Wilson’s School takes part in Sutton’s co-ordinated scheme for secondary admissions. The application procedure is in accordance with Sutton’s co-ordinated scheme.
This is a selective boys’ school with an admission number for Year 7 of 186. Boys in Year 6 of primary school in September 2022 (with a date of birth from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2012*) and deemed to be of selective ability as determined by their performance in the entrance tests will be eligible for a place at the school.
Boys of selective ability and whose formal Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) names the school will be allocated a place before other applicants are considered. In this way the number of places to be offered in accordance with the oversubscription criteria set out below will be reduced by the number of boys with an EHCP that names the school.
Oversubscription Criteria
Where the number of eligible candidates for admission exceeds the number of places available, places are offered to boys in the order set out below:
- “Looked after children” or previously looked after children** by rank order of standardised score in the entrance tests;
- 14 places for boys eligible to receive Free School Meals*** by rank order of standardised score in the entrance tests;
- 9 places for boys who have demonstrated aptitude in sport (by achieving a score in the Sporting Aptitude Test above the benchmark threshold) by rank order of performance in the sporting aptitude tests;
- 9 places for boys who have demonstrated aptitude in music (by achieving a score in the Music Aptitude Test above the benchmark threshold) by rank order of performance in the music aptitude test;
- Remaining places including any unallocated places under criteria 2, 3 and 4 will be allocated to boys according to their position in the rank order of standardised score in the entrance tests.
- firstly to candidates whose permanent home address**** is within the London Borough of Sutton in the order of the distance of their home address (with those living closest being given priority) measured in a straight line from the main front door of Wilson’s School;
- secondly to those candidates who live elsewhere in the order of the distance of their home address (with those living closest being given priority) measured in a straight line from the main front door of Wilson's School.
Notes
* Education out of normal (chronological) age group: Children are normally educated in school with others of their age group; however, in exceptional circumstances parents/carers may seek a place outside of their son’s normal age group. Decisions will be made on the basis of the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. This will include taking account of the parents’ views; information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development; where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional; whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group. Parents requesting admission of their child outside their normal age group must note this when registering their child to sit the SET. In general, applications will be accepted for children where parents delayed the child’s entry to reception and the child has remained out of cohort for their entire primary attendance. Parents will be informed of the outcome of their request prior to the entrance tests. The SET can only be taken once by a candidate i.e. an out of normal age group candidate cannot sit the test a second time.
** A child will meet this criteria if they are a “looked after child” or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A “looked after child” is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989). Appropriate evidence of looked after status will be required.
*** Children eligible to receive Free School Meals (FSM) are those who are eligible for FSM at the time of registration for the Selective Eligibility Test (SET). If a candidate is successful in the entrance tests the school will verify with the candidate’s primary school if the candidate is/was receiving FSM at the time of registration for the SET. The school reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place if the offer has been made on the basis of an incorrect, fraudulent or misleading application. Parents/carers of children attracting FSM must have ticked the FSM box when registering their child for the SET. Any alterations to this box cannot be made after the closing date for registrations.
**** The permanent home address is where the child normally lives and excludes any business address, relative, friend or carer/child-minder’s address, use of a rented or second owned property on a temporary basis which gains advantage or use of a local address whilst the child lives overseas. Where a child lives with parents with shared parental responsibility, each for part of a week, the address where the child lives is determined using a joint declaration from the parents stating the pattern of residence. If a child’s residence is split equally between both parents, then parents will be asked to determine which residential address should be used for the purpose of admission to school. If no joint declaration is received and the residence is split equally by the closing date for applications, the home address will be determined to be the address where the child is registered with the doctor. However, all evidence will be taken into account. If the residence is not split equally between both parents, then the address used will be the address where the child spends the majority of the school week. In some cases, where distance is a relevant factor in admission decisions, a different address may be used if a family unit owns or has access to another property. All school admission applications for school places are subject to address checks to ensure school places are allocated fairly and in accordance with published admission arrangements. These checks will be conducted by the home Local Authority; where a fraudulent address or an address of convenience are found to have been used, the application and any subsequent offer may be withdrawn. Applicants living outside of England may only submit an application if they have a linked address within the Local Authority area, and documentary evidence must be supplied to show they will return to the address prior to the September in the year of entry; this address must not be an address of convenience. If parents/carers wish to discuss their circumstances prior to making their application, they should contact their home Local Authority. All distances will be measured as the crow flies from the main entrance of the child’s home to the main entrance of the school using a computerised Geographical Information System maintained by the London Borough of Sutton’s School Admissions Team.
