class MyUnitTest(unittest.TestCase):
    @classmethod
    def setUpClass(cls):
        do_something_expensive_for_all_sets_of_tests()

class MyFirstSetOfTests(MyUnitTest):
    @classmethod
    def setUpClass(cls):
        super(MyFirstSetOfTests, cls).setUpClass()
        do_something_expensive_for_just_these_first_tests()