Sutton Grammar 11 Plus Guide
It might be difficult to find your way around the 11 Plus the first time as a parent. How do you aid your kid in getting ready for the Sutton Grammar 11 Plus Exam? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a “Sutton Grammar 11 Plus Tips” in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.
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Sutton Grammar School
Sutton Grammar School is an all-boys grammar school in the London Borough of Sutton. It’s a selective school, and with only 135 places available for the 2024 Year 7 entry, competition to secure a place at the school is challenging. This page has everything parents need to know about making a successful application to the school, with key dates for submitting all of the necessary forms and attending open events. You can also find plenty of helpful information about the school’s unique 11 plus exam, of which there are two parts. Scroll down to learn more about the admissions procedure and access free resources to help your child prepare.
School details:
Address: Sutton Grammar School, Manor Lane, Sutton, SM1 4AS
County: London Borough of Sutton (Surrey)
Type of school: Boys’ Grammar School (Academy Converter)
Age range: 11-18
Ofsted rating: Outstanding (View Report)
Number of pupils: 949 pupils
Admissions to Year 7 (PAN): 135
Open evening (2024 entry): (Virtual Event)
11+ exam date (2024 entry): 12 th September 2023
Exam board: Selective Eligibility Test and Sutton Grammar School Second Stage Test
Admissions phone number: 020 8642 3821
Admissions email address: office@suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk
A Brief Overview of Sutton Grammar School’s Performance
The school officially opened in 1899, making it well over 100 years old! However, it did not acquire its present-day name until a decade ago, in 2011. Today, the Headmaster acknowledges that staff can focus on every individual’s progress due to the school’s modest size. And this undoubtedly influences the excellent academic performance of Sutton Grammar School’s pupils. Over the last ten years, the school reached the highest ranks of UK secondary school league tables, praised by various publications for rivalling the nations most elite schools, such as Eton. In 2023, Sutton Grammar School is one of the country’s best performing secondary schools.
The tables above are from the most recent government data available (2018/19), as there is no official data for 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic. The data displayed highlights that at GCSE, the school considerably outperforms other secondary schools, both in its local authority and on a national level.
Progress 8 score: 0.96: this means that, on average, pupils are likely to achieve almost a whole grade higher than expected based on predictions made from primary school attainment data. For instance, if based on your child’s KS2 SATs results, they were predicted a ‘B’ in GCSE maths, they are more likely to achieve an ‘A’ at this school.
Attainment 8 score: 81.2: Schools get a score based on how well pupils have performed in up to 8 qualifications.
At A-LEVEL, pupils score grade B on average, but many go on to secure A and A* grades. Still, this is again better than other schools in the local area and across England.
Sutton Grammar 11 Plus Admissions Process: 2024 Entry
Year 6 pupils are offered a place at Sutton Grammar School based on their performance in the 11 plus exam. The school’s examination entry process is unique, and so we have outlined it in detail below. Candidates are required to sit two entrance exams for this school. The first is the Selective Eligibility Test (SET), and the second is the Sutton Grammar School Second Stage Test. Candidates must pass both examinations to be considered for admission. Please refer to the key dates in the calendar below or the 2024 Admissions Policy for further guidance.
Sutton Grammar 11 Plus 2024 Admissions Table
For more information, please refer to Sutton Grammar School’s 2024 Admissions Policy.
Preparing for Sutton Grammar 11 Plus Exam
If you consider sending your son to this school for September 2024, he will need to sit the 11 plus exam in 2023. You will have undoubtedly been supporting him for some time with the preparation process. There is no right or wrong time to get prepared. However, most parents choose to start preparing their child when they begin Year 4. If your son has not started preparing yet, there is still plenty of time. Check out this 11 Plus Guide: Six Month Countdown for advice on helping your son in the run-up to the exam.
As highlighted above, your son is required to pass two entrance exams to receive a place at Sutton Grammar School. If he successfully passes the SET, he will be invited to sit the Sutton Grammar School Second Stage Test.
Sutton Grammar 11 Plus Exam Sample Test Papers and Resources
Both entrance exams will test candidates’ English and maths ability, and each exam is equally weighted. The key difference is that the SET is a multiple-choice exam, whereas the Sutton Grammar School Second Stage Test is not.
