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11plus-wilsons
Choosing a School for Your Child

Wilson’s School 11 Plus Exam

Wilson’s School 

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 Wilson’s school 11 plus exam? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a Wilson’s School 11 plus exam guide in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.

Wilson’s School Introduction

Wilson’s School is boys’ grammar school located in the London Borough of Sutton, England. Established in 1615, Wilson’s Grammar School is one of the oldest state schools in the UK. It was ranked as one of top 5 highest performing school nationally for GCSE results in 2019. and was also named London State Secondary School of the Decade by The Times in 2020.

The school educates approximately 1,260 pupils aged 11-18, with entry by academic selection based on performance in a two-stage process. Students successful in the Selective Eligibility Test are then invited to sit the Second-Stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School. Every year, over 1500 children sit the test for Wilson’s Grammar School, while only about 180 boys are expected to be admitted.

Why Wilson’s School? 11 Plus Academical Performance

The 2022 exam results were based on Centre Assessed Grades. At GCSE, the pass rate was 100% including all students achieving a strong pass (Grade 5 and above) in English and Maths.  Overall, 94.2% of entries obtained a 9 to 7 (or A* to A) grade and the average EBacc points score was 8.01. 100% of students stayed in education after GCSE. At A-level, the pass rate was 100% with 97.4% of entries obtaining an A* to B grade.

Wilson’s Schools’ GCSE Results 2022

  • There were 191 students in Year 11.
  • % Grade 9: 60.3%
  • % Grade 9-8 : 85.3%
  • % Grade 9-7: 95.4%
  • Pass rate: 99.9%

Wilson’s School: Government Performance Information (2022)

Source: Gov.uk

Wilson’s School Progress 8: 1.12

Wilson’s School Attainment 8: 82.9%

Strong pass in English and Mathematics (Grade 5 and above): 100.0%

Percentage of the cohort entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc): 82%.

Percentage of pupils achieving 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc): 81.9%. All students who were entered for the English Baccalaureate achieved it.

The average points score for EBACC: 8.02

Percentage staying in education after GCSE: 99.4%

A Level Results 

Key results 2022

  • There were 170 students in the Upper Sixth.
  • % A*: 58.4%
  • % A*-A: 87.5%
  • % A*-B: 97.9%
  • Pass rate: 100.0%
  • Destination for Former Pupil Premium and SEN Students: 100% Oxbridge, medical school and Russell Group
  • Oxbridge Place: 33, including two choral scholarships

Progress students made in comparison with students across England: pending

Average grade that students achieved in their best three A levels at Wilson’s: A+ (please note that we only offer A level qualifications at Wilson’s)

Student ‘retention’ (the percentage of students who get to the end of their study programme): 100%

Wilson’s School 11 Plus Exam Admission Info

  • Address: Wilson’s Grammar School, Mollison Drive, Wallington SM6 9JW
  • County: London – Borough of Sutton
  • Fee: Free
  • Admissions Info: Email here, 020 8773 2931
  • School Type: Boys’ Grammar
  • Number of pupils: 1,262 
  • Number of Places in Year 7: 186
  • Open Day Dates: Monday 19th, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st June 2023 at 4pm or 4.30pm
  • Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th June 2023 at 4pm or 4.30pm
  • Registration opens for the 11+ exams — May 2023.
  • Closing date for 11+ exams registration (2024 entry) — August 2023.
  • Closing date for school application (2024 entry) — October 2023 
  • Exam Date: 12 September 2023 (Part One) and October (Part Two- TBC)
  • Exam Board Type: Part One, Selective Eligibility Test (SET), Part Two, set by wilson’s school 11 plus exam

 Wilson’s School’s 11 Plus Exam Admission Procedure

  1. For a place at Wilson’s School in Year 7 September 2024, you must register your son to take the Selective Eligibility Test by completing the online form which will be available in May.  
  2. The online Registration Form will be available to complete online from May 2023. The closing date for the completion of the registration form is midnight in August 2023. No late registrations will be accepted under any circumstances. 
  3. Please note that there will be an earlier deadline in June for submission of requests for special adjustments for candidates with SEN, and for supporting evidence (further information is provided on our SET page — FAQs.
  4. In addition, if you are an overseas candidate and wish a test to be organised at an overseas centre, you must also register online by June 2023. Failure to do so will result in an overseas test not being possible and overseas candidates will be expected to travel to the UK to take the Selective Eligibility Test.
  5. Should your son be successful in the Selective Eligibility Test, he will be invited to sit the Second Stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School.
  6. If your son passes this test and you wish to be considered for a place at Wilson’s School you will need to name the school on your CAF (in your true order of preference). If you have not named Wilson’s School on your CAF we will not be able to consider him for a place even if your son passes the entrance examinations.
  7. If you wish to apply for a place at Wilsons’ School you must name the school on the CAF to be eligible for consideration for a place at Wilson’s School.
  8. The CAF is provided by your home Local Authority when your child is in Year 6 and you use it to apply to any school regardless of the Local Authority in which the School is located. It can also be completed online via this link.
  9. The closing date for submission of the CAF is October 2023.

