Inside St Paul’s Girls’ in 2026: A Parent’s 11+ Guide for 2027 Entry
So how do you actually get into SPGS?
It is the question I am asked most often, by parents whose daughters are in Year 4 or Year 5, at the kitchen table at 9pm on a Tuesday. They have usually spent two hours on Mumsnet and another forty minutes on a tutoring blog, and are no clearer for it.
Two things to know up front. First, the SPGS admissions format is changing. From 2027 entry, SPGS is using the ISEB Common Pre-Test as Stage 1, replacing the bespoke CSI test girls previously sat. That is a significant change. Second, SPGS rewards original thinking more than any school I know. The admissions team describes what they are looking for in the interview as creativity, engagement, and capacity for independent thought. That phrase is the most useful summary of SPGS available anywhere.
This guide is current as of May 2026, for parents whose daughters will sit ISEB in November 2026 and Stage 2 in early January 2027. By the end you should be calmer than you started.
Inside SPGS in 2026
St Paul’s Girls’ has a culture all of its own. There is no uniform. There are few rules. Discussion, debate, and intellectual play sit at the centre of school life. The admissions team’s framing in the interview — creativity, engagement, capacity for independent thought — is the clearest summary of who thrives at SPGS.
The academic record is exceptional. SPGS regularly tops national league tables. The School Directed Courses programme replaces some standard GCSEs with bespoke courses designed to deepen rather than tick off the curriculum. The school day includes Friday lectures from eminent speakers, and the conversation in classrooms is famously fast.
Current parents talk about two things in particular: the calibre of the peer group, and the joy. Girls at SPGS describe the school not as a place that prepares them for university, but as somewhere they would happily stay forever.
What parents tell us they love
The genuine intellectual culture — discussion, debate, ideas. No uniform, few rules, girls who form views. Creative writing and analytical depth taught from Year 7. The Friday lecture series with eminent external speakers. The bursary scheme up to 100% of fees.
What parents tell us they worry about
The ISEB pre-test is new from 2027 entry — format unfamiliar to current Year 5 cohorts. SPGS comprehension papers are among the hardest at 11+. The interview cannot be rehearsed; it rewards live thinking. Vocabulary demand assumes wide literary reading. The Stage 1 cognitive test is the gate to everything else.
A note from Reena. Visit Walk Brook Green on a school day. Watch girls move between lessons. The right school is the one your daughter will thrive in for seven years, not the one with the most prestigious name on the gates.
The admissions process for September 2027 entry
SPGS runs a two-stage process. Stage 1 is the ISEB Common Pre-Test online, sat in November. Girls who clear ISEB are invited to Stage 2: three sit-down papers at SPGS in early January, plus a 20-minute interview. Verified against spgs.org in May 2026.
Key dates for September 2027 entry
Date
Day
What happens
Spring 2026
—
Registration opens for September 2027 entry
Early November 2026
—
Registration deadline
November 2026
—
ISEB Common Pre-Test (online, taken at current school or SPGS)
Mid-December 2026
—
Stage 1 results released
Early January 2027
—
Stage 2: English (75 min) + Maths (75 min) + Comprehension (75 min)
Mid- to late January 2027
—
20-minute interview
Mid-February 2027
—
Offer letters issued
WHAT TO DO NOW: Diary every date above. The November deadline is unforgiving. Book an open day or visit early. Bursary applications run in parallel — start the conversation before the registration deadline if you need support.
The papers and the assessment in detail
What follows is a parent-friendly map of each stage, with the named techniques we teach.
No real exam questions appear in this guide. Every example is written by Academic Success in the style of the paper.
Stage 1: ISEB Common Pre-Test (November)
A new format for SPGS from 2027 entry, replacing the bespoke CSI. ISEB is an online adaptive test covering English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Adaptive means the test adjusts difficulty based on performance — strong answers lead to harder questions, weaker answers lead to easier ones.
For ISEB we teach three techniques. Skip-and-Return (if a question takes more than 30 seconds, mark it and move on). The Inference Ladder for English. The Definition Method for vocabulary in context.
Stage 2: Three written papers (early January) + interview
Three sit-down papers at SPGS in early January, each 75 minutes long: English, Maths, and Comprehension.
English (75 minutes) is a substantial written paper — creative writing, language analysis, and structured response work. SPGS markers reward planning, vocabulary range, and original voice.
For English: the STAR Method for creative writing (Setup, Tension, Action, Resolution), the In the Action Rule for openings, and Show Don’t Tell for character and emotion. The PEE Chain (Point, Evidence, Explanation) for analysis work.
