Wilson's School
State Selective Grammar (Boys) · Est.
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Mollison Drive, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 9JW
Year 7 Places
186
11+ intake
Annual Fees
£0
state-funded
Total Pupils
~1,290
Years 7–13
GCSE grades 9–7
94.6%
2024 results
A-Level A/A*
~80%
2024 results
Oxbridge per year
20–30
average annual
Best For
Academically ambitious boys in South London or Surrey seeking Oxbridge-quality education entirely for free. Wilson's is the state grammar equivalent of a top-tier independent school — the results speak for themselves. Ideal for boys who will thrive in a highly academic, co-curricular-rich environment with strong music and sport.
Watch Out For
The two-stage process is easy to misunderstand: a SET pass is not an offer — it only qualifies a boy for Wilson's own second-stage exam. There is no published pass mark. The school is boys-only until the sixth form. Registration closes in early August of Year 5 — unusually early — and late registrations are strictly refused.
Entry Points
- 11+ (Year 7, main entry)
- 16+ (Sixth Form, external places available if capacity permits)
The Complete Admissions Timeline
Every key date, deadline and decision point — with insider intelligence you won't find on the school website. Click any item to reveal verified insider knowledge.
The critical window: Wilson's two-stage process is front-loaded earlier than almost any other selective school in London. Registration closes in August of Year 5 — a full year before the exam. The SET in September is a qualifying filter; the genuinely competitive stage is Wilson's own written exam in October.
SET registration portal opens
SET registration deadline — strictly enforced
Stage 1: Sutton SET (shared consortium exam)
SET results emailed; Stage 2 invitations issued
Stage 2: Wilson's own entrance examination
CAF (Common Application Form) deadline to local authority
National Offer Day — final allocation
Key Dates At-a-Glance — Wilson's 2026/2027 Entry
SET registration closes
Early August Year 5
Stage 1: SET
Mid-September Year 6
Stage 2: Wilson's Exam
Early October Year 6
CAF deadline
Late October Year 6
National Offer Day
1 March Year 6
Academic Performance vs National Average
consistently outperforms national averages across both GCSE and A-Level examinations. These animated comparisons show where the school excels and how this translates to university placement opportunities.
A-Level Results Comparison
Camp Hill Girls vs. National Average — Higher percentages indicate stronger performance
What this means: Camp Hill Girls consistently exceeds national averages across all A-Level performance bands. With 65% A*/A compared to the national 38%, girls achieve top-tier results that support progression to leading universities, including Oxbridge, Russell Group institutions, and specialist programs in Medicine, Law, and STEM.
GCSE Grade Distribution Comparison
Cumulative percentage achieving each grade threshold — Camp Hill Girls vs. National Average
Grade Distribution Insight: Over 90% of Camp Hill Girls achieve grades 9-7 at GCSE, compared to 31% nationally. This exceptional spread demonstrates consistent high achievement across the cohort, with girls well-prepared for rigorous A-Level study.
Grade 9-8
52%
vs 18% national
Grade 9-7
90%
vs 31% national
Grade 9-6
98%
vs 64% national
Grade 9-5
99.5%
vs 82% national
University Placement Implications
- •
Oxbridge Eligibility
Strong A-Level performance (65% A*/A) makes girls competitive for Oxford and Cambridge, particularly in STEM and humanities.
- •
Russell Group Admission
90% GCSE 9-7 achievement provides strong foundation for Russell Group universities including Imperial, UCL, Durham, and Warwick.
- •
Competitive Edge
Results place girls in top 5% of UK cohort, giving advantage in Medicine, Law, and competitive STEM programs.
Supporting Strong Achievement
- •
No Pressure-Cooker Culture
Excellence achieved through supportive teaching, strong pastoral care, and girls' intrinsic motivation rather than relentless pressure.
- •
Well-Rounded Development
Balanced commitment to academics, co-curricular activities (sports, music, drama), and character formation.
- •
Resilience & Confidence
Girls develop confidence to tackle challenging subjects and university applications without anxiety-driven perfectionism.
GCSE Excellence
90%
Grade 9-7 achievement (vs 31% national)
A-Level Top Grades
65%
A*/A grades (vs 38% national)
Top Achievers
42%
A* grades at A-Level
University Ready
99.5%
Grade 5+ across GCSE
No Interview at 11+
Wilson's does not use an interview as part of the 11+ admissions process. Selection is entirely exam-based across both stages. There is no taster day, no assessment visit, and no informal interview for Year 7 entry. Any sources suggesting otherwise are generic and not applicable to the Sutton grammar state school process.
