SPS Parents' Handbook 2026-27.pdf

St Paul’s School

Parents’ Handbook 2026/2027

Welcome

Welcome to St Paul’s School and congratulations to all of the pupils who have worked incredibly hard to get here.

This handbook provides an overview of what to expect on the first day of term, along with lots of other useful information, including term dates, sport, music and societies.

All pupils joining at 13+ will arrive into St Paul’s Fourth Form, whilst those entering at 16+ will join the Lower Eighth Form.

their Undermaster For any queries relating to sport or music, please find the contact details in the relevant pages of this book. In addition, you can identify the School’s Senior Team, plus other key staff members on the useful contacts pages.

Communications

Pupils receive a daily email bulletin, drawing their attention to various announcements relating to academic, pastoral and co-curricular activities Pupils access this via their school-managed laptops.

• copies of policies and other documents, along with additional useful links

• parent directory (opt-in directory of parental contact details)

• event and trip bookings

Some features within the portal may be restricted until your child starts the school term in September. Further features will be released as pupils progress through the school, and as we continue to develop and update the system

Emails

First Point of Contact

If you have any queries regarding any of the information within this book, please contact the Admissions Department via admissions@Stpaulsschool.org.uk before your child starts at St Paul’s, or your child’s Tutor after the start of term in September. The first point of contact for the majority of your queries will be your child’s Tutor. They will be able to help answer your questions and if they don’t know the answer, they will point you in the right direction or get back to you as soon as possible Should you require further assistance, or need special authorised absence, you should contact

Parent Portal

The Parent Portal keeps you up to date with your child’s progress, along with the latest news from the school.

Features include:

• email communications from the school

• the school calendars

• pupil timetables, teaching groups, attendance, detentions, commendations, internal and public exams, school reports and grades

• the school’s record of your personal and family contacts

A daily email is sent from the school at 4.30pm. Urgent emails may be sent separately. There is also a weekly enewsletter which includes an update from the High Master.

Useful Contacts

Doug Perrin

Head of Middle School

HoMS@stpaulsschool.org.uk

High Master

HMPA@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Director of Teaching and Learning

TXM@stpaulsschool org uk

McLaughlin

Head of Eighth Form

Ho8@StPaulsSchool org uk

Surmaster

SMPA@stpaulsschool org uk

Deputy Head (Co-Curricular)

DHCoCurricular@stpaulsschool org uk

Rebecca McGreevy

Deputy Head Staff Development and Wellbeing

RMG@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Hudson

Assistant Head (Safeguarding & Pupil Wellbeing)

Wellbeing@stpaulsschool org uk

Director of Digital Learning and Innovation

Assistant Head (Co-Curricular)

Deputy Head (Academic)

DP@Stpaulsschool org uk

Deputy Head (Pastoral)

DHPastoral@stpaulsschool org uk

Richard Cassell

Chair of Governors

Clerk@stpaulsschool.org.uk

James Blurton

Blurton House Undermaster

Blurtonj@stpaulsschool org uk

Alex Langley

Langley House Undermaster

ARL@stpaulsschool org uk

Jon Bennett

Director of Careers and Universities

RMG@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Keri Cloete

Cloete House Undermaster

KMC@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Hugo Nilsson

Nilsson House Undermaster

HMMN@stpaulsschool org uk

Camille Shammas

Head of Boarding

Housemaster@stpaulsschool.org.uk

James Gilks

Gilks House Undermaster

JARG@stpaulsschool org uk

Alex Stewart

Stewart House Undermaster

ADS@stpaulsschool org uk

Ellie Sleeman

Strategic Director of Development, Engagement and Marketing

EMS@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Glenn Harrison

Harrison House Undermaster

RGH@stpaulsschool org uk

Hannah Warner

Warner House Undermaster

HRFW@stpaulsschool org uk

Fourth Form Induction

First Day of Term:

Friday 4 September, 8.30am – 4.15pm

Pupils are asked to arrive at school by 8.25am so that they are ready to be registered by their Tutor at 8 30am If they already know the location of their Tutor Group room, they are very welcome to go directly there. If they are unsure, there will be prefects and Mr Perrin on hand in the Atrium area to point them in the right direction. Pupils will be allocated a locker for both books and sports kit on the first day of term. The day will then follow the format on the following page.

Lower Eighth Form Induction

Lower Eighth Form Induction Day: Thursday 3 September, 12.30pm start

We ask all new pupils to arrive for the Induction Day in smart office dress by 12.30pm for a welcome lunch. Parents/guardians are invited to join for the lunch with the Head of Eighth Form, key staff from boarding, the pastoral team, and some senior pupils From here, pupils will be taken on a tour of the school by Ms McLaughlin, the Assistant Head - Eighth Form.

During the Induction Day, they will have the chance to meet a range of members of staff at the school, learn about how to get involved with different co-curricular activities, and receive information about school life and the daily routine.

New pupils will also be given maps and handbooks, their school-managed device, and a copy of their school timetable. All of the daypupils will also be allocated a locker in the changing room area.

To ensure that they have the correct padlock to safely secure their locker, pupils will need to buy a padlock and this will be charged to their Book Room Account. The charge will be £20.34.

