St Paul’s Girls’ School

Overview:

Founded in 1904, St Paul’s Girls’ School was one of the first schools to believe in the importance of educating women to fulfil their potential, and this tradition remains at our core today. We believe in the power of girls’ intellect. We celebrate and cultivate that power and enable girls to grow into their true selves. We do this because we believe that intellectually adventurous, socially engaged young women will make a difference to the world.

The academic heart of SPGS is enhanced and lightened by the warm relationships between staff and students, the sheer joy they have in learning, and the encouragement everyone is given to dig deeper; to explore ideas, to challenge preconceptions and to develop their own beliefs. Learning here is not just about passing exams. It is about a love of academic pursuits, inspiration and imagination.

From its very beginning, and in advance of its time, SPGS embraced a liberal ideology. We believe that true potential can only be unlocked when given the freedom to grow. Our rules are few and relationships are relaxed, yet respectful. We have no uniform and students are encouraged to develop their own passions and interests. Our curriculum is broad with plenty of opportunity for individual research, discussion and debate. Music and drama are open to all and are performed to a very high standard. The art studio is an oasis of creative energy. Sport is played with verve and distinction, and opportunities of all sorts are magnified many times over in the clubs and societies on offer. There is never a dull moment at St Paul’s Girls’ School!

Success here is not a collective measure. What matters to us is the happiness and achievements of each student according to her own lights and ambitions. Our students take ownership of their lives, to embrace opportunity and to grow in resilience and self-reliance.

SPGS is a caring and generous community. The students are encouraged to develop a strong spirit of philanthropy, and to engage with those around them who are less privileged than themselves. The school itself has links with groups at home and abroad who benefit from our support. Our Partnerships with schools in the local community are now deeply embedded. Our bursary scheme provides us with a wonderful opportunity to offer the full breadth of our education to talented students whatever their background, and to enrich the school beyond measure with their energy and inspiration.

We are proud of our school, and proud too that over the years our alumnae have contributed significantly on a national and global stage. An education at SPGS is an extraordinary preparation for life.