Maths (75 minutes) covers Key Stage 2 and stretches significantly into Year 7 and beyond. SPGS Maths is among the hardest at 11+. Multi-step problems, fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, basic algebra, and unfamiliar problem types.
For Maths: the Column Method, the LCM Method, the Hidden Question for word problems, and the discipline of showing every step of working.
Comprehension (75 minutes) is a long passage often drawn from challenging adult literature, with extended written-response questions testing inference, vocabulary in context, and structural analysis. The pace allows depth — markers expect substantial paragraph answers.
For Comprehension: the Inference Ladder and the PEE Chain drilled to reflex level.
Worked example, in our voice. A passage describes a woman “who paused at the door, then turned back to the empty room as if to ask its permission.” Question: What does this suggest about her relationship with the room? A weak answer: “She loves the room.” A strong PEE-chain answer: “The woman has a deep emotional bond with the room, treating it as something that retains her presence (Point). The phrase ‘as if to ask its permission’ anthropomorphises the room into something that holds authority over her (Evidence). The pause and turn suggest reluctance to leave, and a sense that the room itself is part of what she is taking with her (Explanation).”
The 20-minute interview (mid- to late January)
A one-to-one with senior staff, deliberately built to test live thinking. SPGS interviewers ask open questions designed to have no rehearsed answer. The goal is to see how the girl actually thinks.
For the interview, the Out Loud Method: speak through your thinking, not just your conclusion. SPGS markers want to see the working.
What SPGS is really looking for
The papers test maths, English depth, comprehension, and live conversation. Four qualities show up repeatedly across the girls we have helped onto the SPGS offer list.
- Creativity, engagement, capacity for independent thought. The school’s own framing. Girls who think in their own way, not in pre-rehearsed lines.
- Maths depth significantly beyond Key Stage 2. SPGS Maths is harder than most peer schools’ 11+. Year 6 problem-solving and Year 7 introductory material from Easter of Year 5.
- Vocabulary and literary instinct built over years. The comprehension and English papers reward girls whose reading habit has built deep vocabulary and an ear for tone over multiple years.
- Written stamina. Three 75-minute papers in one day is substantial. Girls who have not built written stamina over the run-in will fade in the third paper.
The six most common pitfalls
- Treating the new ISEB format as just another test. ISEB is new for SPGS from 2027 entry. The format must be practised specifically. Online adaptive testing rewards different skills than the bespoke CSI did.
- Generic Maths preparation. SPGS Maths is significantly above standard 11+ level. Use Year 6 and Year 7 problem-solving material from Easter of Year 5.
- Drilling without reading. SPGS rewards girls with deep vocabulary and literary instinct. Daily reading across genres from Year 4 onwards.
- Rehearsing interview answers. SPGS interviewers spot rehearsed answers in seconds. They are looking for live, original thinking. Drill the Out Loud Method.
- Underestimating the writing component. 75 minutes of writing is substantial. A girl who has not written extended pieces under timed conditions will struggle.
- Letting nerves grow over Christmas.Stage 2 falls in early January. Half-paced Christmas with one short session every other day.
The 12-month preparation pathway
A calm, well-paced 12 months for a Year 5 girl targeting SPGS.
January to February (Year 5): Foundations. A diagnostic in English and Maths. Daily reading, 20–30 minutes, mixing classic and contemporary. Begin a vocabulary book. Confirm Year 4 and Year 5 maths fluency.
March to May (Year 5): Building. Inference Ladder for comprehension. PEE Chain for written answers. STAR for creative writing — one short piece per fortnight. Maths defaults: Column Method, LCM Method, Hidden Question. Daily VR and NVR practice begins.
June to August (summer): Curriculum coverage. Year 6 maths covered. Stretch problems and introductory Year 7. Longer comprehension passages. ISEB-format mocks every fortnight. Creative writing weekly under timed conditions.
September to early November (Year 6): ISEB run-in. Full ISEB-format mocks. Register by early November.
November: ISEB sat.Quiet for a week after the test. Then pivot to Stage 2 preparation.
Mid-November to late December: Stage 2 prep. Two Stage-2 mocks per month. Three 75-minute papers in sequence. Side-by-Side Review every mock. Show Don’t Tell drilled.
Late December: Christmas plan. Half-paced. One short session every other day. Real Christmas in there.
Early January: Exam week.Light revision only. Walk the route to SPGS in advance. Two evenings before: early dinner, a film, early night.
Mid- to late January: Interview run-in. After Stage 2, intensive interview prep. Two practice interviews on open-ended questions.
