Sutton SET, September 2028 entry
Sutton SET preparation plan
For children in Year 5 now, the Sutton SET is expected on 14 September 2027 and the second stage on 2 October 2027. Registration runs from 1 May to 31 July 2027. That leaves ten months: build the basics through spring, add timed papers and written answers in the summer.
- Register
- 1 May to 31 July
- SET (expected)
- 14 September
- Second stage (expected)
- 2 October
- Subjects
- English and maths
Your ten months, dated
About three short sessions a week through Year 5, rising to four or five in the summer.
| Weeks | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 8: 2 Nov to 27 Dec | Maths basics | Times tables to 12 × 12, place value, the four operations and fractions. Twenty minutes of reading every day. |
| 9 to 16: 28 Dec to 21 Feb 2027 | Wider maths, reading questions | Decimals, percentages, ratio, measures and shape. Short comprehension passages with multiple-choice questions. |
| 17 to 25: 22 Feb to 25 Apr | Timed multiple choice | One short timed English or maths set a week, building to a full paper. Spelling and punctuation each week. |
| 26 to 34: 26 Apr to 27 Jun | Written answers | Registration opens 1 May: register early. Start second-stage practice: maths shown in full working and short written English answers. |
| 35 to 39: 28 Jun to 1 Aug | Summer papers | One full timed paper a week, English and maths in turn. Registration closes 31 July. |
| 40 to 45: 2 Aug to 12 Sep | Rehearsal | Two full timed SET papers on a weekday morning, as on test day, then only the questions your child got wrong. Rest in the final days. |
What the SET and the second stage test
The SET is used by Greenshaw High School (selective band), Nonsuch High School for Girls, Sutton Grammar School, Wallington County Grammar School, Wallington High School for Girls and Wilson's School. Greenshaw has no second stage. The format above is the one the schools describe for the 2027 tests.
| Stage | Format | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Selective Eligibility Test | Two multiple-choice papers, 40 to 50 minutes each | English and maths, broadly at Key Stage 2 level. There is no verbal or non-verbal reasoning. |
| Second stage | A maths paper and an English paper, 45 to 60 minutes each, not multiple choice | Written English and maths with working, for the schools that use a second stage. |
Three mistakes to avoid
- Practising reasoning papers. The SET has no verbal or non-verbal reasoning, so spend the time on English and maths.
- Only practising multiple choice. The second stage is written, so from the spring your child should show full working and write short answers.
- Missing registration. It closes on 31 July 2027, in the summer holiday, so register as soon as it opens.
Questions people ask
When is the Sutton SET for September 2028 entry?
It is expected on 14 September 2027, with the second stage expected on 2 October 2027.
When does Sutton SET registration open?
1 May 2027. It closes on 31 July 2027.
Is there reasoning in the Sutton SET?
No. The SET is English and maths only.
When do SET results come out?
For the 2027-entry tests, families got an email in the week after the SET, and second-stage results by the end of October.