A selective boys grammar school in Wallington, Greater London, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,117 pupils on roll.
Wallington County Grammar School
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At a glance
Wallington County Grammar School is a selective boys' grammar school on Croydon Road in Wallington, with girls admitted into the sixth form. Founded in 1927, it has a strong motto-led identity: Per Ardua Ad Summa, "Through Difficulties to the Heights". The headmaster's welcome connects that motto to four core values - compassion, courage, commitment and creativity - and to a culture of academic ambition, praise and recognition.
The curriculum is described as broad and deep, with the explicit aim of developing scholars rather than pupils who simply cover examination specifications. WCGS prospectus material refers to Deep Thinking Challenges in lessons, wider reading, and preparation for highly competitive university routes. Sixth-form documentation indicates that students normally study at least four A levels, with some taking Further Mathematics or the EPQ as an additional qualification before refining their subjects for the upper sixth.
The co-curriculum is one of the school's defining public themes. WCGS describes activities, societies, competitions, sport, arts and leadership as part of a world-class education. The house system, school sports, Duke of Edinburgh, orchestra and ensembles, clubs and societies, school council, charity events, RAG Week, the fashion and talent show, subject ambassadors, anti-bullying ambassadors and mentoring all sit within that offer. Sixth-form enrichment adds options such as medicine, dentistry and veterinary preparation, university admissions-test preparation, local outreach and careers talks.
Year 7 admission uses the Sutton two-stage route. Candidates take the Selective Eligibility Test in English and mathematics, and those who pass go on to the WCGS, Sutton Grammar and Wilson's second-stage English and mathematics tests. The published admission number is 150. The oversubscription rules include looked-after and previously looked-after children, children of staff, score ranking, up to 25 Pupil Premium places, up to 15 Sutton-postcode priority places and distance tie-breaks. Official benchmarks record an Outstanding Ofsted judgement from November 2022, +0.95 Progress 8, 100% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 55.6% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Sutton and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Sutton and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Sutton and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,117 pupils; 1,063 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian | 23.8% | Asian | 266 |
| Any other Asian background | 18.4% | Asian | 206 |
| White British | 14.2% | White | 159 |
| Pakistani | 9.1% | Asian | 102 |
| African | 6.7% | Black | 75 |
| Any other White background | 5.2% | White | 58 |
| Unclassified | 4.8% | Unclassified | 54 |
| Chinese | 4.5% | Asian | 50 |
| Any other mixed background | 3.5% | Mixed | 39 |
| White and Asian | 2.9% | Mixed | 32 |
| Any other ethnic group | 2.1% | Other | 24 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.9% | Asian | 21 |
| Any other Black background | 0.7% | Black | 8 |
| Caribbean | 0.7% | Black | 8 |
| White and Black African | 0.7% | Mixed | 8 |
| Irish | 0.4% | White | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.3% | Mixed | 3 |
Most places are score-ranked; a Sutton-area postcode priority applies for up to 15 places, with distance used as a tie-breaker.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Applies to candidates who reach the required standard.
Children of staff
Priority applies where the published staff criteria are met.
Rank order
Places are allocated by combined entrance-test score, highest first, after higher priorities.
Pupil premium
Up to 25 places are available for eligible pupil premium candidates who reach the required standard.
Sutton postcode priority
Up to 15 places are reserved for candidates living in the listed Sutton-area postcodes who reach the standard.
Tie-break distance
Straight-line distance is used where candidates are otherwise equally ranked.
Wallington County Grammar School currently uses Sutton SET, Individual. The published format currently lists 2 papers. Scores are published as age-standardised.
Shared exam route
Wallington County Grammar School uses the shared Sutton SET route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Sutton SET practice papersPaper 1
English, Maths
Selective Eligibility Test
Multiple-choice English and mathematics.
Paper 2
English, Maths
Second Stage Test
English and mathematics papers shared with Sutton Grammar and Wilson's.
English and Maths are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Access arrangements deadline
12 June 2026
SET registration closes
31 July 2026
Selective Eligibility Test
15 September 2026
Second Stage Test
3 October 2026
Common Application Form deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Register for the Selective Eligibility Test
Complete the online SET registration by midnight on 31 July 2026.
Open policySit the SET
The first stage is the multiple-choice Selective Eligibility Test in English and mathematics.
Open policySit the second stage if invited
Candidates who pass the SET sit the WCGS, Sutton Grammar and Wilson's second-stage tests in English and mathematics.
Open policySubmit the Common Application Form
Name WCGS on the CAF by 31 October 2026.
Open policyLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 74.2 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 76.1 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 77.8 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 77.7 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | A- average (47.1 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B+ average (43.7 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | A- average (47.0 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | A- average (47.6 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 100% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 100% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 16 November 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Sutton area and similar boys' selective route
Same Sutton area and similar boys' selective route
Nearby London option with a similar admissions route
Nearby London option with a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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FAQ
Wallington County Grammar School currently uses Sutton SET, Individual.
1. Register for the Selective Eligibility Test: Complete the online SET registration by midnight on 31 July 2026. 2. Sit the SET: The first stage is the multiple-choice Selective Eligibility Test in English and mathematics. 3. Sit the second stage if invited: Candidates who pass the SET sit the WCGS, Sutton Grammar and Wilson's second-stage tests in English and mathematics. 4. Submit the Common Application Form: Name WCGS on the CAF by 31 October 2026.
Access arrangements deadline: 12 June 2026. SET registration closes: 31 July 2026. Selective Eligibility Test: 15 September 2026. Second Stage Test: 3 October 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Wallington County Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 16 November 2022.