Admission Procedures for entry to Year 7 in September 2023
The Entrance Tests
Selective Eligibility Test
For entry into Year 7 in September 2023 boys must first pass the Selective Eligibility Test (SET) run in conjunction with other local schools with selective places. The date of the SET will be Tuesday 13 September 2022.
To register a boy to take the SET parents/carers must complete the online Registration Form (which is also the Supplementary Form) which can be accessed via the Wilson’s School website (or the website of any of the participating schools) by [TBC]. Full details of the registration procedure will be published on the school’s website and those of the other participating schools.
The SET score will be applicable to any of the participating schools although each school may determine its own pass mark. The result of the SET determines whether or not a boy is eligible for the Wilson’s School second stage examination. Only boys who have met the pass mark for Wilson’s School will be invited to take the second stage examination for Wilson’s School.
The result of the SET does not guarantee a place at any of the participating schools.
Second Stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School
All candidates who are eligible will be invited to sit the second stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School which will be held on Saturday 1 October 2022. The second stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School will comprise an English and a Mathematics paper.
Candidates must pass both the English and the Mathematics papers and must also have met the overall pass mark to be eligible to be considered for a place.
The rank order of the entrance tests will be determined on the basis of the aggregate scores of the SET and the two elements of the second stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School in the ratio 1:2:2. Appropriate adjustment for age will be considered before the aggregate score is calculated.
The outcome of the second stage Entrance Examination will be sent by email in October 2022.
There are no alternative dates to sit the SET or the second stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School except in the case of illness or incapacity on the day (a medical certificate will be required).
In exceptional circumstances the test dates stated above may be changed such as government action like a lockdown which prevent the tests from taking place. In such a circumstance the school will post the revised date(s) on the school’s website as soon as it is known.
The Wilson’s Football Programme: Sporting Aptitude Test
All applicants for the sporting aptitude places as part of the Wilson’s School Football Programme will be invited to attend a Sporting Aptitude Test Day. There is one opportunity for candidates to be assessed for sporting aptitude.
After the outcome of the SET, all candidates that have met the pass mark to be invited to the second stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School will be offered the opportunity to participate in a Sporting Aptitude Test in the Autumn term if they wish.
The sporting aptitude test will give all participants the opportunity to demonstrate their potential and propensity to develop ability in the sport of football through a variety of tasks and tests. The process will be subject to oversight by an independent assessor. Scores will be awarded for each element of the aptitude test. When all tests have been completed a rank order of applicants for the Sporting Aptitude places will be produced and a benchmark threshold will be applied. Parents will be told whether their son has achieved the benchmark threshold and is therefore eligible to be considered for a place under the Sporting Aptitude criterion.
Sporting Aptitude places will be allocated to up to 9 of the top scoring eligible candidates who have achieved scores in the sporting aptitude test above the benchmark in rank order of score. Only candidates who have achieved a score above the benchmark threshold can be considered for a Sporting Aptitude place as part of the Wilson’s School Football Programme.
The Wilson’s Music Programme: Music Aptitude Test
All applicants for the music aptitude places as part of the Wilson’ Music Programme will be invited to attend a Music Aptitude Test Session. After the outcome of the SET, all candidates that have met the pass mark to be invited to the second stage Entrance Examination for Wilson’s School will be offered the opportunity to participate in the Music Aptitude Test in the Autumn term if they wish.
The music aptitude test will give all participants the opportunity to demonstrate their potential and propensity to develop ability in music (any instrument or voice) through a variety of tasks and tests. When the tests have been completed a rank order of applicants for the Music Aptitude places will be produced and a benchmark threshold will be applied. Parents will be told whether their son has achieved the benchmark threshold and is therefore eligible to be considered for a Music Programme place.
Music aptitude places will be allocated to up to 9 of the top scoring eligible candidates who have achieved scores in the music aptitude test above the benchmark in rank order of score. Only candidates who have achieved a score above the benchmark threshold can be considered for a Music Aptitude place as part of the Wilson’s Music Programme.
In order to make a valid application to Wilson’s School parents/carers must:
- register to take the SET by completing the online Registration Form; and
- name Wilson’s School on their home Local Authority’s Common Application Form.
Waiting List following initial allocation of places for Year 7
Following the initial allocation of places for Year 7, a single waiting list will be established for all eligible applicants who still wish to be considered for a place should a vacancy arise. If a vacancy arises within that period, the next eligible boy will be offered a place at the school in accordance with the oversubscription criteria stated above. This waiting list will be maintained until 31 December 2023.
Right of Appeal
Parents/carers, and in the case of the entry to the Sixth Form the pupil, have a statutory right of appeal against a decision to refuse a place for which a valid application has been made.