How to pass the St Paul’s School (Boys’) 11+

Are you looking into St Paul’s School for the 11 plus? Find out everything you need to know about the admissions process, and how to help your son succeed.

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• The 11+ admissions process
• Exam content
• The interview
• Scholarships
• Find a tutor for St Paul’s
• Contact us

Introduction to St Paul’s School

St Paul’s School is a private day and boarding school for boys located on the banks of the River Thames in Barnes, London. It has been a centre of academic excellence for over 500 years.

Boys applying at 11 plus enter St Paul’s Juniors (formerly Colet Court), the lower school for Years 3-8. They then move to St Paul’s School for Years 9-13. Main entry points are 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+, and 16+. The school accepts 72 boys in Year 3, plus 18 external applicants in Year 4. At 11+, there are 36 places, while the largest entry is 13+, with just under 100 boys accepted. There are 20 places at 16+. Boarding options include full, weekly, and, if space allows, flexi-boarding. About 40 boys board, all from Year 9 upwards.

St Paul’s Juniors aims to create a friendly, caring community where boys feel happy and confident. The school focuses on a rounded education, encouraging creative and critical thinking through expert teaching.

St Paul’s is highly competitive which is no surprise considering its outstanding results when it comes to higher education and university admissions. In 2024, 98% of GCSEs achieved at Grade 9, 8 or 7 (A*-A), while 73% achieved at Grade 9. In the same year, 90% of A Levels and Pre-U were achieved at A* or A (or equivalent). Between a quarter and a third accept offers from Oxford and Cambridge in a typical year group of around 200.

Fees

£9,551 per term for Year 3-8 (St Paul’s Juniors). £11,949 per term for Year 9-13 and £17,981 per term for boarders. The school fees are inclusive of compulsory school lunches. A deposit of £3,300 is required upon acceptance of a place. This will be refunded in full when your son leaves St Paul’s. St Paul’s offers means-tested bursaries between 2% and 100% of fees.

11 plus Open Days at St Paul’s

St Paul’s offer Open Days for prospective students and parents in the Autumn the year before they intend to join. The open day for entry in 2026 is on September 6th 2025 and is available to book on the school website. You can view a virtual tour on the school website. The annual Open Morning provides an opportunity for parents and boys to meet the High Master, staff and current pupils, tour the school and get a flavour of daily life at St Paul’s Juniors. St Paul’s also offer a number of small group visits throughout the year. These include a tour of St Paul’s Juniors and St Paul’s School on a typical day.

Before registering your son for admission, we recommend that you and your son attend a St Paul’s Open Event. This will give your son a sense of what life is like attending St Paul’s, the facilities it offers, and a chance to meet members of staff, the Head and current pupils. We have found boys who attend Open Events are better prepared in interviews and more confident upon entering in September.

The 11 Plus Admissions Process at St Paul’s

Applications for 2026 entry to St Paul’s is currently open. The deadline to submit your application for 11 plus is October 17th 2025. The registration must be completed online. Candidates must pay a non-refundable exam fee when registration of £75. If they are successful and receive an offer, upon acceptance they must pay a formal registration fee of £123 + VAT.

At 11 plus, St Paul’s accept around 36 boys into the Junior School. In addition, approximately 70 places are reserved for boys progressing internally from the Upper Second Year. Furthermore, there are around 100 available places for 13+ entry, and approximately 20 for 16+ entry. St Paul’s is extremely competitive as it is oversubscribed. Odds of securing a place at 11 plus can vary from around 1 in 20 to as high as 1 in 30 in years with a larger cohort. It is also important to note that, due to the school’s highly academic nature, St Paul’s does not give preferential consideration to siblings or family members of current or former students. Therefore, all applicants are assessed strictly on individual merit.

Part A: St Paul’s Pre-Test

All applicants to St Paul’s will sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in early December. The 2026 cohort will take it on 1st December 2025. This online test can be taken either at the boy’s current school or at St Paul’s Juniors. Strong performance is essential, as only the top-scoring boys are invited to the written exam and interview.

The ISEB takes around two and a half hours and assesses:

• Verbal reasoning: common words, antonyms, word combinations and letter transfer.
• Non-verbal reasoning: areas including shape analogies and horizontal codes.
• English: reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation and sentence completion.
• Mathematics: content in line with the National Curriculum up to the end of Year 5

The format is very different from traditional written exams. There’s no creative writing, and all questions are multiple choice. Pupils must work quickly—roughly one mark per minute—which demands a high level of focus and strong time management.

Exam technique is crucial. Pupils cannot return to previous questions, so they need to practise eliminating incorrect answers and guessing smartly when unsure. For most ten-year-olds, this structure is unfamiliar and requires specific preparation.

Mentor has years of experience preparing students for the ISEB, used by top independent and boarding schools across the UK. We offer tailored tutoring to build your son’s confidence, refine exam technique, and ensure he’s ready for this high-pressure, fast-paced assessment.

To find out how Mentor can support your son through the St Paul’s Pre-Test process, visit our tutor page.

Part B: 11 Plus Entrance Exam at St Paul’s

Boys who perform well in the ISEB Pre-Test are invited to St Paul’s in early January to sit written exams in English and Maths. For 2026 applicants, this will take place on 6th January 2026. There are two 45 minute English papers: a comprehension and analysis paper and a composition paper. The comprehension paper includes an unseen prose, poetry, or drama extract. Boys will face:

• Factual questions about the text to test understanding and vocabulary.
• Analytical questions focused on word associations, patterns of sound and meaning.
• Creative tasks based on the passage, such as writing from a character’s viewpoint or mimicking the author’s style.