From 3 30pm-4 15pm, pupils who are studying Chemistry will have a short introduction to the practical equipment they will be using in their lessons. Day pupils who are not studying Chemistry will be free to go at 3.30pm.

New boarders will move in to School House earlier on Thursday 3 September. Further details about this and the Induction Day will be sent in a separate communication and will be available on the Parent Portal.

Lower Eighth Induction Day 2: Saturday 5 September

First Day of Term

All new Lower Eighth joiners are invited to an afternoon of activities designed to help the day and boarding new Lower Eighths get to know each other in a fun activity. Boarders will already be on site and the day pupils will join them from 2pm. Further details will follow in a separate communication. 8.30am 8.55am 10.40am 11.05am 12noon

Registration bell – all to Tutors

Tutor time, receive timetable and go to House assembly

9.50am Lessons and rolling photographs

Morning break

Lessons and rolling photographs

Whole school assembly

Lunch

12.50pm 2.30pm Assembly and catch up photographs

Careers and Universities

First Day of Term: Friday 4 September, 8.25am – 4.15pm

New pupils are asked to arrive at school by 8.25am so that they are ready to be registered by their Tutor at 8.30am. If they already know the location of their Tutor Group, they are

very welcome to go directly there. If they are unsure, there will be prefects and staff on hand to point them in the right direction. The day will then follow the order shown in the table in the next column

Lower Eighth pupils will attend an assembly in the Autumn Term giving them an overview of what the provision will include. They will receive a copy of the Universities and Higher Education Handbook at the start of the Spring Term, which will include an itinerary of meetings and events to prepare them for applying to university in the UK and abroad.

We aim to provide the books, resources and services to support pupils and all staff in their scholarship and reading for pleasure. We are located overlooking the river on the first floor

We have a collection of around 25,000 books plus newspapers, magazines and online resources. We also have a collection of around 2,700 rare and valuable books including books donated by Samuel Pepys after the Great Fire of London Our Archive of the school’s history includes 150 years of pupil records, paperwork used in planning D-Day, uniforms, magazines and photographs.

The library is open 48 hours per week, including before and after lessons, and pupils are very welcome to use it to work, read or relax in our armchairs Library staff are available throughout the day to answer enquiries, support research and help with book recommendations. Recommended reading lists are available on our catalogue. Pupils may borrow up to six books for two weeks; Eighth Form pupils have an extended allowance of 12 books for three weeks.

We run introductory sessions for new pupils and invite all Fourth Formers to play Book Bingo in

the first term. We run a Predict the Booker Prize event with the Lower Eighth in the Autumn Term and we also have two “Treasures of St Paul’s” events during the year.

Homework at St Paul’s is set with a ‘due in date’. This is very popular with the pupils as they can fit it around their own co-curricular commitments and lifestyles However, it does mean that they need to be very organised and not make the mistake of leaving it all until the last minute. Most Fourth Formers tend to complete the smaller tasks on weekday nights and then leave the longer tasks like projects and essays until the weekend. On average, pupils should expect to complete approximately two or three pieces of homework per night on weekdays, which last between 30-40 minutes each. To help them in their first year, all homework tasks for the Fourth Form will be set using Microsoft Teams

If your child seems to be spending an excessive amount of time on homework, please do encourage them to speak to their Tutor or subject teacher. There may be various reasons why this is happening, but it is important that this is quickly resolved.

Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions

We strongly believe that positive guidance and affirmation best help children develop the character, habits and disciplines to succeed in life Commendations are given by teachers for excellent academic effort or achievement, or contribution to school life through service or co-curricular activity. Both your child and their Tutor will be notified of these, and you can also view them in the Parent Portal.

Pupil conduct is guided by the Pupil Behaviour Code Detentions may be awarded to help reinforce appropriate boundaries. They are held after school for an hour on various weekdays, and you will be informed 24 hours in advance if your child has received one. Led by your child’s Tutor, the school will always seek to support your child in successfully addressing any difficulties they are having, whether academic or behavioural This might include, for example, reflective mentoring or creating structured work opportunities during the school day.

In all of these situations, your child’s Tutor will be in regular communication with you. The school’s Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions Policy provides detail in all of these areas

Tooled Up Education: Helping your child prepare for their transition to St Paul’s

As a school, we are committed to working with our parents and carers in genuine partnership We collaborate with the organisation, Tooled Up Education, to ensure you have access to the highest quality advice and resources, which can support you on your parenting journey. This digital platform contains important research insights and resources, as well as access to online talks and conferences that can help you feel empowered and better able to support your child optimally

As your child moves into this exciting, new educational stage we are thrilled to share some ‘Tooled Up Tips’ with you that can help boost children’s resilience and prepare them for the transition to a new school.

To set up a new account, go to: members tooledupeducation com/sign-up

Enter your first name, surname, email address and the school PIN (sps1409) to set up your account and join the Tooled Up Community!

What are your best tips to support my child with transition?

We’ve listed them all here in one easy-to-digest resource

How can I make the transition to senior school easier for my child?

Watch our webinar to find out.

How can I best ensure my child is physically and mentally prepared for changing demands at school?

