Spgs entry 2025

did they already send out the offers?? I don't think I've got an email yet

Hi everyone,
I recently received an offer for 16+ entry to St Paul's Girls' School, but I’m unsure whether to accept it as I don’t know much about the school. I currently attend a competitive girls' private school, so I’m confident that transitioning academically wouldn’t be an issue.
However, I’m in a bit of a dilemma because I need to make a decision on the St Paul’s offer within a week. At the same time, I’ve also applied to Westminster School, which is my first choice for 16+ entry, but I don’t know if I’ll get an offer from them in time. I’m concerned about committing to St Paul’s by paying the deposit, only to later receive an offer from Westminster.
Additionally, I’d love some insight into the culture and environment at St Paul’s. For those of you currently attending, what do you like about the school, and what are some challenges or downsides you’ve experienced?
Thanks so much for any advice or input!

Hi everyone,
I recently received an offer for 16+ entry to St Paul's Girls' School, but I’m unsure whether to accept it as I don’t know much about the school. I currently attend a competitive girls' private school, so I’m confident that transitioning academically wouldn’t be an issue.
However, I’m in a bit of a dilemma because I need to make a decision on the St Paul’s offer within a week. At the same time, I’ve also applied to Westminster School, which is my first choice for 16+ entry, but I don’t know if I’ll get an offer from them in time. I’m concerned about committing to St Paul’s by paying the deposit, only to later receive an offer from Westminster.
Additionally, I’d love some insight into the culture and environment at St Paul’s. For those of you currently attending, what do you like about the school, and what are some challenges or downsides you’ve experienced?
Thanks so much for any advice or input!

I did Maths, Further Maths, Politics, and Economics.
For Maths, it was tough—most people only managed about 5 out of the 9 questions. The questions felt like the really hard ones at the end of a higher-level GCSE Maths paper. We were allowed to use a calculator, though, which helped a bit.
Economics was a mix of a logic-based multiple-choice section and two essays—one short and one longer. Both were linked to current events, so keeping up with the news beforehand definitely came in handy.
Politics was more like a comprehension task. You had to read two articles and then write essays based on them. Again, knowing a bit about current affairs made it easier.
The interview had six parts:
1. Group activity: It started with a short problem-solving activity in a group. Honestly, it felt more like an icebreaker to help us relax rather than a proper assessment.
2. Subject-specific interviews:
• For Economics and Maths, the teachers didn’t really ask me questions—they just gave me problems to solve. The main thing they wanted was for me to think out loud. Even if you’re struggling, they just want to see how you approach things.
• In the Maths interview, the teacher actually taught me a bit of an A-level topic and had me apply it. I struggled with it, but they weren’t looking for perfection—they just wanted to see how I learn.
• The Politics interview was more of a chat. The teacher asked about my interests and why I chose the subject. They were really easy to talk to and seemed more interested in getting to know me than testing me.
3. General interview: This was definitely the hardest part for me. I was expecting questions like, “Why do you want to join the school?” or “Why are you leaving your current school?” Instead, they asked really casual, open-ended questions like:
• If you could invite three people (alive or dead) to a dinner party, who would you choose? And what would you serve?
• What does your ideal weekend look like?
• If you could go anywhere in the world for as long as you wanted, with no budget limit, where would you go?
To prepare, I tried looking up past interview questions, but I didn’t find much. My advice would be to make sure you know your reasons for wanting to join the school and just be ready to talk about your interests.
Oh, and keep in mind that everyone’s experience is different—it really depends on the teacher you get.

hey everyone! i know i’m showing up quite late for most people but i just wanted to say (as someone who goes to spgs but considered westminster for 16+) that i’ve had the time of my life at spgs and can’t really imagine enjoying attending another to the same extent. the biggest factor that was off-putting for me about westminster was their general attitude. i went into it thinking ‘it sounds amazing, will be a beautiful school, etc etc. however when i got there, lots of people were quite rude and snobbish and everyone would say things like ‘oh yes but as you all know we’re the #1 school’ (not technically true if you look at exam results) and all had the assumption that they didn’t need to try to sell the school to me as i would be applying anyway. on the flip side, i would say a couple of big pros for westminster that did really appeal are the co-ed aspect (i do think you get really shut off from reality at a single sex school) and the house community. spgs does not have houses (apart from temporary ‘interforms’ for sports competitions that change every year) and i think that sense of family and belonging is quite important in a school. with that said, i have never felt anything but support and kindness at spgs. i will sign off now as this is beginning to feel quite long, but i hope this helps someone and if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask! x

thank you so much for telling us so much about ur experience !! did you apply at 16+ or start in y7? do you have any idea about how the admissions are for sixth form...? on another note, i was a little concerned about there being a super competitive environment at spgs (to a very pressured and unhealthy level, i'm aware it will of course be very academic) but it was reassuring to hear at the very least you have felt it was a kind environment !! if you have time, do you mind telling me what your a levels are and how the teaching is? tysm x

i started at spgs in yr 7, so not entirely sure how the sixth form admissions work, sorry! in terms of academic environment, i would say that whilst there will always be an expectation to perform well, i’ve never felt anything but support, and i would absolutely say that you can always reach out to a teacher or older student for help if you need it. there is also an excellent well-being centre, as well as places for silent revision or downtime. in terms of subject choices, i’m a die-hard classics girl (although very much in the minority) with latin, greek, history and russian. as with any school, the teaching can vary, but i think i’ve only ever had one teacher i didn’t always love (my gcse maths teacher), although funnily she did sort of grow on me over time. class sizes tend to be very small in sixth form, except (i believe) for the more popular options like maths and econ. not sure how much else i can add.. i’m not going to lie, the workload is hefty, but i think as long as you’re taking subjects you love and are willing to work hard and put in the time, it’s such an amazing place to be. x

omg thank you so much!! i'm also not STEM (though more history/politics focused) so it's reassuring that there are others, since it's obviously well known for being incredible with STEM!! if you don't mind i have one last question - for university, do you think it would be a disadvantage to change at sixth form and risk not knowing teachers as well, or do you think spgs is good at welcoming the new cohort at 16+? again thank u sm xx