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Sutton Grammar School

One of South London's most oversubscribed boys' grammars, Sutton Grammar's bespoke two-stage SET process demands both speed in Stage One and written mathematical clarity in Stage Two.
Exam board
Bespoke-SET
Entry
Year 7
Founded
1899
Year 7 places
120

Sutton Grammar School

SMA Difficulty
Expert
Location: Sutton, South London
School type: Grammar
Admissions test: Bespoke-SET
Free 11+ Baseline Assessment
LOCATION & GETTING THERE

Where Sutton Grammar School sits — and how to reach it

● Schools● Trains● Buses● School coaches
LOCATION
Sutton Grammar School
Manor Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 4AS
Other selective schools nearby, closest first — useful if you are considering more than one.
Nonsuch High School for Girls
Cheam, Sutton · 1.8 km away
View guide →
Wallington High School for Girls
Wallington, South London · 3.0 km away
View guide →
Wallington County Grammar School
Wallington, South London · 3.3 km away
View guide →
Wilson's School
Wallington, London · 4.6 km away
View guide →
Nearest railway and Underground stations, with the lines that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
Sutton (London)
0.3 km from the school — Southern: London Victoria services; Thameslink: Sutton loop and central London services
West Sutton
0.9 km from the school — Thameslink: Sutton loop services via Wimbledon
Sutton Common
1.5 km from the school — Thameslink: Sutton loop services via Wimbledon
Sutton Civic Centre (Stop V)
routes N44, 80, 151, 164, 213, 280, 407, 413, 420, 470, 613, S1, S2, S3, S4
Sutton Park Road (Stop T)
0.1 km from the school — routes 151, 213, 413, 613, 627
Secombe Centre (Stop U)
0.2 km from the school — routes 151, 213, 413, 613, 627
Bus stops closest to the school, with the routes that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
Sutton (London)
0.3 km from the school — Southern: London Victoria services; Thameslink: Sutton loop and central London services
West Sutton
0.9 km from the school — Thameslink: Sutton loop services via Wimbledon
Sutton Common
1.5 km from the school — Thameslink: Sutton loop services via Wimbledon
Sutton Civic Centre (Stop V)
routes N44, 80, 151, 164, 213, 280, 407, 413, 420, 470, 613, S1, S2, S3, S4
Sutton Park Road (Stop T)
0.1 km from the school — routes 151, 213, 413, 613, 627
Secombe Centre (Stop U)
0.2 km from the school — routes 151, 213, 413, 613, 627
Coach services run by the school itself, where they exist.
Sutton (London)
0.3 km from the school — Southern: London Victoria services; Thameslink: Sutton loop and central London services
West Sutton
0.9 km from the school — Thameslink: Sutton loop services via Wimbledon
Sutton Common
1.5 km from the school — Thameslink: Sutton loop services via Wimbledon
Sutton Civic Centre (Stop V)
routes N44, 80, 151, 164, 213, 280, 407, 413, 420, 470, 613, S1, S2, S3, S4
Sutton Park Road (Stop T)
0.1 km from the school — routes 151, 213, 413, 613, 627
Secombe Centre (Stop U)
0.2 km from the school — routes 151, 213, 413, 613, 627
Private coach services are run by local operators — confirm routes and seats directly each September.
ON THIS PAGE
OVERVIEW

How the test is structured

Sutton Grammar uses the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET)—a bespoke two-stage consortium process shared by all six Sutton grammar schools. Stage One (the SET) is sat in September: two multiple-choice papers, Maths and English, each approximately 45 minutes. Boys who meet the qualifying standard are invited to a Stage Two specific to Sutton Grammar (shared with Wallington County Grammar and Wilson’s School): open-answer Maths and an English writing task, sat in early October. There is no commercial GL or CEM involvement; the papers are set by the Sutton consortium.

Registration opens in May and closes in August each year. Families must also submit the LA Common Application Form (CAF) by 31 October. Sutton Grammar admits approximately 120 boys into Year 7. Stage Two maths is written and non-multiple-choice, rewarding boys who can show clear working and multi-step reasoning under time pressure.