Thinking holistically will set them up for success. Support them to get enough sleep (our activity might help), and try to provide them with a nutritious breakfast each day.

Walking into a room where you don’t know anyone can be hard for both children and adults. Here are 10 quick tips for breaking the ice with new people. Settling-in Journal

This five-week journal is designed to be simple and fun for young teens to fill in at the end of each week, during the first month at their new school. It’s full of quick, evidence-based activities to help them to feel more settled and confident, and will encourage them to reflect on just how far they have come in a short period of time. “Chatting to my child about using this resource when they started school helped me to talk about upcoming changes and helpfully reminded them that they are already resilient with lots of the skills needed to do well!”

My teen won’t know anyone. How can I help them to make friends?

How can I support my child to be better organised and develop resilient thinking habits?

Our weekly organisation and mindset planners are the perfect starting points.

Boarding

Full and Weekly Boarding

School House is a small and welcoming community of 43 pupils within the school complex on the banks of the Thames. It offers a supportive environment that helps boarders concentrate on their studies during the week and grants them the independence and freedom to explore their many other interests.

Besides structured daily prep time in the Kayton Library, boarders can use all the school’s many facilities: some may use the gym, others the music school, another group might have coffee in nearby Barnes, whilst others relax in the House common room and play pool or watch a movie together.

At weekends, we organise various trips, including cooking classes, meals out in London restaurants, trips to the cinema, and high adrenaline activities such as go-karting, indoor skydiving and paintballing

The Housemaster, supported by their Deputy, a team of Boarding tutors and a Matron team, will work closely with pupils’ Academic Tutors to ensure that they make the most of school life, but most importantly, that they settle in, make friends and are happy.

In School House, we offer full boarding, which is available for pupils joining the school in Fourth Form and Lower Eighth as well as to existing pupils. Boarding is not available for pupils below the Fourth Form.

Flexi-boarding

We have a number of flexi-boarding places in the recently refurbished West House. This is for pupils who want to board for two or three nights a week and is perfect for those who have a very long commute, whose parents are away for a period of time or have an after-school or early morning activity.

Flexi-boarders have their own rooms, and a common room in West House but also have access to all the facilities in School House and the wider school. They will join for all meals in the dining room and prep in the Kayton Library

For flexi-boarding enquiries, please email flexiboarding@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Welcome Lunch for Parents and New Boarders Thursday 3 September, 12.30pm (Please arrive at 11.30pm)

Parents and new pupils are invited for a welcome lunch with Dr Shammas, the Housemaster, the rest of the House Staff, House Prefects and

Ms McLaughlin, the Head of Eighth Form as we welcome new boarders and new Lower Eighth day pupils to St Paul’s.

After the lunch, parents and guardians leave and then there will be induction events in the afternoon, some time to settle into rooms and dinner together at 6pm in the evening.

Boarding House Induction Saturday 5 - Sunday 6 September

We ask all boarders, including those who might normally go home on weekends, stay in the house the first weekend. On the first weekend, there are a number of induction events and activities planned to help your child settle into St Paul’s School, School House and get to know the other boarders and Lower Eighth day pupils.

Medical Arrangements

The following is an outline of the medical arrangements at St Paul’s School. Please note that it is very important that the school holds up-to-date information about parent contact details and each pupil’s medical circumstances, in case of an emergency. For further information about how your child’s data is processed and stored, please refer to the school’s Privacy Notice, which can be found on the website or Parent Portal under ‘Policies’

Access: The nurse is available in the school’s Medical Room from 8am - 4.15pm, five days a week. Pupils can access the Medical Room freely without accompaniment during the school day. The nurse can administer first aid and she will also deal with any accidents or emergencies. The nurse will also provide advice and assistance to those with more serious or ongoing problems; advice can also be given to pupils on medical matters, together with contact details for outside agencies that can help Pupils who may require the help of a counsellor can obtain information about this service, confidentially, from the School Nurse.

: The school has a qualified nurse available throughout each school day. The school nursing team currently consists of:

Ruth Morris – Head Nurse

Sophie Thomas – School Nurse

Vanessa Fitzpatrick – School Nurse

The nurses can be contacted by email on schoolnurses@stpaulsschool org uk or by telephone on their direct line, 020 8746 5470

School Doctor: Dr Siobhan Carver is the School Doctor. All staff and pupils may consult with her, even if they are registered at home with a different practice

School Counsellors: Professor Robert Bor and Dr Sara Chaudry are retained by the school to counsel pupils, their families and staff who need their advice Dr Chaudry attends from 8 30am to 3 30pm on a Tuesday, and Professor Bor on a Thursday morning. Appointments to see the Counsellor are made confidentially through the School Nurse or the school’s Wellbeing intranet pages.

Physiotherapy: We are pleased to offer an on-site physiotherapy service for students, provided by our School Physiotherapist, Nico Kirschstein-Smith. Appointments are available throughout the school year before, during and after the school day, allowing students to receive treatment conveniently on site. To book an appointment, please email Nico directly at physio@stpaulsschool.org.uk. Appointment fees can be charged to your child's bookroom account, or you may use your private health insurance where applicable. Further information about Nico, his experience and the services he offers is available on his website: https://nksphysio.com/.

