11 plus St Paul's

[Firework123]

Please could I ask some advice and no judgement please.

I would like my DD to sit 11 plus at St Paul's, London.

Please could I ask if anyone has been through this and their experience of how best to prepare and what to expect?
Can anyone recommend tutors please? How frequently are they required and for how long before?
What extracurricular activities are good and what level is expected please?
Any general tips please?
Are girls centred around the school or do they come from afar?

Thank you very much indeed for your time.

You need to live within an hour's travel from the school by public transport.

You don't need a tutor but you should prepare your daughter to sit an exam including explaining common sense stuff like how to deal with a multiple choice paper when you get stuck and how to pace yourself.

Extracurricular activities are not a part of the selection process unless you are applying for a music scholarship (in which case your daughter has to be very very good). I guess if your child is very good at something else, it will come up at interview stage - but there won't be an opportunity to talk about it before that. So you have to pass the exam stages first before there is an opportunity to demonstrate that you have another skill.

I would recommend talking to the school directly if you are from a background where you don't have any experience of sitting this type of exam. They are very keen to widen access. DD who is in Y10 told me recently that she had been at a meeting where she was told that currently 12% of students are on bursaries but they could afford 17%. The problem is not enough people are applying - hope this encourages someone!