St Pauls Girls - getting a place after state primary?

[AltoPalo]

Does anyone know how many state school girls get into St Pauls at 11? Are the stats published anywhere? And does anyone have tips on how best to prepare?

My daughter goes to our local state primary. This week she attended a summer camp that SPGS runs for state school kids at the end of year 4. She has fallen in love with the school and keeps asking whether she can go there after year 6. I have always assumed that it is out of our league both financially and academically but her Head nominated her for this camp so maybe she thinks her capable. I want at least to explore it before dismissing it.

How exceptional do you have to be to get into SPGS? What particular qualities and talents are they looking for?

[Gruach]

"applying to even more famous boys' schools right now ..."

[ASingleJourney]

Gruach: "An enjoyment of challenge and an ability not to get bogged down by stress."

I think the above is essential. We applied to a range of schools in terms of academic rigour and hoped that at least one would be a good fit for DD. Over time, it became clearer to us that DD was drawn to an academic setting. How did we know? I suppose it was little things like DD becoming engrossed grappling with challenging problems and her eyes lighting up when she figured out something that had previously flummoxed her.

As for "shining", I believe it was SPGS's head mistress (or this year's head girl) who told us that girls who need to be "No. 1" will be less happy there. Rather, girls more likely to enjoy SPGS are those who get excited being surrounded by bright and talented peers. It is a positive that the school does not rank the girls and it appears that most girls will have an area or two where they "shine" and others where they are more or less average relative to SPGS peers. Our DD is not competitive by nature and seems to get a kick from hearing interesting thoughts/ideas from schoolmates - so, hopefully she will find SPGS enjoyable.

DD loves to read (including books that are intended for children a few years older) but that doesn't mean she understands everything. In fact, we noticed that the subtleties in 11+ English passages often escaped DD (she is also a summer born) but decided not to do much about it because it simply reflected her level of maturity at that time. (By the way, my hunch is that perhaps this area is where SPGS may adjust for differences in age.)

Lastly, children's intellectual capacity can take a huge leap around age 9-10. With DD, the strides she made in some areas over this period really surprised me (I would imagine many parents have had similar experiences) - for example, on some maths concepts, DD went from having difficulties grasping the basic idea to devising her own problem-solving approaches. I guess it is matter of her brain becoming ready to engage in more complex processing. So, the end of Y4 may be too early to rule out SPGS (I remember thinking when I first looked at the SPGS practice papers - at the start of DD's Y5, I believe - that there was no way she could pass them).

Alto, I hope the posts on this and other threads can help you (and others similarly situated) make an informed decision. Good luck!

[byroniks]

Hi Asinglejourney.

Congratulations to you and your daughter.
We went to the open evening and my daughter fell in love with SPGS. She will try to sit on the test. She's bright but I wouldn't say very clever. I just want to know whether they focus mainly on Maths or do they consider other things in assessing an applicant? Thanks.

[ASingleJourney]

byroniks: SPGS's 11+ process is multi-faceted, starting with a computer test in late Nov (VR and NVR) and then a written exam in early Jan on Maths, English and Comprehension (the last one can be very broad, with limited ability to prepare as the theme changes from one year to the next). You can find practice papers on the school's website. Good luck.

[wherearethecarkeys]

byroniks - have sent you pm

[kohur]

hi, thank you so much for sharing your views about spgs.
can anyone explain me how to get 100% bursary or scholarship for spgs and also help me or guid me to prepare my daughter for spgs. she is going to sit this year.
thanks