Medicines in school: Pupils are not permitted to keep medicines on their person when in school, except for emergency medication, such as Ventolin inhalers or auto injectors (epipen). All other medication, including any Controlled Medications (such as Ritalin), should be handed to the School Nurse to administer and a consent form completed and signed by the parent/guardian.

Specifically, any Controlled Medication (e.g. Ritalin) on site MUST be stored in the Medical Centre. Please contact the Head Nurse.

We provide competitive matches for as many pupils as possible, and fixtures are regularly arranged for Saturdays Autumn Term rugby fixtures for the Fourth Form at St Paul’s can be viewed at sports.stpaulsschool.org.uk

able to purchase your son’s kit, please send him in any rugby shirt so that he can still join in the sessions. He will also need to bring a mouth guard, trainers, boots and a water container.

Rugby sports.stpaulsschool.org.uk

We would like to invite all Fourth Formers joining in September to participate in a pre-season rugby camp on 27, 28 August and 1 September Whilst it would be ideal if he could attend on all three dates, if only one or two are possible he would be welcome. Trial games will then take place on Saturday 5 September, from 9.30am11.30am for all players looking to make the A-E teams.

The purpose of the camp, which is free of charge, is to provide training and to assess appropriate teams for the boys when they join us. It is open to all new joiners, regardless of the level at which they currently play and will be a great opportunity to meet future schoolmates and sports staff.

The camp will run from 9.30am – 12 noon each day. Boys should wear their reversible SPS rugby shirts and white shorts. If you have not yet been

The training sessions will take place on the playing fields next to the main gate. All players will be directed to the fields upon arrival each morning by the SPS security guards.

Any contact sessions will be brought in gradually throughout the training camp and during the first few weeks of school and will prioritise safety in tackle technique, therefore gumshields are compulsory at all sessions.

We understand that these dates may clash with summer holiday plans so please do not worry if your son is unable to attend. Further assessments of team suitability will take place during the first week of term and those selected for the A to E squads will be expected to attend additional training on the morning of 5 September The boys who have attended the training camp will be told which group they will be in for the trial games on 5 September.

Those unable to make the training days but keen to play in a team will be put into a group on the morning of the trials.

If you have not already responded to confirm whether or not your son will attend the trials, and if so on what dates, please contact Andy Maguire - AMGM@stpaulsschool.org.uk

For those who are attending, further joining details will be sent a little nearer the time.

To view or subscribe to the most up-to-date fixture lists andresults, please visit

Mr Andy Maguire, Director of Rugby.

Opro Mouthguards

In the interest of your child’s safety, it is mandatory that a mouthguard is worn to participate in rugby. We work with OPRO, the world’s largest manufacturer of customfit mouthguards OPRO has launched their revolutionary Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard which offers the same high-level protection as dentist-fitted mouthguards, with the convenience of fitting it at home

Benefits of the Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard:

• OPRO’s revolutionary fitting mechanism allows the pupil to take an instant dentist impression of their teeth whilst moulding their Custom-Fit mouthguard

• Choose from three protection levels to suit your sport; antimicrobial protection is now built into the mouthguard as standard for extra hygiene

• Made in OPRO’s manufacturing facility in Hertfordshire, the Instant Custom-Fit offers the highest level of protection as worn by professionals

•

Prices start from £29.99 and you will receive 10% off if you use the following code

• The Instant Custom-Fit can be manufactured in as little as two days. Once fitted at home, it’s ready to use

• You will receive a complimentary Self-Fit mouthguard to practise the fitting process and this can be used as a spare mouthguard for the season

• All OPRO mouthguards come with a 12 month Dental warranty and Precision-fit Guarantee

To order an Instant Custom-Fit please follow the steps below:

1. Visit https://opro.info/StPauls

2. Choose the mouthguard you’d like to purchase

3 Enter the discount code STPAULS10 to receive 10% off

4. Your OPRO Instant Custom-Fit will be sent to the delivery address provided

5. Follow the fitting instructions included with the mouthguard or use the OPRO Fitting Room

6. Your mouthguard is now ready to use.

If you have any questions about the products or OPRO’s service, please contact their customer care team directly on 01442 430690 or email info@oprogroup.com.

Drama at St Paul’s School

Drama

Drama fosters community and facilitates communication; it is a space in which young people can come to know themselves and others better It breeds both self-analysis and self-discipline and allows the individual to integrate more fluently with the world around them.

The Drama Centre, which opened in 2014, houses the state-of-the-art Dorfman Theatre (seating 280) as well as a teaching wing, rehearsal rooms and two-storey glass fronted foyer overlooking the River Thames. Coupled with the Milton Studio, these theatres host up to ten productions each year, allowing pupils to embrace a range of performance styles and the technical and design challenges therein To support our varied output, we employ a full-time theatre technical manager, a theatre technician and industry professionals to provide set and costume designs.

The possibilities for enthusiastic pupils are vast, from experimental studio pieces embracing dance and new writing, to large-scale musicals and plays from the classical repertoire. Recent productions have included Hamlet, Amadeus, Lord of the Flies and An Afternoon at The Seaside. A junior production, cast exclusively from pupils in the Fourth and Fifth Form, is staged annually in May.