“We were so relieved when the SET result came in — then our tutor told us that was just the start. The Wilson's own paper is a completely different beast. Our son needed another six weeks of intensive preparation specifically for the written format.”
“The registration deadline caught us completely off guard. August of Year 5 — we nearly missed it entirely. We only found out because another parent mentioned it at the school gate. This needs to be more widely known.”
“My son passed the SET by a comfortable margin but struggled on the Wilson's paper because he had practised exclusively multiple-choice. The two stages require completely different preparation and we had not planned for that.”
Contact Admissions
Wilson's School Admissions Team
Insider Intel: What Other Parents Don't Know
These are the verified insights you will not find on the school website, in Good Schools Guide, or from any single tutoring agency. Each insight is compiled and cross-referenced from 107+ sources including official documents, parent reports, and tutoring industry data.This is the intelligence that gives ClassAce families an edge.
The SET registration portal closes in early August, approximately 13 months before a September Year 7 start. This is the earliest grammar school registration deadline in London. Families who miss it cannot sit the exam that year — there are no exceptions. Put a reminder in your calendar for May of Year 5 when the portal opens.
Approximately 500–600 boys pass the SET to Stage 2 but only 186 are offered places. The SET filters out the clearly unsuitable; Stage 2 determines who actually gets in. Preparation must address both stages but the majority of exam preparation effort should target Stage 2 written format.
This is confirmed in the official SET guidance document. The answer is never all five options. Boys who panic and tick everything will score zero on those questions regardless of how many correct options they included. Train them to eliminate confidently rather than hedge by selecting more.
The official SET Maths sample paper demonstrates that for multiplication questions, you can eliminate options with the wrong last digit before attempting the full calculation. For 42 × 18, the answer must end in 6 (because 2 × 8 = 16), eliminating three options immediately. This strategy alone can save several minutes across a paper.
Wilson's Stage 2 Maths is a written paper with method marks. An answer-only response — even a correct one — scores zero on multi-step questions. This is the opposite of Stage 1 where only the final answer matters. Every practice session for Stage 2 should enforce written working from the very first question.
Wilson's reserves up to 9 places for sport aptitude and up to 9 for music aptitude. These candidates still sit both stages and must pass, but they compete in a smaller pool. If your son has a genuine, demonstrable strength in either area, applying for aptitude assessment (done before the academic exams) is worth considering alongside standard preparation.
The official appeals guidance explicitly states that candidates may be rejected for 'not reaching the pass mark, or the required subject pass thresholds'. This confirms subject-level thresholds exist within the Stage 2 paper — a very strong Maths score cannot compensate for an English score below threshold. Balanced preparation across both subjects is essential.
Common Mistakes Parents Make
The errors we see most often from families preparing for Wilson's School. Avoid these and you're already ahead of the majority of applicants.
Relying entirely on tutoring instead of developing genuine interests
Fix: Focus on authentic hobbies, read widely, develop real interests alongside exam prep
Not visiting the school before interview
Fix: Visit the school during open day; familiarize yourself with campus and culture
Focusing only on exam scores, ignoring interview preparation
Fix: Practice conversations with family; develop communication skills alongside academic prep
Believing you must have perfect exam scores to get in
Fix: Aim for solid, consistent performance; one weaker area won't necessarily disqualify you
vs Competitor Schools
How does Wilson's School compare to the schools your child is most likely also applying to? This analysis covers the key factors that actually matter to families.
| Factor | Local grammar schools | Other independent schools |
|---|---|---|
| School Type | State | Independent |
| Co-educational | Co-ed | Co-ed |
| VR in Exam | ||
| Annual Fee | Free | £15,000-£25,000 |
| 11+ Difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Interview Style | Some | 1-on-1 |
Why Parents Choose
- Strong academic resultsConsistent A*/A performance at A-Level and top GCSE grades
- Excellent facilities and resourcesWell-funded campus with modern facilities and technology
- Strong pastoral careSupportive environment with focus on student wellbeing
- Diverse communityWelcoming environment for all students
Points to Consider
- Highly competitive entryMany applicants for limited places
- Substantial feesIndependent school tuition is significant
Scholarships & Financial Support
| Scholarship Type | Value | Available Places | Selection Method | Stackable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Scholarship | Fee reduction (typically 5-10%) | Limited | No |
The Preparation Roadmap
Everything here is built around Wilson's School's specific exam format, interview style, and selection criteria. This is not generic 11+ advice. Every recommendation is calibrated to this school.
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Intelligence Score
Updated April 2026 · 107 sources