HISTORY & ETHOS

The school's story

Sutton Grammar School was formally opened in 1899, originally sited between Throwley Way and the High Street before moving to its present Manor Lane campus in 1928. For well over a century it has educated boys from across Sutton and the surrounding boroughs, maintaining its selective character through both the comprehensive reorganisation era and the academy conversion it undertook in 2011. The school’s longevity in a borough that retained its grammar schools when many others did not speaks to the sustained confidence of local families and local authority alike.Sutton Grammar attracts boys who are genuinely mathematically curious alongside those who are highly driven—often both. The Singapore mastery model is well-suited to preparation here because Stage Two rewards boys who can articulate their reasoning on paper, not merely arrive at a correct answer. Bar modelling and structured algebraic thinking give SMA pupils the written method clarity that open-answer examiners reward.

Why the maths is genuinely hard

The boys’ Stage Two maths paper is open-answer with no multiple-choice lifeline. It demands clear written method, multi-step problem-solving and the ability to perform under time pressure—skills that separate boys who truly understand from those who have only pattern-matched their way through practice papers.

SMA DIFFICULTY VERDICT

Our honest take on the difficulty

The SMA Verdict

4

/5

Expert

Within the Sutton consortium, Sutton Grammar’s Stage Two maths sits at the harder end alongside Wilson’s and Wallington County. The SET Stage One filters on speed and breadth; Stage Two filters on depth and written clarity. Boys need genuine number fluency and confident multi-step reasoning—not just familiarity with question formats. Relative to the broader London grammar landscape, Sutton Grammar is highly selective and consistently oversubscribed, placing it in the upper tier of difficulty for boys’ grammars south of the Thames.

CATCHMENT & TOWNS

Where families come from

Sutton
Carshalton
Cheam
Wallington
Worcester Park
Epsom
Morden
Croydon
Banstead
New Malden
KEY DATES

The 11+ admissions calendar

May 2026SET registration opens
August 2026SET registration closes
September 2026Stage One SET test
October 2026Stage Two test (boys' schools)
FAQ

Parents' most common questions

What is the SET and how does it relate to Sutton Grammar specifically?

The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) is Stage One, shared by all six Sutton grammar schools. Sutton Grammar then runs its own Stage Two (shared with Wallington County and Wilson's) for boys who qualify. Passing Stage One alone does not guarantee a place—Stage Two performance determines final ranking.

Can boys from outside the Sutton postcode area apply?

Yes. The SET and Sutton Grammar are open to boys living anywhere; distance is used only as a tie-breaker when two candidates score equally in Stage Two. The priority postcodes are SM1–7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4 and CR4, but many successful applicants live outside these.

What does the Stage Two maths paper look like?

It is a written, open-answer paper with no multiple choice. Questions require clear working and multi-step reasoning, going beyond the SET Stage One in depth. Boys who can show their method clearly under time pressure consistently perform better.

When should we register and what forms are needed?

Registration for the SET opens in May and typically closes in August. You then submit the LA Common Application Form (CAF) to Sutton Council by 31 October. Both steps are required.

How many boys does Sutton Grammar admit each year?

Approximately 120 boys are admitted to Year 7 each year. Given the number of applicants from across South London and Surrey, competition is consistently strong.
EXAM PAPERS

Past and sample papers

COMING SOON

We're gathering the sample and familiarisation papers Sutton Grammar School publishes, so you can see the real thing before you prepare. If you'd like them sooner, just ask.

NEARBY SCHOOLS

Other selective schools in the area

Nonsuch High School for Girls
Cheam, Sutton · 1.8 km
View guide →
Wallington High School for Girls
Wallington, South London · 3.0 km
View guide →
Wallington County Grammar School
Wallington, South London · 3.3 km
View guide →
Wilson's School
Wallington, London · 4.6 km
View guide →

Preparing for Sutton Grammar School?

We teach the reasoning these papers actually reward — not test tricks. Small online groups, qualified teachers, and a Singapore Maths method built on genuine understanding.