Those Fourth Formers interested in technical theatre are encouraged to attend Theatre Tech as one of their Monday activity options, and technicians of all ages are invited to attend Theatre FX on Tuesday lunchtimes to hone their skills. Student technicians provide lighting and sound design for all school productions.

There are many more opportunities for pupils to take up the reins for themselves. These include the House Drama competition in the Autumn Term, cast from Fourth and Fifth Form actors and directed by Lower Eighth Formers, as well as the Young Directors’ Weekend, a chance for budding Lower Eighth directors to receive classes from professional directors and designers, resulting in the production of their own short plays. Furthermore, pupils from all year groups are invited to take part in the annual Monologues Competition.

The Dorfman Theatre regularly plays host to workshop opportunities for the pupils, exploring theatrical disciplines as varied as dance, physical theatre and puppetry. We also welcome distinguished speakers from the theatre industry to give lectures; these have included, over the years, Simon Russell Beale, Timothy West, Michael Attenborough, Nicholas Hytner, Michael Billington and Rupert Everett.

Holly Mazur Director of Drama HBM@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Auditions for all productions, as well as information on workshops and forthcoming events, are advertised via the Drama Noticeboard outside DR2 in the Drama Centre.

Music and Drama Performances

Tickets for allperformances can be purchased via www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/our-community/events/ Tickets for drama productions can be purchased directly from the department’s dedicated ticketing site www.ticketsource.co.uk/spsdrama

Mark

Wilderspin Director of Music

Music at St Paul’s School

As well as academic teaching and individual instrumental tuition, the Music department offers a wide range of ensemble activities for musicians of all standards – from chamber music and jazz through to full orchestras, several choirs and barbershop.

Our Music School boasts the Wathen Hall (a professional-quality concert venue with a superb acoustic), several rehearsal rooms, two large teaching rooms and dedicated spaces for jazz and percussion There are regular concerts and recitals, musicals and other drama collaborations, workshops and festivals.

Tuition

Instrumental tuition is provided by selfemployed Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs). Lessons are available in orchestral instruments, as well as drum kit, saxophone, piano, organ, jazz piano, guitar and voice Parents will have an opportunity to request music lessons via the Parent Portal as part of the school enrolment process.

and Ensembles

The information received through the pupil’s personal information forms will enable us to encourage your child to join in musical activities at school. Pupils are able to sign up for auditions/ voice tests. Details will be included in daily bulletins to all pupils.

Advanced players with Grade 6 or above may be invited to play in the Symphony Orchestra, which is the school’s largest ensemble and tackles challenging repertoire Jazz enthusiasts might have the opportunity to join the big band or one of several jazz ensembles, including a swing band. These ensemble groups perform a wide range of repertoire, much of it arranged specifically for the pupils involved by the school’s specialist jazz ensemble coaches.

For any pupil who likes to sing there is the Chapel Choir, which sings regular Eucharist services in school and annual services at St Paul’s Cathedral. Our secular choir, St Paul’s Voices, sings a wider range of repertoire and participates in evening concerts, and select subsets of these two large groups (Consort and Motley Croon) enable the most accomplished singers to develop advanced close harmony and ensemble skills. Pupils should sign up at the start of the Autumn Term for a brief and informal voice trial This is more to see where the voice lies rather than a full audition Any pupil who is unsure of which group to join but keen to sing should contact the Director of Music personally to discuss options.

Rehearsals for all groups (ensembles, chamber music, jazz, orchestras, choirs) will start in the second full week of the Autumn Term and are weekly thereafter. There may be extra rehearsals scheduled leading up to major concerts. Pupils may also want to sign up to our Bands Network and form their own bands, working towards the Joint Battle of the Bands in the Spring Term.

MDW@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Concerts

We have a full programme of concerts and events throughout the year, highlights of which are the Autumn and Spring concerts; we also present a high-profile annual joint concert with St Paul’s Girls’ School In addition several ensemble concerts showcase the variety of our smaller ensembles. Recent repertoire has included piano Concertos by Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, Sibelius, Symphony No.2 and Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass.

St Paul’s has contributed annually to the Barnes Music Festival since its inception, including Opening Night concerts performing alongside St Paul’s Girls’ School and a professional orchestra. The Festival’s Schools Concert, which is a partnership project involving local primary schools, has been hosted in the Wathen Hall since 2018 These concerts have featured creative workshops with the partner schools, leading to original works written by Director of Music Mark Wilderspin. Each final concert has been a collaboration between St Paul’s, primary schools and other partners.

Our jazz musicians regularly gig at local venues, including Pizza Express Soho and Chelsea’s 606 Club and many of our musicians participate in informal recitals in the community, external competitions and festivals. Whilst the majority of our groups work towards live performance in front of audiences, the Music School is also a place where pupils can just come and sit down in a practice room over a lunchtime and play for the sheer love of it

Societies and Clubs

Unless otherwise stated, meetings are open to all and held weekly. Societies do not charge subscriptions unless mentioned in the following notes Timings and locations may be subject to change

A short synopsis on each of the societies and clubs can be found on the following pages. Pupils should contact the staff member in charge for further information

There are also several committees and events that pupils can volunteer to join or help with, such as the Catering Committee, Charities’ Committee, Societies’ Committee and Junior Conferences Pupils should listen out for announcements and they will also be informed of such opportunities via Tutors.

