Sutton Grammar School is a selective, state secondary school, based in Sutton in South London. Granted academy status in 2011, Sutton admits boys from Year 7 to Year 11, with a co-educational Sixth Form.
Sutton Grammar’s academic standards have been consistently high for many years. In the most recent year, 87% of A Levels ranged from an A* to a B, and over 60% of students gained a place at their first choice university; some of these destinations included Russell Group universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.
In addition, a rich extra-curricular programme is offered at Sutton Grammar. The campus features extensive playing fields at the off-site Walch Memorial Grounds, which are used for team sports including cricket, athletics and football. On-site, there are multiple specialist science laboratories, art and design studios and modern technology blocks, along with a fully equipped music centre and performance spaces.
Entry Points
As is often the case with secondary grammar schools, Sutton Grammar has two main entry points for admission: Year 7 through the 11+ and Year 12 through the 16+. When vacancies appear, the school also offers in-year admissions, though admissions of this kind are uncommon.
There is a standard intake of 135 places at Year 7, though it is heavily oversubscribed, with around 2,500 applicants competing for these places every year. At Year 12, around 25 places are offered to students coming in externally.
Admissions Process for 11+ Entry
Sutton Grammar admits students according to their results in the 11+ tests, which are in two stages.
Initially, parents must register boys to take a Selective Eligibility Test, which can be completed online. This test is held in September of Year 6, either at Sutton Grammar School or at another school involved with the running of the SET. Students must score a minimum pass mark, set by Sutton Grammar, which is standardised based on boys’ ages and their ‘income deprivation score’.
Boys who have achieved this minimum score are invited to take a second stage test, which is held in September or October of Year 6. There is then a minimum score that boys must achieve in order to be eligible for a place at Sutton Grammar.
The school will then send an email to parents or carers, letting them know the outcome of this test, which is issued before the end of October. This will help parents make an informed choice when filling out the Common Application Form, in which they will give their choices of schools in order of preference; this is submitted to their local authority.
Students who meet the required standard at the second stage are not automatically guaranteed a place at Sutton Grammar, however, as there are often fewer places available than the number of boys who meet this standard. In this case, the oversubscription criteria are then applied, prioritising students in this order:
- Looked-after boys or previously-looked-after boys
- Boys whose parent is a member of staff
- Boys who receive free school meals who live within a certain distance from the school (there are up to 10 places available here)
- Boys who live within a certain distance from the school (there are 75 places available here)
The remaining places are then awarded to boys based on their test scores. In the case of two or more boys with the same score, places are allocated based on respective distances from the school.
Until December of Year 6, a waiting list is held by the school for all other eligible candidates who were not initially awarded a place. If a place becomes available, the school again applies the oversubscription criteria.
Example questions in the Stage One Test
The first test (called the Selective Eligibility Test) has two papers - one on mathematics and one on English. Both have multiple choice answers, meaning students choose between four or five answers for each question, and both take about 45 minutes with a short break in between them.
Although the school does not provide specimen papers, both papers are based on the KS2 curriculum, and several questions are offered on their website.
English: Comprehension
Sample Question taken from GL Assessment free familiarisation materials
“Some days afterwards we left Falconhurst with the cart laden with a cargo of spades, hammers, chisels, pickaxes and crowbars, and began the work. On the smooth face of the rock I drew out in chalk the size of the proposed entrance, and then, with minds bent on success, we battered away. Six days of hard and incessant toil made little impression; I do not think that the hole would have been a satisfactory shelter for even our smallest dog.
Q: ‘with minds bent on success’ (lines 20–21)
What does this imply about their attitude to the work?
A: They were indifferent as to whether they succeeded.
B: They wanted to succeed but struggled to believe they could.
C: They were absolutely determined to see it through.
D: They were so confident they felt they had already succeeded.
E: because there was a high chance they wouldn’t succeed.
Q: ‘incessant toil’ (line 22)
What does the word ‘incessant’ say about the work they were doing?
A: The work they were doing was very difficult.
B: They kept working without a break.
C: They worked hard but it was having no effect.
D: They worked on and off, taking frequent breaks.
E: The work was uninspiring and monotonous.
English: Spelling
Q: Which of these is the correct spelling?
A: Accidentaly
B: Aciddentally
C: Accidentally
D: Accidently
E: Accadentally
Mathematics: Fractions
Q: What is 1/3 multiplied by 6/8, as a simplified fraction?
A: 6/24
B: 1/4
C: 3/12
D: 1.5/6
E: 3.2/8
Q: I have 4/5 of a pizza, but 1/3 of it is blown away. If I wanted to share the remains with my friend, what fraction of the original pizza would we each receive?
A: 7/15
B: 3/10
C: 7/30
D: 3/15
E: 3/30
Mathematics: Angles
Sample Question taken from Sutton Grammar School website
Q: In a right-angled triangle, one of the three angles is 46 degrees. The other angles are:
A: 54 degrees and 46 degrees
B: 44 degrees and 90 degrees
C: They are both 46 degrees
D: 90 degrees and 46 degrees
E: It’s not possible to say
Example questions in the Stage Two Test
The Sutton Grammar Stage Two test requires written answers in English and mathematics. Both papers are 45-60 minutes long, with a break in between each one.
Past papers are not available, but in English, papers have asked students to produce a piece of creative writing - sometimes a descriptive piece, sometimes a narrative piece - and to respond to a piece of text with written answers.
The Stage Two exam in mathematics covers the same range of topics as the first stage, but students are asked to present their calculations and reasoning for every question, rather than choosing one of five possible answers.
16+ (Sixth Form) Admission Requirements
There are 25 places on offer to external students, boys and girls, but the school regularly accepts over 40. Places are determined by the rank order of GCSE results, as well as being subject to availability of places on specific subject courses for A Level.
There is a minimum requirement for all students entering Sixth Form:
- At least eight exams at grades 9 - 5 (including English language, mathematics and a science)
- Four exams with a minimum grade of 7
- Two exams with a minimum grade of 6
There are also minimum grades required in a relevant GCSE for any subject to be studied at A Level. The same oversubscription criteria are applied here when there are fewer places than students who have met the minimum required standards.
In-year Admissions
Students who apply to the school between Years 7 to 11 are placed on a waiting list if there are no places available. Occasionally, vacancies do come up, at which point all boys on the waiting list for that year group are invited to sit an exam, which boys can only take once a year. Places are awarded in rank order of examination results.
Vacancies also arise in Sixth Form, at which point students on the waiting list are offered a place in rank order of their GCSE results.
Appeals
If a child is not allocated a place, parents are able to appeal under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
Preparation Tips for the Entrance Test for Sutton Grammar School
Preparation is vital for students hoping to gain a place at Sutton Grammar School. Unlike many other grammar schools, there are two entrance tests, which gives students two opportunities to show their academic ability.
Students should possess a strong understanding of the KS2 curriculum in both English and mathematics, as well as experience with both multiple-choice tests and written tests under timed conditions. Keystone have provided specialist tutors for these exams for over a decade, who are experienced and can guide candidates through the entire process.
For more details on how Keystone can help with preparation for the Sutton Grammar School exam, feel free to call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.