Founded in 1904 as one of the first purpose-built schools for girls, St Paul’s Girls' School embraces both tradition and innovation. The emphasis on liberal learning established by the first High Mistress, Frances Gray, finds expression today in an academically adventurous curriculum, which encourages intellectual freedom, discovery, and the joy of scholarship. School life is underpinned by the kindest and most individual of pastoral care and a strong commitment to partnerships and diversity, with a generous and growing bursary programme.
Admissions. The main entries are 11+ and 16+. There are currently 825 students on roll. The school is committed to making an SPGS education available to intellectually inquisitive students from various backgrounds. There are occasional place entries for Y8 to Y10, subject to availability. Entrance to the school is assessment and interview based. Admissions Registrar: Ms Stephanie Cheng.
Bursaries
Our plans to expand our bursary provision are proceeding well. We have exceeded in offering more bursaries for the next academic year. Currently, 87 students are in receipt of a financial award, which equates to 11% of student roll.
Junior Bursaries (11+) to a value of up to full fee remission, based on proven financial need and subject to annual review, are available. Candidates must be successful in the 11+ entrance examination. The number of junior bursaries available each year will vary.
Senior Bursaries (16+) to a value of up to full fee remission, based on proven financial need and subject to annual review, are available for candidates who have been successful in the Senior School entrance examination and are currently in their final GCSE year at another school.
Scholarships
Junior Music Scholarships (11+) to the value of lessons in two instruments/voice, currently worth £1,836 per annum, tenable for five years when scholars will be able to apply for a 16+ scholarship in Y11 for their final two years at SPGS. Music exhibitions may also be awarded following auditions at the discretion of the Director of Music. They are based on the value of lessons in one instrument/voice, currently worth £918 per annum and tenable for five years.
Senior Music Scholarships (16+) to the value of lessons in two instruments/voice, currently worth £1,836 per annum, tenable for two years (choral awards up to the value of one lesson in voice may be available). External candidates must be successful in the Senior School entrance examination.
Senior Art Scholarships (16+) of the value of £250 per annum are offered to up to two internal and two external candidates who are currently in their final GCSE year and who, if applying from another school, have previously been successful in the Senior School entrance examination. Candidates take part in a workshop and are required to submit a portfolio.
Senior Drama Scholarships (16+) of the value of £250 per annum are awarded based on an audition, workshop and interview with our Director of Drama and other drama staff to candidates who show outstanding potential as an actor or director. Please note that scholarship candidates will often study drama at A level; however, those able to demonstrate a significant commitment to co-curricular drama will also be considered. Drama exhibitions of the value of £50 per annum are also awarded following an audition, workshop and interview with the Director of Drama.
Fees per term (2024-2025). £11,917 (including VAT). The fees per term for new entrants entering at 16+ are £12,866 (including VAT).
Registration & Examination Fee: £250.
Sixth Form. The Senior School is housed in our wonderful Garden Building, which opened in 2018. Students have a large and comfy common room, kitchen, group working space and quiet study room at their disposal. Tutor groups are small, enabling first-class pastoral support. Students are further supported by the Senior School team, and they are guided through the university application process. One of the highlights is the weekly lecture by invited speakers.
Results and destinations. SPGS is committed to providing an outstanding academic education within a highly encouraging environment. Students regularly achieve exceptional results (62% A* at A level; 83% 9 grade and 94.5% 8/9 (A*) at GCSE in 2024), but the school aims to teach far beyond the prescribed curriculum, endowing students with a lifelong love of learning and the necessary tools of scholarship and enterprise. Our teaching places emphasis on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, while our broad and progressive curriculum is rich in opportunities to learn about new technologies, preparing students to navigate an increasingly interconnected world with ease. Students take GCSE and IGCSE examinations in Y11; alternative school directed courses in art, history of art, computer science, creative technology, drama and music are also offered for this age group. Senior students are offered 23 subjects at A level and are prepared for university entrance by a personalised higher education programme. Students go on to study at major universities in the UK and USA, with over a third going to Oxford or Cambridge annually.
Pastoral care. Pastoral care is also central to our ethos, as evidenced by our Wellbeing Centre, five-days-a-week counselling provision and sympathetic medical staff. Students learn and thrive in a happy and supportive environment. Everyone, from Y7 upwards, is placed in a small tutor group of approximately 14 students to ensure the delivery of targeted and empathetic pastoral care. Strong systems of support mean students always have somewhere to turn when they need a listening ear, from peer supporters to form captains and our Head of School team. The pastoral curriculum aims to introduce students to a diverse range of perspectives, and demonstrates the importance of kindness, inclusion and individuality, empowering them to make a difference in the world beyond school.
Co-curriculum. As befits the range of interests and skills of our community, we have a huge variety of activities outside the classroom. Many of the 100+ clubs and societies are run by students; new options are created to reflect passion and demand. Students innovate and thrive through leadership and collaboration with peers, younger children and other schools. The creative and performing arts flourish. Composer of The Planets, Gustav Holst, was Director of Music here for over 30 years and his legacy continues. Music is part of the school's identity with well over half the student body taking instrumental lessons; there are orchestras, choirs and ensembles for all levels. Art and design benefit from studios and workshops, including for sculpture and digital work, alongside a beautiful exhibition space. Drama enjoys a purpose-built theatre and studio; any student can direct her own production. Our podcasting suites and immersive theatre offer cutting-edge creative opportunities. We offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Enterprise. Volunteering is important in Paulinas’ school experiences, as are trips, ranging from equestrianism in Yorkshire to exchanges in Japan, alongside boys from St Paul's School.