Each paper in the SET exam takes between 40 to 50 minutes to complete. There is a 10-minute break between each exam, and candidates will sit both exams on the same day. You can view some example questions below.
The pass mark varies each year. However, every candidate achieving the pass standard will progress to the Sutton Grammar School Second Stage Test. Again, candidates will sit an English and maths paper. The exam does not include verbal, non-verbal or English comprehension papers. Each paper typically takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete, and there will be a break between each. As with the SET, questions are like KS2 maths and English.
If you would like to help your son practise for theSutton Grammar 11 Plus exam, you may wish to use papers from other 11 plus exam boards or even KS2 SATs papers. Below you will find free resources that you can download and print at home.
Free 11 Plus Practice Papers and Resources
Additional Information about Sutton Grammar School
The school is passionate about ‘curriculum enrichment’, which refers to the activities available to pupils that aim to go beyond the regular school curriculum. Every department at Sutton Grammar School offers boys enrichment opportunities helping to develop pupils into aspiring academics, ready for the world of work or life in higher education. For example, the school’s drama department has offered pupils opportunities to create and perform stage productions, including Grease, Loserville, and The Wedding Singer. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) department encourages boys in Year 10 and above to pursue specialised projects, some of which have received national recognition!
Sutton Grammar School FAQs
What is the school’s Ofsted rating?
The school’s current Ofsted rating is ‘Outstanding’. You can access the full report here.
Sutton Grammar School fees
This school is a selective grammar school, but it is non-fee paying.
Where is the catchment area for Sutton Grammar School?
The school does have a catchment area, boys still need to have met the required pass mark for both exams in order to receive an offer. Boys living in the following specified postcodes are given priority (SM1-7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4- -, CR4).
What score do 11+ candidates need to achieve to receive an offer for admission?
The pass mark varies each year and will be determined after all tests have been marked. The 2024 Admissions Policy explains how scores are calculated: : (1) the multiple-choice items from the English paper on the Selective Eligibility Test; (2) the multiple-choice items from the mathematics paper on the Selective Eligibility Test; (3) the English paper in the second stage test and (4) the mathematics paper in the second stage test. The four standardised scores will be weighted in the ratio 2:2:3:3, adjusted for age and deprivation (using the IDACI score for a boy’s home address), and the total rounded to the nearest four marks to give the final score.
Where can I learn more about the Sutton Grammar School appeals process?
Official information regarding the 2024 entry appeals procedure is yet to be released by the school. In 2023, the deadline for submitting an appeal was 4 pm, April 2023. More information will become available here later in the year.
Does Sutton Grammar School have a waiting list?
Yes, please refer to the 2024 Admissions Policy. It states: “If a boy who meets the Admissions Standard is not offered a place for September in the year of entry because the year group is full, he will remain on the waiting list until 31st December of that year. If a vacancy arises within that period, the boy ranked highest on the waiting list according to the application of oversubscription criteria will be offered a place at the school without having to sit a further test.”
What is the oversubscription criteria?
Please refer to the 2024 Admissions Policy. In summary, the admission of boys with an EHCP who meet the admissions standard the following criteria will apply, in the order set out below, to determine the rank order of boys eligible for offers of places at the School: 1. Boys who are deemed to be ‘looked after’ or formerly looked after by a local authority. Supporting evidence of the status will be required. 2. 75 places by rank order of the combined scores in the SET and Sutton Grammar School’s second stage tests where the home address of the boy is in one of the specified postcodes (SM1-7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4- -, CR4) 3. Up to 60 places (plus any remaining places from criterion 2 if the number of qualified boys in criterion 2 is less than the 75 on offer) by rank order of the combined scores in the SET and Sutton Grammar School’s second stage tests, where the home address of the boy may be in any postcode. 4. Proximity of the boy’s home address from the School (where scores are equal).
Sutton Grammar School’s Uniform
You can find all the details related to the requirements for the school uniform here.
Where can I view GCSE and A-LEVEL results in further detail?
Results by subject and exam year, in addition to other metrics, can be viewed here.
You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:
A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests
Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 in 2022
11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2021
Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results
When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam
King Edward Five Ways 11 Plus Exam