Hello,

My DS has got the qualifying marks in both Wilson and Sutton Grammar. We are not in the catchment and have to anyways move (which we will do post March next year). I have 4 questions at this point and request information from other parents/forum members.

1. Reading the admission policy, it appears to me that at Wilson, catchment plays less of a role than Sutton. If this is right, my DS has a better chance of making it into Wilson than SGS. Is this correct?

2. While I have visited Wilson, unfortunately, I have not visited Sutton Grammar. I know that Wilson offers fantastic opportunities to advance in music. My DS is very keen on music (has completed Grade 4..preparing for Grade 5). What is the situation with Sutton Grammar in this department?

3. My DS is keen on cricket and table tennis. I know Wilson's teams do well in this area. What opportunities are there in Sutton? I know they need to take a coach to reach the ground but I have not seen information on how well the teams do and how many teams they have.

4. From the Good Schools Guide report, it can be inferred that Wilson is a very strict school with considerable pressure and homework as compared to Sutton Grammar which increases HW incrementally. Also, the word 'kind' appears a number of times which makes me think this would be a gentler environment for my DS. What are your thoughts?

Thank you

Dear Pmatmari,
Congrats to you and your son .
Both the schools are good in their own ways .
I will reply firstly to your queries one by one .
1) Wilson’s strictly go by ranking . Sgs has almost 50/50 for catchment . It’s 70 catchment 65 non catchment .

2) Wilson’s has a fantastic music facilities . Saying that’ SGS has a brilliant orchestra and music lessons are offered on a regular basis .
3) Cricket is negligible in Sutton . They hardly play 2/3 matches and mostly play within their own school amongst their age groups . They have a fabulous ground and the children are taken every week for their games sessions by school . Football and athletics , cross country are very popular and every week they have football matches . Both schools have that. Most of the boys in cricket team play outside the school and they don’t complaint much about it really . Wilson’s cricket is played regularly . It is one of their main sports in summer .
4) I don’t know much about the pastoral care of Wilson’s but I am sure it must be good . It’s a lot stricter school compared to SGS . It all depends what is best for your child really .
Pastoral care in Sutton is great and yes they put more emphasis on kindness and values Atleast for the initial couple of years . Homework is very well managed and they slowly increase it . I am sure Wilson’s does the same as well . The only difference is Wilson’s does ks3 two years and Gcse 3 years whereas Sgs does 3 years ks3 and 2 years gcse . Sutton believes in STEM EDUCATION and from year 7 they learn separate science subjects .
Both the schools are very good . One maybe more than the other in some ways or the other but both schools are very Strict with discipline and if given choice the boys won’t change their schools for anything until Alevels .
You won’t be wrong in whatever you chose . If you haven’t visited Sutton you can still call them up after half term and visit the school before 31st .
All the best .

My DS is at SGS and I agree with worriedmum2017. I do think that the culture is perhaps kinder and less pressured than Wilsons (although I don't have direct experience of Wilsons). My DS isn't especially sporty so I can't comment in detail on the sports provision, but I do know that one afternoon a week is spent on Games and that the transfer to and from the lovely sports ground at Northey is absolutely fine.

I would caution against moving house in order to send your child to a school you haven't visited. All children are different and schools have different characters. Think hard about whether you'd be willing to make such a disruptive change for a school that might not suit your boy.

Thank you worriedmum2019 and streathammum for the inputs.. This is incredibly useful. Will try and see if I can visit the school before the 31st of this month.

They are both excellent schools and both will have their strengths, but yes, the two things you mention - those two specific sports and music - are stronger at Wilson’s. Wilson’s have two orchestras and I believe grade 5 would mean your child eligible to join the senior orchestra. Partly this may be because it’s a bigger school but I was also more impressed by their music department overall.

I have heard of Wilson’s having more of a reputation for being strict and more of an ‘academic hothouse’, but I really think this perception just comes with the fact that they have edged ahead with results in recent years. I know teachers who work at Wilson’s and am well aware of the structures in place and, honestly, the pastoral care is excellent. They get notified of particular children to look out for and help if they are struggling to settle in or having trouble in other ways.
Wilson’s Head is a real asset to the school and really looks after the staff and children. SGS has a new Head as of this September who, by all accounts, has also put emphasis on pastoral care. Expectations of behaviour are very high at Wilson’s, but they are not unreasonably so, and I’m sure they are at SGS too.

In catchment, SGS is considered easier to get into, but yes, I suppose out of catchment Wilson’s could be considered more likely - although this all depends how many put Wilson’s on their form that scored higher than your son. Really though, list the schools in true order of preference - the schools won’t see that information.

I am a bit of a sucker for old architecture and I loved the feel of the ‘quad’ at SGS. However, the older buildings do have more of a cramped feel inside than Wilson’s. Wilson’s also have the sports facilities on site, although those who attend SGS report no problems with the fields being elsewhere.

Best of luck deciding! Once there, at either school, I am sure neither you nor your son will have any regrets.

I have a son in the upper sixth at Wilson’s.
The music is really strong.Loads of orchestras and ensembles.
All year seven get a year of free music lessons with instruments loaned by the school.
If your son plays two instruments already he will get singing lessons.
Cricket is of a high standard. They are in some sort of ranking ( not sure what it is) top 100 schools for cricket.
There is lots of football. Wilson’s own the adjacent astro pitches so loads of boys play at lunchtime.
Table tennis,badminton and futsal are also very strong.
The school is strict in a good way.The boys know the rules and stick to them.Lateness isn’t tolerated.
My son hasn’t found the work to be a pressure at any stage.Its not a hothouse by any means.No tutoring that I know about.
The greatest strength though is the most superb pastoral care.The heads of year who are absolutely brilliant really keep an eye on the boys.
From year ten forms are split so a form tutor looks after 15 boys.
I can’t fault the care my son has received.
The new head at SGS was the Wally girls deputy until this summer. Good reputation.
He has also taught at Wilson’s and was head boy there.

It all depends with the free instrument tuition in year 7. It must be an instrument not played before (or voice). The boys have choose 3 options from the list of instruments on offer plus voice. Then they are given one of their three choices.

My son plays two instruments already and continues taking lessons for those privately. He's got a third instrument to learn at school, although voice had been one of his three choices.