Our new Rosalind Franklin Wing (Centre for Design and Innovation) underscores the intersection of technology, art, and design, housing makerspaces and a wonderful workshop alongside facilities for textiles, podcasting, computing and creative technologies. Additionally, there are opportunities for engagement across the curriculum and co-curriculum, as well as for hosting our expanding partnership activities.
Partnerships. Partnerships play a key role at SPGS, and we aim to give our staff and students opportunities to work with other schools. Projects include The Jupiter Project (music mentoring scheme), Primary Hub (homework club), language carousels with French, German and Spanish being offered to over 60 primary students, as well as Easter revision sessions, supra-curricular conferences, access to joint careers fairs, and more. We are a founding member of the West London Partnership (WLP), which connects nine schools from the state and independent sectors in projects allowing students to access HE support and careers days, talks and lectures. We deliver and lead on joint professional development opportunities for SPGS staff and colleagues within the WLP. Over 500 Paulinas and 1600 students from other schools take part every year. Over 400 staff were trained by the WLP this year. As we expand our provision, those numbers will increase.
Sport. There are extensive sporting facilities on site and sport is played with verve and distinction. Facilities are some of the best offered by a central London school and include a 50-metre swimming pool, four outdoor netball courts, two lacrosse pitches, an athletics track including field events, and five tennis courts. At our Sports Hall and Pavilion, we also house three dance and fitness studios and a multi-gym. SPGS prides itself on delivering a broad, balanced and exciting curriculum, offering a wide range of traditional and varied sporting opportunities, and aiming for every student to strive to discover a sport they love and in which they can achieve. The three main sports are lacrosse, netball and rowing, but students can take part in extracurricular clubs to broaden their participation. Fixtures are played throughout the year, ensuring every student who wants the opportunity is able.
Alumnae. SPGS is proud to have a supportive global network of over 5,500 alumnae, supported by a dedicated team in the school’s Development Office. They remain connected to each other and the school in a myriad of ways, including through an exclusive alumnae networking platform, bulletins, publications and frequent events. As a vital part of the community, alumnae assist in supporting students with mentoring, careers and university guidance.
Charitable status. St Paul’s Girls’ School is a Registered Charity, number 1119613, and a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England, number 6142007 and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. It exists to promote the education of girls in Greater London. The sole member of the charitable company is the Mercers’ Company.
Governors & Staff:
Governors:
Chair: Mr Simon Wathen, LLB Bristol
Deputy Chair: Mrs Zeina Bain, MA Oxon
Ms Justine Archer, BSc Edinburgh
Ms Lisa Barclay, MA Cantab, MBA London
Ms Mairi Brewis, MA Oxon
Mr Alexander Clayton, BSc St Andrews
Mrs Clare Hebbes, MEng MICE
Mrs Geeta Khehar, LLB Leicester
Mrs Gillian Low, MA Oxon
Mr Geoffrey Matthews, MA Cantab
Ms Leah Morris, BA Glamorgan
Ms Joy Reymond BSc, MA, MBA USA and Australia
High Mistress: Mrs Sarah Fletcher, MA Oxon
Senior Deputy Head: Mr Fred Hitchcock, BA Bristol
Deputy Head, Director of Studies: Mr Andrew Ellams, MA Oxon
Deputy Head, Director of Pastoral Care: Mrs Lizzie Beesley, MA Oxon
Deputy Head, Director of Safeguarding and Inclusion: Mrs Sophie McGeoch, MSc London
Deputy Head, Director of Partnerships: Ms Simone Benn, BMus RAM
Deputy Head, Director of Senior School: Mr Rupert Try, MA, MSt Oxon
Deputy Head, Director of Strategic Development: Mr Ellis Whitcomb, BSc Birmingham, PGCert Cantab
Bursar: Mrs Sarah Teasdale, BSc London, FCA
Director of Operations: Mrs Barbara Sussex, BA, MPhil Birmingham
Heads of Department:
Art: Mr Alexander Daglish, BA Plymouth
Biology: Miss Harriet Newhouse, BSc Durham, PGCE Oxon
Chemistry: Dr Emma Dell, MChem Oxford, PhD Columbia
Classics: Dr Matthew McCullagh, BA, MPhil, PhD Cantab
Computer Science and Creative Technologies: Ms Melissa Bustamante-Jenke, BSc, PGCE London
Drama: Miss Isabel Foley, BA, MA London
Economics: Mr Nicholas Hazell, BA Leeds, PGCE Brighton
English: Dr Joanna Bratten, BA Steubenville, OH, MLitt, PhD St Andrews
Geography: Ms Lucy Costello, BA Liverpool
History: Mrs Kate Snook, MA St Andrews, MPhil Cantab
History of Art: Ms Kate Evans, BA London
Mathematics: Dr Damon Vosper Singleton, MMath Oxon, PhD London
Modern Languages: Mrs Harriet Oliphant, BA, PGCE London
Music: Mr Joseph McHardy, BMus Edinburgh
Physical Education: Miss Jessica Basch, BA, MA St Davids, PA
Physics: Ms Agniete Geras, BA Oxon
Politics: Ms Lucy Budden, MA Edinburgh
Religion & Philosophy: Miss Cat Graham, BA Oxon
Science: Dr Clare Mathison, PhD St Andrews