St Paul’s School is one of the UK’s leading independent schools, offering an outstanding all-round education for some of the brightest boys in the country.
Founded in 1509 by John Colet, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, to educate boys ‘from all nations and countries indifferently’, regardless of race, creed or social background, St Paul’s School remains committed to his vision today.
Erasmus, the greatest scholar of the northern Renaissance, advised Colet in the original planning of St Paul’s School and wrote textbooks for the School’s use. Today, a sense of scholarship, a commitment to all-round excellence and a culture of venturing beyond the syllabus continues to pervade life at St Paul’s, which is known for its inspirational and responsive teaching, outstanding academic results and a commitment to contribute to the local community, as well as national and international charities.
University destinations. The most recent year for which the school has a full list of the destinations of St Paul’s leavers is 2022. Typically around 50% of Paulines attend the top 10 universities within the ‘QS World Rankings’. Of those that choose to study in the UK, the largest proportion go to Oxford or Cambridge, with more than one quarter of all pupils gaining places each year. In 2022, 35 pupils headed to top North American universities including MIT, Stanford, Harvard and the University of Chicago, which are also within the top 10 in the 2022 QS World University rankings, and seven to other international institutions.
A small number of pupils choose to take GAP years, paid employment, apprenticeships or internships.
Admission. Application for Admission to St Paul’s is made via the online application form on the school’s website. 13+ candidates can register when they are in Year 5. In the Autumn Term of Year 6, three years before entry, they must take the ISEB Online Pre-Test. The results of this, together with a detailed report from their current school, will be used to select candidates for interview and written assessments. Following the interview and written assessments, boys may be offered a Main List place which is conditional upon continued good conduct and academic progress at their existing school, including an unreserved reference of support from their Head Teacher in Year 8.
There is a registration fee of £200 at 7+, 8+. 11+ and 13+ entry.
For 16+, applications should be made one year in advance. No registration fee is required at the time of applying, but an online payment of £75 is required for the exam fee. The registration fee of £125 (plus the deposit) is required when successful candidates are accepting a place.
A deposit of £3,300 is required when a parent accepts the offer of a place for their son after interview. The Deposit will be returnable only if the boy fails to reach the necessary standard prior to entry or when the final account has been cleared after the boy leaves St Paul’s.
Fees per term (2024-2025). The Basic Fee for St Paul’s is £10,390 per term and £8,306 for St Paul’s Juniors. This covers tuition, games, loan books, stationery, libraries, medical inspection, a careers aptitude test in the GCSE year, certain school publications and lunch, which all boys are required to attend. Charges are made for the purchase of some books (which become the personal property of boys) and public examination fees.
There are facilities for up to 35 boarders (ages 13 to 18) and boarding is flexible, allowing boys to go home at weekends as they wish. The Boarding Fee is £15,636 per term. Boys joining at age 13 can only be weekly boarders and must return to a family member or approved guardian at weekends. Boys joining at age 16 can be full boarders. Boarding is not available for pupils below Year 9. There is a second boarding house for 11 pupils to accommodate flexi-boarders.
Assistance with fees (Founder's Awards). St Paul’s takes pride in giving the best possible education to talented boys, irrespective of their family’s financial circumstances. Each year there are funds available for free and subsidised places for those with a household income below £120,000. Bursaries are means tested each year and may change as a family’s financial situation improves or deteriorates. More information can be obtained from the school’s website.
Scholarships. St Paul’s School offers a number of honorary Academic Scholarships annually at 13+ and 17+. These are worth £60 per year. For external candidates entering at 13+, the scholarship examination is held annually in May. There are also a number of music scholarships awarded annually at 11+ and 13+. Each Scholarship is worth £60 per annum, plus free tuition on two instruments. Exhibitions consist of free tuition on one instrument only.
Curriculum. All boys follow a broadly based course up to IGCSE/GCSE. Thereafter in Year 12 and Year 13, A Level subjects are arranged so that boys can combine a wide range of Arts and Science subjects if they so wish. In Year 12, nearly all boys take four subjects and may also undertake an Extended Project Qualification, followed by three or four subjects in Year 13. Subjects are all taken in a linear way and there are no public exams in Year 12.
Games. Physical Activities offered include: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Cross-Country, Fencing, Fives, Futsal, Golf, Judo, Rackets, Rowing, Rugby, Rugby Sevens, Sculling, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Table Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee and Water Polo. In addition, Climbing, Cycling and Sailing take place off site. The school has its own Swimming Pool, Fencing Salle, Tennis, Fives and Rackets Courts, Dojo, Fitness Centre and its own Boat House. The Sports Centre also comprises a Main Hall and Gymnasium. The Sports Hall is equipped for Tennis, Badminton, Basketball and has five indoor Cricket nets.
Music. All boys are taught music in the classroom in the first year. In subsequent years, GCSE is taught as a two-year course, and A Level taught in the final two years. Additional tuition is available in piano, organ, all the standard orchestral instruments, jazz, music theory and aural. There is a wide range of ensemble activities – chamber music, jazz and big band, two full orchestras, two training orchestras and several choral/vocal groups. The music school contains a professional standard concert venue, the Wathen Hall, several rehearsal rooms, two large teaching rooms and a music technology suite. There are regular concerts and recitals, as well as music competitions, musicals and external engagements, workshops and festivals.
School societies. There is a wide choice of more than 30 Societies, including Musical, Artistic and Dramatic activities, Debating, Historical and Scientific Societies, Politics and Economics, Bridge, Chess, Natural History, Photography, European Society, a Christian Union and Social Service.
St Paul’s Juniors adjoins the school. (For details see entry in IAPS section.) Charitable status. St Paul’s School is a Registered Charity, number 1119619. The object of the charity is to promote the education of boys in Greater London.
Governors & Staff:
Governors:
Chairman: Richard Cassell
Deputy Chairman: Tim Haynes
Tom Adeyoola
Sarah Barker
Jaideep Barot
Veryan Exelby
Andrew Fenwick
Harry Hampson
Joanne Harris
Sam Newhouse
Alison Palmer
Aisha Sanusi
Rupert Tate
Sarah Thomas
Mark Tuffney
Rt Hon Lord Vaizey of Didcot
Clerk to the Governors: Elizabeth Wilkinson
St Paul’s Teaching Staff:
High Master: Sally-Anne Huang
Surmaster: Fran Clough
Deputy Head – Academic: Dan Pirrie
Deputy Head – Co-Curricular: Thomas Killick
Deputy Head – Pastoral and Boarding: Nick Watkins
Deputy Head – Staff Development & Wellbeing: Becky McGreevy
Assistant Head - Safeguarding & Pupil Wellbeing: Nick Hudson
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular: Andrew Edwards
Director of Admissions: Caroline Gill
Director of Teaching and Learning: Tahmer Mahmoud
Director of Assessment And Data: Simon Holmes
Director of Careers & Universities: Jonathan Bennett
Director of Partnerships and Public Service: Stuart Block
Head of Eighth Form: Naomi McLaughlin
Head of Middle School: Douglas Perrin
Undermasters:
James Blurton
Kerilynne Cloete
Sarah Field
James Gilks
Glenn Harrison
Hugo Nilsson
Alex Stewart
Hannah Warner
Heads of Faculty:
Creative and Performing Arts: Michael Grant
English: Matthew Gardner
Humanities: Alexander Isaac
Languages: Alexander Tofts
Mathematics: Andrew Ashworth-Jones
Science, Technology, Engineering, ICT & Computing: Camille Shammas
Chaplain: The Rev'd Matthew Knox