Architecture Society

Archive Society: Historians and others who love the written word, especially as it appears in rare books and manuscripts, are most welcome! Join us as we uncover new St Paul's stories using the power of the archive

Aquatics: Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Water Polo and Biathlon are rising fast in popularity with both A and B squads competing all year long, in all age groups, on a regular basis Next to school friendlies we are participating at ESSA, London’s Water Polo League, London School Swimming, Bath Cup, Otter Challenge, Schools Biathlon competitions and several other events during the year. In addition to Games Halves, practices are offered in the mornings, during lunch as well as directly after school The exact practice timetable for each sport and each term can be found on the SPS Aquatics section of the intranet

AsiaSoc: A society for the discussion of all things related to Asia

Astronomy Club: AstroSoc is for anyone interested in Space There will be regular opportunities to observe the night sky and the Sun using a range of telescopes, along with the opportunity to learn about Astronomical Theory, Solar System Science and observation/analysis techniques. Members can also take part in the British

Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad and the Astronomy Outreach Project, which brings astronomy to the wider community beyond St Paul’s.

Badminton Club: For expert players and enthusiastic amateurs, come and play badminton on Friday lunchtimes.

Balloon Sat - Asgard: For the last ten years SPS has participated in the Belgian Asgard Stratospheric balloon launch. This year's Fifth Form Asgard team will have regular meetings every Wednesday 12.55pm in the Control Lab during term time

Basketball: Open to all year groups (please see relative days and times) wishing to play U14, U15 and U18 Basketball for SPS.

Bible Study Group: All are welcome to this weekly opportunity to explore the Christian faith by looking at the Bible together in sessions run by pupils, teachers and visiting speakers

BioMed Soc: This is a pupil-run society exploring the ethical, practical and scientific issues confronted by medicine and the biomedical sciences today. There are presentations from visiting speakers who are specialists in their fields. The Society aims to inform and educate Paulines and is particularly valuable for future applicants to biological and medical courses Black and White: Black and White is the long-running pupil newspaper of St Paul’s. It is edited by a committee of Lower Eighth Formers, with submissions encouraged from all years.

Boat Club: Rowing is available to all pupils in any term. The Boat Club admits a new intake of Fourth Formers each January for their Games Half Fourth Formers scull in their first year. All other years scull in the winter and row in the Spring/Summer. The club competes in head races and regattas throughout the year and at all competition standards. Sixth and Eighth Form pupils have the opportunity to compete at Henley Royal Regatta each July

Bridge Club: Beginners and experts are all welcome to play bridge during Friday lunchtimes. Teams are entered for matches against staff, other schools and

national tournaments. All can play and beginners can be taught

CanSat: Pupils entering the European Space Agency CanSAT competition launch research probes into the atmosphere.

Carnegie Book Club: A society for pupils interested in reading and discussing books. Please contact the librarians for more information

Chemistry Problem Solving Club: Chemistry problem solving (Olympiad/CCC/Chemistry Race questions) for Lower Eight and keen Sixth Formers. Running during the Spring and Summer terms only.

Chemistry Project Club and Junior Projects Club: These clubs enable pupils to pursue practical and experimental chemistry projects beyond the scope of the examined syllabus. These might be extended syntheses, exercises to improve practical techniques or preparation for one of the national events that we enter each year (the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition for the Fourth to Sixth Forms and the Analyst competition for the Eighth Form). The senior club provides exposure to typical undergraduate level organic chemistry Taking part should be of interest to anyone thinking of pursuing chemistry or a related subject at university. Pupils working in the senior club also have the opportunity to take part in the chemistry department’s outreach programmes as demonstrators.

Chess: Chess Club meets every Thursday in room 221. The society also runs an online school chess club through Lichess, where members take part in regular inter-school tournaments.

Christian Union: The CU is a place with a strong sense of friendship and community where everyone is welcome Meetings explore big ideas in life from a Christian perspective through discussions, readings, talks from visiting speakers, prayer and social activities.

Christian Union Tea Bar: An opportunity to come together for silly games and lots of fun and to get to know others. Led by pupils for pupils.

Classical Society: The Society meets several times a term to hear talks on subjects of interest from the Greek and Roman world and discuss them. These are mainly given by visiting speakers, but also by teachers and members of the Eighth Forms Full use is made of classical events in London (theatre, cinema, conferences), Oxford and Cambridge. The Society is intended, in the first instance, for those in the Eighth Forms, but members of the Sixth and Fifth Forms will always be welcome at meetings of interest to them, and occasionally joint meetings with Pegasus and other societies take place.

Club de Espanol (Fouth): A society for all things fun and Spanish, including music, films, food and games.

Colet Maths Club: is a volunteering opportunity to virtually support primary school pupils with maths and logic problems using the Colet Mentoring app

COMPSOC: The Society offers pupils a chance to develop projects and interests not feasible with the syllabus of taught courses, leading their own groups as they evolve In recent years this has included guest speakers from academe and industry and a pupil-led Web Development course.