The composition paper is a creative writing task. Boys will write from experience or imagination in a format such as a story, diary, letter, or article. St Paul’s looks for originality, strong vocabulary, and accurate grammar and punctuation.

The Maths paper is 1 hour long, split into three sections all of equal weight:

• Section A: 15 multiple-choice questions focused on number skills.

• Section B: Core calculation techniques and some worded problems.

• Section C: More challenging problem-solving questions requiring creative thinking and strong analytical skills.

The paper aligns with Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum. Candidates should be working confidently at Level 5 in number, with the ability to handle shape, space, measure, and data.

St Paul’s provide a syllabus for the written exam on their website.

If you want an experienced third party to help you stay on track with your preparation visit the Mentor Tutor page which has a range of specialist 11 plus tutors with significant St Paul’s entrance experience.

Part C: 11 Plus Interview at St Paul’s

Boys who succeed in the written exams are invited back to St Paul’s for a 20-minute one-on-one interview with a senior staff member, usually held in mid-January, about two weeks after the exams. They will also meet the Head of School, while parents have a chance to speak separately with the Head. Success at the interview is a key part of the admissions process.

The interview assesses independence, intellectual curiosity, and the boy’s ability to express opinions clearly and support them with evidence. Questions might include mental maths problems, views on current affairs, or analysing a passage or picture. Boys could be asked about the creator’s intent or the meaning behind a piece, encouraging thoughtful responses.

Applicants need to talk confidently about themselves, their interests, and ideas. Interviewers look for clear, well-developed answers rather than brief or one-word replies. Boys should be prepared to justify their opinions and engage in a respectful debate if challenged.

St Paul’s seeks enthusiastic, confident boys who will actively participate in school life and take advantage of the opportunities offered. It’s important that boys listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and keep their answers focused. Over-rehearsed or scripted answers may work against them, as interviewers prefer natural, genuine responses.

The thought of an interview can be quite daunting for some boys who find it harder to express their views. So, every year Mentor runs individual and group sessions to build confidence. Focusing on interview prep and what to expect, we encourage children to develop answers and present their best self.

11 Plus Scholarships at St Paul’s School

St Paul’s offer a number of Music Scholarships and Exhibitions at 11 plus. Applicants must show outstanding ability in at least one instrument. After the application process, once a candidate has secured and accepted a place for 11 plus entry, suitable boys are invited to apply for a Music Scholarship. Potential candidates must have reached at least Grade 5 on their principal instrument.

They will then be invited to audition, this will involve a live performance, sight-reading, responding to aural tests and answering general questions in relation to their music. Each Scholarship is worth £60 per year and free tuition on two instruments. Exhibitions are awarded free tuition on one instrument. Academic scholarships are not awarded at 11 plus at St Paul’s.

Around 30 academic scholarships are awarded at 13 plus, going to both pupils from St Paul’s Juniors and external applicants. For boys coming up from St Paul’s Juniors, 13 plus Scholarships are awarded on the basis of their Year 8 end of year exams. All Academic Scholarships are honorary and worth £60.

Find a Tutor

To guarantee your son the best chance of admission to St Paul’s School, offer him some additional support from one of our tutors. Many of our over 200 tutors are experts in the St Paul’s 11 plus and with bespoke one-to-one tuition, they can help children to achieve success at exams and interviews.

With more than 40 years of experience in tutoring children to gain admission to some of London’s most competitive independent schools, we at Mentor have a wealth of knowledge on how best to prepare your son for entry to St Paul’s.

Over 80% of our tutors are qualified teachers, so they have an in-depth knowledge of their subject, the syllabus and the most effective teaching methods. Many have been heads of department, head teachers or examiners and all come with a wealth of experience and a great track record of success. All have up-to-date DBS certificates and are fully reference-checked. Wherever possible we will match your son with a tutor who has a track record at St Paul’s themselves.

For more information on our tutors’ unique approach to testing children in preparation for exams, contact our team.

More Information on St Paul’s

St Paul’s is known as an academic powerhouse, regularly vying with Westminster for top place in the league tables. With such success comes a “hothouse” reputation — one that St Paul’s is not entirely free from.

If your son is not naturally academically gifted, it is not the right school for him. Despite the academic pressure, St Paul’s is also known for being a welcoming and kind community.

St Paul’s is known for its success and enthusiasm in sports and, albeit less so, music. Boys develop a quiet confidence, not snobbery, and there is a buzzing enthusiasm for learning.

Bursary support is just below the average for the independent sector, with around 5% of students receiving means-tested bursaries. St Paul’s is aiming to increase economic diversity and offer financial assistance to more families who otherwise would not be able to attend.

Sally-Anne Huang joined as the High Master of St Paul’s School in 2020, previously serving as Head of JAGS for 5 years.

There are over 1500 boys at St Paul’s aged 7-18. The 100 minute lunch break, prime position on the banks of the Thames, and extensive on-site facilities support a wealth of co-curricular activities.

Sport is a major strength, with Junior School boys trying everything from rugby, football and cricket to aikido, volleyball, unihoc, fives and water polo. Even more options open up in the Senior School.

Music is encouraged through ensembles, orchestras, choirs and bands performing in the 316-seat Wathen Hall. Drama flourishes in the Samuel Pepys Theatre, with annual productions for all years.

Address: St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London SW13 9JT

Telephone: 020 8748 9162

Email: reception@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Website: https://www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/

Local Authority: Richmond-Upon-Thames

School’s Unique Reference Number (URN): 102942

Gender: Boys

Age Range: 7-18

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