The final eight weeks
From early November to early January, your daughter is in the run-in.
Eight weeks out (early November). Three sessions a week. ISEB mocks weekly until ISEB is sat.
Six weeks out (mid- to late November). Stage 2 prep begins. Two Stage 2 sessions per week.
Four weeks out (early to mid-December). Two Stage 2 mocks per week. Side-by-Side Review every time. Practise the Anchor Face.
Two weeks out (late December).Christmas. Half-paced. One short session every other day.
Exam week (early January). No mocks. Light vocabulary review only. Two evenings before: early dinner, a film, early night.
THE ANCHOR FACE TECHNIQUE Girls lose marks on three-paper days not because they don’t know the answer but because a tricky question early on sets the panic spiralling.When she meets a question she can’t do in 30 seconds, she marks it, breathes once, and moves on with her face deliberately neutral.
A note from Reena. In the final week, your job as a parent is not to add. It is to remove. Remove distractions. Remove screens after 8pm. Your calm is the most important variable in your daughter’s exam-day performance.
Mock exam strategy for SPGS
Two mock types are needed: ISEB-format and Stage 2 written.
When to start. Short-format mocks from late spring of Year 5. Full ISEB mocks from late September of Year 6. Stage 2 mocks (three 75-minute papers) from mid-November (after ISEB is sat).
What a good SPGS mock looks like. ISEB: adaptive online, four subjects. Stage 2: written format, three 75-minute papers in sequence (English, Maths, Comprehension) — replicating the demand of a full Stage 2 day.
How to read a mock report. Track the trajectory, not the absolute score. The breakdown of where marks were lost is where the value sits.
Our SPGS mocks run several times across Year 5 and Year 6, calibrated to both ISEB and Stage 2 written formats.
Frequently asked questions
The format has changed — does that put my daughter at a disadvantage?
Not if she is prepared specifically for ISEB. The change to ISEB is school-wide, so every candidate is in the same position. The advantage goes to families who prepare for ISEB rather than continuing to drill CSI-style material.
Is SPGS Maths really harder than NLCS or Habs Girls'?
In our experience, yes — SPGS sets the most demanding 11+ Maths in the country among girls' schools. Year 6 problem-solving and introductory Year 7 from Easter of Year 5.
How does SPGS compare to NLCS, Habs Girls', or CLSG?
NLCS and Habs Girls' have their own bespoke written papers, with NLCS in early December and Habs Girls' in late November. CLSG uses a two-stage process with a Barbican-based written assessment in January. SPGS is at the most demanding end of the field. Each has its own admissions format.
Are bursaries genuinely available?
Yes. SPGS offers bursaries up to 100% of fees. Apply alongside admissions.
How do I know if my daughter has a realistic chance?
We know after one diagnostic and one trial class. Within two hours we can usually tell you whether SPGS is realistic, ambitious, or beyond comfort.
No 11+ programme can guarantee an offer. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something.
What preparation can deliver is this. By the time your daughter sits ISEB in November, she will know the adaptive format inside out. By Stage 2 in January, she will have written extended answers under timed conditions across all three papers multiple times. She will walk into both stages calm. And by interview, she will have practised live thinking on open-ended questions. Whether the offer comes is in her hands. But she will sit it as the best version of herself.
That is what twelve good months can do.
Your next steps with Academic Success
- See the website. Download the full PDF guide. Download at academicsuccess.uk →
- Join us on social media. @academicsuccess.uk.
- Sign up to the programme that fits your daughter.
- Weekly Workshops — small-group term-time classes on Zoom, building English, Maths, comprehension, and creative writing technique. Browse →
- Holiday Intensives — October half-term (for ISEB) and Christmas-period (for Stage 2). Browse →
- Summer School at NLCS, Edgware — flagship in-person summer school. Browse →
- SPGS-format Mock Exams — both ISEB and Stage 2 (three 75-min papers), with Side-by-Side Review. Browse →
About Reena and Academic Success
Reena Damani is the founder and head teacher of Academic Success UK. A Habs Girls’ alumna with over 20 years working with children preparing for selective school entry, she has guided hundreds onto the offer lists of London’s most competitive schools, including SPGS, NLCS, Habs Girls’, CLSG, South Hampstead, and others.
Academic Success UK is a specialist tutoring and school preparation company based in north London. Small-group teacher-led classes, term-time programmes, holiday intensives, and full mock exams for 4+, 7+, and 11+.
Confidence first, results follow.
academicsuccess.uk
