For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Sutton (South London)
Sutton (South London) is home to 5 fully selective grammar schools and 1 partially selective school, served by the Sutton Selective Schools Consortium (SSSC). This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Sutton (South London) 11+ works
Two-stage process. Stage 1 (Selective Eligibility Test / SET): two multiple-choice papers — Mathematics and English (each ~40–50 minutes, answers on a separate lozenged sheet). The SET does NOT include separate Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning sections — however, the English paper assesses comprehension, vocabulary and inference skills that functionally overlap with VR. Stage 2 varies by school: Wilson's, Wallington CG and Sutton GS share a written (non-multiple-choice) Stage 2 in Maths and English; Nonsuch and Wallington Girls share a separate written Stage 2 (NWSSEE) in English and Maths. Greenshaw uses Stage 1 only. Source: SSSC/individual school admissions FAQs (official).
All six schools use the shared Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) run by the Sutton Selective Schools Consortium (SSSC). You register once for the SET — results are shared with all Sutton selective schools you preference. Schools then use a Stage 2 paper to make final decisions. Submit your school preferences separately via your Local Authority Common Application Form.
Key dates
Who can apply?
Any child in Year 5 (at time of registration) or Year 6 (at time of test) may sit the Sutton SET — there is no catchment restriction for the test itself.
Several Sutton schools reserve a proportion of Year 7 places for children living within a defined catchment area or distance radius. Children from outside these areas can still apply and qualify for open places.
Individual school admissions policies give first priority to looked-after children and children with an EHCP naming the school, ahead of academic rank.
Nonsuch and Wallington High School for Girls both reserve places for Pupil Premium-eligible children — prioritised within admissions criteria, subject to meeting or coming within 20% of the qualifying score threshold.
Wilson's School allocates 9 places via sports aptitude and 9 places via music aptitude — these require separate audition/assessment.
Greenshaw High School allocates 60 of its 314 Year 7 places by selective ability (SET); the remaining 254 are allocated by proximity to the school.
Candidates requiring access arrangements (e.g. extra time for SEND) must apply to the consortium in advance with supporting documentation.
Admissions process
Register with the SSSC for the SET. One registration covers all six Sutton selective schools. Register by June 2025.
Sit the shared Selective Eligibility Test: two multiple-choice papers in Mathematics and English (~40–50 minutes each). No VR or NVR. All six schools use this result as the first filter.
Shortlisted children sit a second test. Nonsuch and Wallington Girls share a joint Stage 2 on 27 Sep; Wilson's, Wallington CG and Sutton GS share a joint Stage 2 on 4 Oct. Greenshaw does not use a Stage 2.
Final scores issued in October. Each school applies its own oversubscription criteria (catchment, Pupil Premium, open places) to rank qualified applicants.
List school preferences on your Local Authority Common Application Form by 31 October 2025. You can list Sutton schools alongside schools in other areas.
Offers made on 2 March 2026. Places are allocated by each school's criteria — not simply by highest score nationally.
If unsuccessful, you may appeal on the grounds that your child is of selective ability. Appeals can succeed but typically require strong independent academic evidence — success rates are low.
School Directory
Disclaimer: DfE School Performance Tables 2023, Ofsted inspection reports, Sutton Selective Schools Consortium, individual school admissions policies (2025/26), Sutton LA admissions guidance. Applicant numbers and cut-off scores are estimates based on widely reported parent data and may vary. Always verify on official school and local authority websites. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: March 2026. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).