Independent Boys' School of the Year 2023 Winner: St Pauls

By Independent School Parent | Wed 15th May 2024

Copyright Picture : Mark Pain www.markpain.com mark@markpain.com 07774 842005

Each finalist in the Independent Boys’ School of the Year category 2023 demonstrated excellence, with initiatives and programmes tailored to enrich and enhance the way boys learn. After considerable deliberation on the part of the judges, St Pauls School was awarded the top prize. Read the school’s full entry below…

As the country’s top academic school for boys, St Paul’s School is proud of our outstanding exam results, but our fundamental motivator is inspiring joy in learning and cultivating deep scholarship. We focus on bringing together leading experts in raising young men and thinking deeply about what that entails; character development and rich opportunities for growth within and beyond the classroom.  It is our belief that by building integrity and providing opportunities for service, we will encourage our pupils to lead purposeful, socially responsible lives. The three pillars: Scholarship, Opportunity and Character are the foundation of all that we do and we actively focus on five core character traits: Respect, Kindness, Humility, Integrity and Resilience.

These traits are instilled throughout the school community whether it is showing respect for our opponents on the playing field; demonstrating kindness and humility through our volunteering programme; leading with integrity whilst older boys mentor their younger colleagues through our vertical house system; and learning resilience through academic endeavours and co-curricular activities.

We strongly believe in the value of a single-sex education while preparing our pupils for life beyond school.  With our long association with our sister school St Paul’s Girls’ School, we feel we can provide our pupils with ‘the best of both worlds’ – the specialist nature of a single-sex environment with a thorough programme of both academic and co-curricular activities where the two schools work together and pupils make friends and meet as equals.  It’s an exciting offer for families to see the highest performing boys’ school in the country partnering with the highest performing girls’ school.’

Beyond the curriculum, St Paul’s provides over 80 societies, clubs and activities, from chess, cookery and film making, chamber music and sports training to law, medicine and space exploration. Pupils are encouraged to join any in which they are interested and to explore new opportunities, regardless of previous experience. Activities are available during the daily 100-minute lunch break and take place across our 45-acre site along the banks of the Thames.  The site includes a brand-new Health and Performance centre catering to all levels from the elite athlete to the interested novice. a world-class concert hall, a state-of-the-art theatre complex and an Art department spanning three floors.

Through our Partnership programme St Paul’s works with a number of local primary and secondary schools, including developing the skills of enterprise, volunteering opportunities in the local community for our pupils, providing enrichment and networking opportunities and supporting local, national and international charities.  All of the Eighth Form (Year 12 and 13) have the opportunity to contribute to the programme either volunteering directly with local school and charities, mentoring other pupils using our Colet Mentoring app and supporting pupils at St Mary’s Ukrainian School with weekly academic support and school holiday activities. Through our Partnership programme, our pupils gain understanding of the challenges faced by charities and their contemporaries from diverse backgrounds, whilst also building character and learning skills in leadership and collaboration.

Read more:

• COMPETITION: Win a 5-star Family Holiday in Limassol, Cyprus
• How did Independent Schools Respond to the Invasion of Ukraine?
• The 11 Best Private Schools for Rowing in the UK

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