Exam style — Selective Eligibility Test (SET) for the Sutton Schools and the Second Stage Entrance Examination 

 

The first-stage test: Selective Eligibility Test (SET)

The Selective Eligibility Test is made up of two papers; a multiple-choice Maths paper and a multiple-choice English paper. The tests do not include verbal reasoning or non-verbal reasoning.

Candidates record their answers on a separate answer sheet by filling in a lozenge-shape for answer A, B, C, D or E. You can see an example of the answer sheet here. If candidates change their mind about the answer, they need to rub out as fully as possible the wrong answer and replace it with the new answer. The exam papers take between 40 and 50 minutes each and there is a rest and toilet break between the two.

The second-stage test will consist of two papers as follows:

English (1 hour): this paper will be an extended writing task.

Maths (45 minutes): this will be a standard maths paper.

The tests will not include verbal or non-verbal reasoning and are not multiple choice.

Exam times for Wilson’s School

2024:

The Selective Eligibility Test for entry to Year 7 in September 2023 will take place on Tuesday 14 September 2023. The date of the Second Stage Entrance Examination for entry to Year 7 In September 2023 will be Saturday 2nd October 2023.

Exam types:

  • English 
  • Mathematics
  • Exam length — 40-50 minutes each.

Wilson’s School’s Sample Test Papers

As the tests are set by the school, there are not many revision resources available. This is done purposefully to ensure that all candidates have a fair chance in the exam.

The content of the Maths and English tests is based fully on the Key Stage 2 curriculum. 

First stage English sample questions

First stage Maths sample questions

How to Prepare for Wilson’s School’s 11+ Exam: A Guide to Parents

Key features to know about Wilson’s School’s 11 Plus exam:

  • English and Maths
  • Multiple-choice questions
  • Open answer questions
  • Limited time (40min-50min)

To qualify, your child needs to have solid skills in the following areas:

  • Understanding of all concepts taught in Key Stage 2.
  • Strong arithmetic and problem-solving skills.
  • Solid comprehension and reasoning abilities.
  • Strong in spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.
  • Should be confident to answer a variety of questions types and formats, especially multiple-choice questions, and open answer questions.
  • Prompt reading, responding, and writing under time pressure.

Top 3 advice for parents to prepare Wilson’s School’s 11 Plus Exam

  1. The stage 1 of SET, both English and maths, candidates will get a multiple-choice of paper, then record their answers on a separate answer sheet by filling for answer A, B, C, D or E. If candidates change their mind about the answer, they need to rub out the wrong answer as fully as possible and replace it with the new answer. So it’s better to familiarise your child with such exam style in advance. From time to time, you can let your child practice filling the answers in a separate answer sheet when they do their homework. Here are some sample papers and separate answering sheets for your child to practice.
  2. The questions set in both parts of the SET and the Second Stage broadly match what is commonly covered at Key Stage 2 at Primary School. Candidates will need to adapt their learning to tackle some of the questions but should NOT be confronted with material which is totally new to them. So instead of spending time learning Year 7 concepts as part of the 11+ preparation, your child should really focus on revising all the KS2 concepts. However, for reading, you child is advised to have an above-age ability or prompt reading and responding.
  3. Candidates often come to the Second Stage test with an English composition that they have learned by heart. However, they must write about the subject as shown on the question paper. If they write about irrelevant topics that they have prepared in advance, they will be given a much lower mark. Therefore, it’s important to train your child in reading, comprehension, reasoning and writing during the day-to-day life.

Wilsons’ School’s Other info

Catchment area — Wilson’s Grammar School does not have a catchment area, but the school has stated that “for practical reasons your son shouldn’t have a journey of more than an hour in order that he may fully participate in the wider life of the school. However, our admissions criteria are not based on catchment areas, post codes or distance criteria except in the case of determining the last places to be offered where two or more candidates hold the same standardised score.”

FAQ

What is Wilsons’ School fee?

Wilsons’ School is a state-funded selective grammar school, it is not a fee-paying school. Therefore, it is free for your boy to attend this school. 

What is the pass mark for the Selective Eligibility Test?

It is not possible to state a pass mark in advance of the test. The pass mark will be decided by the participating schools after the test has been marked. Each School may determine its own pass mark.

Can I get specimen papers or sample questions for the Selective Eligibility Test?

SET participant schools do not provide specimen or past papers. The content of the Maths and English tests is broadly based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum. Examples of the sorts of questions asked for both the English and Maths Selective Eligibility Tests will be available shortly.

You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:

Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 List

Best Grammar Schools in the UK: Top 100 List 

A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests

11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2022

Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results

When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam