St Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith is, by most measures, the leading girls' day school in the country. Its academic results are exceptional, its alumnae list is remarkable, and its 11+ entry is among the most competitive in London. Roughly one in ten applicants receives an offer. For families whose daughters are genuinely aiming for St Paul's Girls', preparation must be substantial, sustained and highly targeted.
About St Paul's Girls' School
SPGS is located on Brook Green, Hammersmith, W6. It educates around 740 girls from Year 7 to the Sixth Form and has a culture that is intellectually rigorous, culturally rich and notably free-thinking. The school has one of the most impressive Oxbridge and Russell Group university placement records of any school in the UK, and its alumni include prominent figures across literature, the arts, law, medicine and public life.
Unlike many of the most selective schools, SPGS has no junior school: all Year 7 places are competed for externally, which makes the 11+ both the only route in and intensely competitive. There is no Pre-Test — the assessment is a single-stage process, making the preparation even more consequential.
The 11+ process
Registration opens in the spring of Year 5 and closes in early summer (typically June). The selection process is:
- Entrance papers in November of Year 6 — candidates sit English and Mathematics papers set by the school. The papers are challenging, original, and require genuine analytical ability rather than rehearsed technique. The English paper typically includes a comprehension and a writing task; the Maths paper includes multi-step problems and reasoning.
- Interview for shortlisted candidates — girls who perform well on the papers are invited for an interview. The SPGS interview is academic and intellectually demanding: girls are expected to think on their feet, discuss ideas, demonstrate intellectual interests and show the kind of curiosity and independent thinking the school values.
- Offers in January of Year 6 — the school is typically oversubscribed even at offer stage, and the process is highly competitive throughout.
What the papers test
- English comprehension — close reading of literary and non-literary texts, with questions that require inference, analysis of language and structure, and personal response. The standard is genuinely high: girls are expected to write in sophisticated prose with clear thinking.
- Creative or analytical writing — a writing component that may be creative, reflective or argumentative. SPGS rewards girls who write with intelligence, personality and precision — not those who follow a generic formula.
- Mathematics — problem-solving, reasoning and multi-step questions across all areas of the Year 6 curriculum and beyond. Arithmetical accuracy is assumed; what the paper is really testing is the ability to think mathematically and persevere with challenging problems.
How selective is it?
Exceptionally so. Hundreds of candidates register; approximately 80 places are available. The girls who receive offers are almost universally reading well above their age group, writing with considerable sophistication, and working comfortably beyond the Year 6 Mathematics curriculum. Competition is intensified by the fact that many candidates are also preparing for NLCS, Godolphin & Latymer and other top girls' schools simultaneously.
When to start preparation
For a realistic chance at SPGS, structured preparation should begin no later than the start of Year 4 — September of Year 4. Two full years of preparation is the norm for girls who gain places. Girls who begin in Year 5 can succeed, but only if they are already reading and writing significantly above their age level.
Year 4 is for building foundations: extensive reading, advanced comprehension, writing development and Mathematics beyond the school curriculum. Year 5 introduces past papers and school-specific preparation. Year 6 focuses on targeted weaknesses, timed practice under exam conditions, and interview preparation.
Preparation strategy
- Wide, advanced reading. Girls who read voraciously across fiction, non-fiction, biography and poetry — and who can discuss what they read with genuine analytical insight — are consistently better prepared for the English paper than those who rely on comprehension practice alone.
- Writing quality, not quantity. Frequent writing practice with specific feedback on vocabulary, structure, precision of expression and originality of thought. Generic exam writing technique is not sufficient for SPGS.
- Mathematics to scholarship level. Girls should aim to be working on problem-solving and reasoning questions at or above scholarship level. The Junior Mathematical Challenge and similar competitions are excellent additional preparation.
- Interview confidence. The SPGS interview rewards girls who have genuine intellectual interests, who can discuss ideas from multiple angles, and who think clearly under pressure. Reading current affairs, having intellectual debates at home, and practising mock interviews with the tutor are all valuable.
Finding the right tutor
SPGS demands the very highest standard of 11+ preparation. The best tutors for this school have deep subject knowledge, a genuine ability to stretch a girl intellectually rather than just managing exam technique, and direct experience of the SPGS process. References and a track record of SPGS successes are the best guide.
Find tutors with experience preparing girls for St Paul's Girls' School on the parent portal, or browse tutors in West London near the school.