Boys' grammars in Sutton - Year 7 entry 2023

[1sttodie]

Anyone else awaiting allocation results for grammar schools in Sutton? How confident are you about securing a place? And how 'strong' are your alternative options?

My Y6 son has passed the tests for the 3 grammars, but so have nearly 800 boys - and I am unclear about the odds of securing a place at any of the 3 schools.

We nearly applied for Whitgift, but eventually didn't. I sometimes wonder if it was the right decision, not least because I am concerned about further budget cuts at state schools. But anyway, here we are. Hoping for one of the Sutton grammars (we live near all 3) and if that's not successful, then it will be an improving comp whose Open Day my son really enjoyed. So we're not in a bad place but somehow the prospect of March 1st has been on my mind again!

I would say your chances are good to very good. DS ( yr 11) passed SGS and Wallington but not Wilson’s. We are out of area. He got a place at SGS via the waiting list.

@TheGander Thank you. This sounds very positive. Well done to your son & good luck with his GCSEs!

Did you put greenshaw down as a backup - partially selective so catches many of those that don't score high enough for the grammars.

I wouldn’t say that budget cuts will affect Sutton Grammar to a large extent. The parental contribution that most families pay plus the large amounts raised by the PTA via the mock tests provide a significant buffer that many schools don’t enjoy.

Thanks @1sttodie . We are very happy with the school. I’m not in the PTA so not sure how school finances are managed but it’s true they ask every parent to make a contribution, they suggested £50 pm when DS started which we do give. Plus the mock tests are a major money spinner.
Good luck to your DS, his chances are excellent.

@Whycanineverever Geenshaw is the 2nd-ranked comp on our CAF. It was my favourite but my son preferred another one which is more sport-focused. My son has several friends who have Greenshaw as their top preference, hoping for one of the selective places - seems quite competitive.

@JamesGiantPledge1 Ah yes, I hadn't considered that! My thinking was that, due to the relatively low number of FSM pupils, grammars must be receiving even less funding than most state schools. But actually, you're right that PSA mocks are a great way to raise money. And the socioeconomic make-up of grammar schools must mean that it's easier to get significant contributions from parents. There must also be fairly significant alumni donations. And grammars in Sutton have good facilities to rent out. My Y6 son has several weekly extra-curricular activities, incl. one on Sutton Grammar's grounds and another in WCGS's sports hall. And he used to go to Wilson's for football. Thinking of this has reassured me a little!

@TheGander Wonderful to hear that you are very happy with the school. If my son is lucky enough to get into SGS, I will gladly contribute £50 pm :)

It's a great school. It's also been announced that it is one of the schools benefiting from the recently announced government investment so positive news for those starting soon.

op, almost guaranteed your child will get a place. Wilson’s is harder to get into than SGS, so the fact that he’s passed there is very positive. Plus, I believe only 400 pass Wilson’s? (Or so it was in our year.) And don’t forget of those 400, most will also have the other grammars on their list. So basically, I expect everyone who gets Wilson’s gets a place there, or at another grammar, on their list. That was our experience, anyway.

@Whycanineverever Oh, I didn't know that. Great to hear. If my son doesn't get into a grammar, I may regret not trying to convince him to have Greenshaw as his top comp choice!

@Doodleboodle Wilson's have passed more boys this year: 784. Not sure what the reasoning is - maybe ensuring they can fill all 14 FSM places, maybe something to do with WCGS now having a 2nd stage, maybe something else. The bottom line is that passing Wilson's this year is likely not as meaningful as it has been in the past, in terms of odds of securing a place at any of the 3 Sutton grammars - or at your preferred grammar. But you're making a good point about crossovers with other grammar schools. It
doesn''t seem uncommon to sit tests for grammars in multiple London areas. I can only hope that there are plenty of boys from North London, Kingston, Bromley, etc who have passed the Sutton schools but have no true intention of taking a place there :) And then private schools will lure some boys away from grammar options as well. Thanks for the positive words, and I hope your boy is doing well.

Haha I remember praying that 2019 would be a good year for bankers’ bonuses so as many as possible would go off to private schools. But seriously, I’m sure many kids will be taking the test from other areas of London. Actually DS took the place of a kid who was coming in from beyond Heathrow and obviously decided it was just too much, on day 2 of 1st term.

@TheGander From even further than Heathrow 😯 It must be a headache for grammars with no or limited catchment to work out optimal pass numbers every year!