What the result means now
A test result tells you about a particular stage of selection. It is not the offer of a school place. Read the school names, eligibility wording and any second-stage instructions in the result rather than treating “passed the SET” as a complete admissions decision.
Below the first-stage standard
Check what the result says for each school and whether an enquiry route is published. Keep the correspondence and follow the school-application instructions.
A second stage applies
Check the invitation, school and test requirements. A first-stage result does not establish the outcome of a further assessment.
Qualified, but later refused
Read the school’s oversubscription rules and refusal reason. Meeting the academic standard does not reserve a place.
Use the Sutton SET score explainer to read the test communication. A formal admission appeal concerns a refused place at a named school, not a fresh SET sitting or one appeal covering the whole area.
Which school do you mean?
Sutton Council directs appeal and waiting-list enquiries to the individual secondary school. The five grammar schools below have separate admission arrangements. Read the full entry-year policy and appeal pack for the school you mean.
- Sutton Grammar School
- Keep its test decision with the school’s own refusal and policy. Use the school’s current appeal instructions to distinguish academic qualification from allocation.
- Nonsuch High School for Girls
- The official appeals page explains the need for a valid CAF application. Its linked timetable currently refers to 2026 entry; check for the correct 2027 pack after refusal.
- Wallington County Grammar School
- Check this school’s academic and oversubscription requirements. Do not assume another Sutton school’s stages, score rules or appeal deadline apply.
- Wallington High School for Girls
- Use the school’s own outcome and appeal instructions, including any relevant second-stage result. A shared assessment does not create a joint school appeal.
- Wilson’s School
- Start at the Year 7 appeals page for the school’s process. Match its form and timetable to the year in the refusal letter.
The Sutton appeal directory brings the official contact routes together. Avoid submitting a previous year’s form simply because it remains available online.
After the 1 March 2027 offer
Keep the allocated place while you read the refusal. Check whether the reason concerns the school’s academic standard, oversubscription or an application requirement. If anything is unclear, ask for clarification promptly without assuming that an enquiry pauses the appeal deadline.
- Record the school and entry year on every document and submission.
- Find both deadlines: lodging the appeal and sending further evidence.
- Follow the waiting-list instructions separately. An appeal is not a waiting-list request.
- Keep submission confirmations. If appealing to several schools, track each acknowledgement and hearing independently.
Evidence for a Sutton appeal
For non-qualification, explain the academic evidence relevant to the school’s required standard. For a qualified child refused because the school is oversubscribed, identify any disputed application of the policy and the reasons your child needs this school. The DfE guidance explains the panel’s task.
Keep first-stage and any second-stage communications clearly labelled. Add the refusal, the determined policy, relevant school reports and evidence supporting the individual reasons for admission. A statement used for more than one school should be checked carefully: naming the wrong provision or relying on another school’s rules weakens its usefulness.
The evidence guide covers structuring the submission and speaking at the hearing. A family can accept another offer and still pursue an appeal; do not leave the child without a secure place while waiting for the outcome.
Common questions
A few things parents ask
Can I appeal a Sutton SET result immediately?
An independent admission appeal follows a refused school place. For a test enquiry, use the result communication and the named school’s instructions. A school appeal is not a second sitting of the SET.
Does passing the SET guarantee a school place?
No. Check whether the school requires a second stage and whether the child meets its full academic requirement. Eligible applicants are then considered under that school’s admission arrangements.
Is there one Sutton grammar school appeal form?
No. Sutton Council directs parents to individual secondary schools for appeals and waiting-list enquiries. Keep a separate record of the form, administrator and deadlines for each school.
Should I name a school on the CAF if I might want to appeal?
A refused application is the basis of an admission appeal. Nonsuch, for example, explicitly requires a valid application through the home authority’s CAF. Follow each school’s application instructions and include realistic alternatives.
Official sources
Reviewed 28 Sept 2026