Confirmation Preparation: This happens in the Spring Term for pupils who are considering whether to be confirmed(Church of England) We have a fun time exploring the basic tenets of the Christian Faith, where everyone is welcome to share their own view. Coming on the course does not commit to Confirmation – that decision is made after half-way through the course. Then those who choose to, have the possibility of being Confirmed in St Paul’s Cathedral at Easter – an amazing place and occasion. Those interested should contact the Chaplain in the Autumn Term

Creative Writing Society: An opportunity to share ideas, workshop stories and engage with the art of creative writing. Open to all year groups and abilities.

Croquet: Seniors only Summer Term half

Cryptic Crossword: A society for those interested in solving and exploring cryptic crosswords

Debate Team Training: Join the Debate Team training sessions with the School's debate coach.

Duke of Edinburgh Award: In the Fifth Form, pupils can be entered for the Bronze Award, which involves sports, a hobby, a service such as community work and an expedition. Expedition training and supervision is provided The Lower Eighth Form can begin working towards their Gold Award, which requires more independence and a longer time commitment for each of the sections Pupils must complete three expedition trips during their Lower Eighth year. Expedition training is provided.

Dungeons and Dragons Society: A weekly society where pupils play continuing D&D campaigns Beginners and experienced players are equally welcome.

EcoSoc: Dedicated to all things eco, aiming to inspire interest and educate pupils about environmental concerns The society runs a weekly blog, eco events and activities open to all years.

Engineering Workshop: This provides an opportunity to design and make a range of practical projects. Some of these could involve control with electric motors, e g making vehicles, cranes, robot arms etc Projects could be done in pairs or small groups and it will also be possible to spend the time developing work begun during lessons. All projects will involve preliminary design, by drawings and plans, learning how to use materials and tools in construction and, when appropriate, electronic circuit construction and computer control work.

English Soc: A society for pupils interested in English literature, language and discussion.

Weekly Eucharist and Community Eucharist: Every week, everyone is welcome to our School Holy Communion Service at 8.30am (register taken in the service, rather than with Tutors). In 25mins, we have the full liturgy, a hymn and an anthem sung by the wonderful Chapel Choir. Come along for spiritual food! And for physical food, on the last Thursday of each half term, we have a slightly longer service (8 00am8.40am), now with three hymns, followed by a full breakfast provided (8.40am - 9.10am) to arrive in lessons by 9 15am

Equality Societies (REACH Soc, Pride Soc and Fem Soc): Equality Soc brings together REACH Soc, Feminist Soc and Pride Soc. Open to all year groups,

the society runs seminars, talks, film screenings and guest speaker events focused on diversity, equality and community.

European Youth Parliament (EYP): is a debating activity in which schools compete to represent their country at an EYP international parliament, where they spend a week working with students from across Europe, team-building, putting together resolutions on a wide range of topics, and finally debating them in a two-day General Assembly Teams from SPS have successfully represented the UK at parliaments in Gothenburg, Rome, Potsdam, Stockholm and Trondheim. We also send teams to smaller international sessions run by Erasmus EYP, which have taken place in a variety of different cities, including Hamburg, Prague, Turin, Rotterdam, Braga and Antwerp. Teams are made up of Lower Eighth pupils, and EYP meets regularly on Wednesday lunchtimes in the Autumn Term, when we introduce the format of EYP debating, and work towards selecting a team for the year’s competition

EuroSoc: The school's modern language society, offering language games, talks and snacks

F1 Soc: A society for anyone who loves Formula 1 and wants to discuss the sport.

Fencing: For those new to fencing, a Monday activities session takes place in the Autumn and Spring Terms as well as a Games Half in the Spring and Summer Terms We provide Senior and Junior Games Halves in all terms for all weapons and levels. For those looking to improve their fencing or focus upon competition, we run a club every Monday from 4 15pm6.30pm as a drop-in session, if pupils want to be selected for teams then attendance is mandatory In addition, pupils can receive individual lessons every Wednesday and Thursday lunchtime (1pm - 2pm) by appointment

Film Soc: A society for pupils interested in film who want to discuss, explore and appreciate cinema

Finance Soc: A society for pupils passionate about finance Members take part in talks, interactive discussions and activities exploring the world of finance and preparing for future opportunities

SPS Space: A society supporting pupils involved in building space projects and exploring new space technologies.

Start It: Start It focuses on sustainable business and innovation. Look out for various talks and events throughout the year which will predominantly occur in room 203 The ESTER Incubator programme allows early stage entrepreneurs to take those skills and ideas and transform them in to viable businesses that have positive social or environmental impacts

T-Bar: A Christian society/activity offering opportunities for pupils to meet and take part in activities.

Tabletop Gaming Society: A society where pupils can play a variety of board and card games. Beginners and experienced players are welcome.

Team Firefly (Members Only): A continuation of Firefly Racing activities for selected team members.

Team Maths Challenge: A mathematics competition team focused on collaborative problem solving

Theatre FX: A technical theatre society responsible for set building, lighting, sound and stage management for St Paul’s Drama productions. Members learn technical skills including lighting design, sound operation, programming and backstage management

Thomas Clarkson Competition: An entrepreneurial society for Fourth and Fifth form pupils interested in developing innovative fundraising projects and preparing for the Young Enterprise programme.

