community, using the core values of compassion, courage, commitment and creativity to achieve excellence.
Address: Croydon Road, Wallington, SM6 7PH
Local authority: Sutton Council
School type: boys' grammar
Headteacher: Jamie Bean
Number of pupils: 1,100
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 56
A level results: 85.6% A*–B
GCSE results: 75.3% 9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 150
11 plus registration opens: 1st May 2023
11 plus registration closes: 4th August 2023
Exam type: Sutton SET followed by school's own second-stage exam
Selective Eligibility Test: 12th September 2023
Second-stage exam: 30th September 2023
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Wallington County Grammar School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at Wallington County Grammar School are:
Autumn term: 6th September – 21st December 2023
Half term: 23rd October – 2nd November 2023
Spring term: 9th January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 16th April – 23rd July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
How to apply to Wallington County Grammar School
Wallington County Grammar School shares an entrance test and registration process with the five other grammar schools in Sutton. The entrance test is called the Selective Eligibility Test (SET).
1. Register for the SET
Before you register you should speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus is right for them.
Register your child to take the SET by completing the online application form which is available from 1st May onwards, on any of the Sutton grammar schools' websites. You only need to register for the test once to apply for any of the grammar schools in Sutton. Registration closes on 4th August 2023.
If you're applying for grammar schools outside Sutton, remember to register for their 11 plus exams too.
2. Second stage test
Children who achieve the qualifying mark in the SET are invited to take the Wallington County Grammar School second stage test on 30th September (a couple of weeks after the SET).
The boys' grammar schools in Sutton share a second-stage test. Because the admissions criteria differ between schools, children may be considered for the second-stage test at certain schools but not others.
3. Apply for school places
You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.
Before listing Wallington County Grammar School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. How close you live to a school is very important as schools have priority areas which change based on the demand for places.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
What's on the Sutton 11 plus exam?
Stage 1: SET
The first stage 11 plus exam for Wallington County Grammar School takes place on 12th September 2023. It consists of two papers:
English
Maths
Each paper takes between 40–50 minutes and there is a break between them. Children record their answers in a separate answer book which is marked first electronically and then by hand.
The content is based on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum objectives for Year 5 and 6. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not tested.
Stage 2
The second stage test on 30th September consists of two elements: English and maths. Again, the content is based on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum.
Unlike the SET, these tests are not multiple-choice. The second-stage English paper is a writing task, usually based on a prompt.
Get more details and free preparation resources in our full guide to the Sutton SET and second stage test:
What is the pass mark for Wallington County Grammar School?
Wallington County Grammar School does not state a specific pass mark. Instead, they set a qualifying standard each year based on the performance of the group. In general, UK grammar schools tend to consider the top 25% highest-scoring children for a place.
Reaching the qualifying standard in the tests does not guarantee a place at the school. More children pass the test than there are places available. The school does this to take into account the number of students taking the exam who are also interested in places at other schools.
We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criterion and their catchment area.
How is the Wallington County Grammar School exam scored?
After the SET papers are marked, the scores are standardised to even out any age disadvantage for children born later in the year. Your child's scores are added together into a total, so a very good performance in one paper can compensate for a slightly lower performance in the other paper.
Your child's total score is then added to their marks in the second stage test to give an overall score. The overall scores are used to create ranked lists, and offers made to the highest-scoring children.
Wallington County Grammar School oversubscription criteria
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 150. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names Wallington County Grammar School and who achieve the qualifying standard are offered places first. Places are then allocated to children in this order:
Current or previously Looked After Children.
Children of permanent school staff who achieve the qualifying standard.
Places are offered to children in rank order of their overall scores. (Up to 110 places are offered under criteria 1,2 and 3.)
Up to 25 places are offered to children who receive free school meals and achieve the qualifying standard.
Up to 15 places are offered to children who reach the qualifying standard and whose home address is in the priority postcodes (below).
Where scores are equal, boys are prioritised depending on how close they live to the school.
Wallington County Grammar School catchment area
Wallington County Grammar School prioritises up to 15 children for admission who live in the postcodes SM1, SM2, SM3, SM4, SM5, SM6, SM7, KT4 8---, CR0 4 --, and CR4.
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Sutton SET 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the SET at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Sutton SET practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to unlimited online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Sutton Selective Eligibility Test, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to Wallington County Grammar School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
Personalised support for you
We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or Sutton grammar schools.
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