Thomas Gresham Committee: A committee that runs fundraising activities to support the School’s bursary programme.

Values Committee: A group of pupils who work to shape and improve school culture, promote positive contributions to society and support diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives

Vector (Stem Magazine): Vector is the School’s pupil-led STEM magazine, which publishes articles written and edited by pupils. It is published each year in the Autumn Term The editorial committee is made up of

pupils in the Lower Eight (a new committee is recruited at the start of the Summer Term) and articles are accepted from pupils in all year groups.

Voluntary Service: For senior pupils: at primary schools, community centres, residential homes etc. This is not a regular activity for junior members of the school, but any pupil interested may make arrangements to carry out voluntary service.

Warhammer: A tabletop battle gaming society where players build, paint and command miniature armies. Beginners and experienced players are welcome

Young Enterprise: A charity that helps young people build confidence, manage money, discover entrepreneurship and shape their own future. Through practical, hands-on experiences, it sparks big ideas, bold ambitions and skills for life – giving every young person the chance to thrive, whatever their starting point. Open to Year 12 pupils.

School Uniform

A comprehensive list of items is sold by the school uniform supplier, AlleyCatz, and School sportwear supplier, Kitlocker AlleyCatz is located in Hersham and can be visited for purchases and fittings; parents can also purchase uniform via their online shop. Sportswear is purchased online at the Kitlocker store.

School Uniform

For pupils in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Forms, the school uniform is a black blazer with integral badge, charcoal grey trousers with a plain white shirt and school tie Pullovers, if worn, must be black and a V-neck to show the tie. Plain black leather shoes (please note, black trainer-type shoes, boots or suede shoes are not permitted), with dark grey or black socks are required. A winter jacket and school scarf are available.

Eighth Formers wear smart office dress.

A full description of what constitutes ‘smart office dress’ can be located in the Pupil Behavioural Code on the Parent Portal.

Houses

Every pupil is a member of a House, which is relevant for certain items of clothing, such as House ties (from AlleyCatz) and House Tshirts (from Kitlocker).

Labelling

It is essential that all items of clothing including gameswear, socks and underwear are clearly labelled with the pupil’s name Name tapes can be ordered at your uniform fitting appointment or via the online shop.

Making

an Appointment

Use this link www.alleycatz.co.uk/booking to book a uniform fitting appointment with our uniform supplier, AlleyCatz.

If you require any information before attending the fitting, please see AlleyCatz contact details below:

Email: Customerservices@alleycatz.co.uk Telephone: 01932 223075

Payment

The school uniform supplier accepts cash and most credit and debit cards. They do not accept American Express.

School uniform supplier details

Email: Customerservices@alleycatz.co.uk Telephone: 01932 223075

Location: AlleyCatz Ltd Claremont House 34 Molesey Road Hersham KT12 4RQ

School Policies

It is important to know where to find, and to have a familiarity with our school policies, which are available to download in pdf format, on our website: www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/about-st-pauls/school-policies/ The policies and some additional documents are listed as follows:

Accessibility

Admissions

Alcohol

Anti-Bullying

Anti-Fraud

Anti-Harassment and Bullying

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Anti-Slavery and Trafficking Statement

Attendance

Behaviour, rewards and sanctions

(including arrangements for discipline and exclusions)

Boarding: Access

Boarding: Aims and principles of boarding at St Paul’s

Boarding: Boarders with particular needs (including SEN) policy

Boarding: Complaints procedure

Boarding: Guardianship policy and agreement

Boarding: Medical principles and practice

Boarding: Rules

Boarding: Supervision of Boarders Risk

Assessment

Careers

CCTV Complaints

Curriculum

Data Protection Policies and Privacy Notices

Destination of leavers

Disability

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dogs

Drugs and Other Substances

Educational Guardianship

Education of looked after Children

Educational visits

English and additional language

eSafety

Fire

First aid

Founders awards

Fundamental British Values

Health and Safety

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Learning Support and Special

Educational Needs and Disabilities

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Missing Pupil Procedure

Mobile Phones and Smart Devices

Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) Policy:

Reviews of Marking

Number of Complaints Recorded in the Previous School Year

PHSE Policy and Schemes of Work

Pupil Voice: Arrangements at St Paul’s for Listening to Pupils

Safer Recruitment

Relationship and Sex Education

Risk Assessment

Staff Code of Conduct

Supervision of Pupils

Terms and Conditions

Use of Images and Recordings

Whistleblowing Code

RIVERTHA MES

HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE (CLOSED TO TRAFFIC)

Telephone: Postal Address: 020 8748 9162 St Paul’s School, Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT

Email: reception@stpaulsschool.org.uk

Website: www.stpaulsschool.org.uk

St Paul’s School is a charitable company, limited by guarantee, registered in England. Registered office at Lonsdale Road, London SW13 9JT

Registered Company Number 6141973. Registered Charity Number 1119619. ©StPaul’s School, June 2026. Information contained within this booklet is correct at time of publishing.