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Introduction
St Paul’s Juniors (SPJ, formerly known as Colet Court) is an academically selective boys’ school in Barnes, Greater London. SPJ is known for its strong academic results and countless non-academic successes. Overlooking River Thames, its spacious campus includes modern buildings, a dining hall, a sports centre, a swimming pool and extensive playing fields. [1]
Besides 8+, boys also enter at 7+ and 11+ by competitive examination. Means-tested bursaries are available at all points of entry. It is the expectation that the vast majority of boys go from the junior school to the senior school. The few that do not progress to St Paul’s tend to get places at their first-choice schools.
The first entry point is in Year 3, via the 7 plus exam. However, children do not mature academically at the same rate, so 8+ makes more sense for many boys. We see many boys enjoy great success at 8 plus, having not made the cut at 7+.
Thanks to SPJ’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere, new pupils often feel comfortable and at ease right away. Mornings typically begin with an assembly in the School Hall, where students come together to appreciate a sense of community, listen to interesting speakers, or celebrate the accomplishments of their peers. [2]
As an all-through school, boys who join SPJ can stay for the full duration of their studies. Providing their academics are up to par, they will be automatically registered for transfer to St Paul’s at 13+. This means they have a place at St Paul’s, conditional upon their academic ability and successful passing of the entrance exam to the senior school. It is not an unconditional offer of a place, only an unconditional offer of registration.
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Exam Information
Address: Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London, SW13 9JT
County: Greater London
Admissions info: 7and8PlusEntry@stpaulsschool.org.uk or +44 (0)20 8746 5444
School type: Independent preparatory school for boys
Open days: In the Autumn Term
8+ Exam date: January of Year 3
Pass mark: Aim for 50%+ in our SPJ-specific practice tests. See below for more details.
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Open Days
SPJ hosts Small Group Parent Tours in the Autumn Term, providing a unique opportunity for parents of prospective pupils to experience the atmosphere on campus. Open Morning is held in November and it includes tours of the school’s facilities, meetings with current students and an address from the Head, typically concluding with refreshments. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Admissions
Boys should be registered with the school before the closing date in October of the year preceding entry, while they are in Year 3. The registration form is available to download here. When registering, the terms and conditions state that St Paul’s ‘must be your first choice for 13+ education’. At this stage of the admissions process, a fee of £175 is payable.
The entrance examinations are held in January of the calendar year of entry. Your son’s skills across three broad areas will be tested using a paper-based exam. Shortlisted candidates will be invited back to the school for a group assessment, during which they will attend lessons and complete a problem-solving task.
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Exam Format
The examinations are designed to provide an understanding of current levels and measure potential. Approximately 220 candidates will take the test, assessing skills in the following areas:
- Mathematics
- English
- Reasoning
This is the typical St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus exam timetable:
| 8.30 am | Arrival |
| 9.00 – 9.45 | Verbal Reasoning (45 minutes) |
| 9.45 – 9.55 | Short Break (10 mins) |
| 9.55 – 10.30 | Mental and Written Maths test (40 minutes) |
| 10.30 – 11.00 | Long Break (30 minutes) |
| 11.00 – 11.45 | Reading (comprehension) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (45 minutes) |
| 11.45 – 11.55 | Short Break (10 minutes) |
| 11.55 – 12.20 | English Dictation (25 minutes) |
| 12.25 | Collection Time |
- Previous SPJ eight plus (8+) maths papers have placed an emphasis on extended number problems and mental maths. It is normally split into three sections with the problems coming at the end. Last year they were described as ‘tough’ by some of our most able candidates (who got in!)
- Recently, SPJ’s eight plus (8+) English paper asked the boys to write from a picture prompt of a man with a top hat, in a hot air balloon with parrot on his shoulder. Creative Writing skills are however no longer tested.
- Last year’s SPJ eight plus (8+) reasoning papers contained a mixture of elements including verbal and non-verbal reasoning. VR concentrated on word meanings and appropriate choice of words; NVR concentrated on shapes (2D and 3D), symmetry and sequences.
- There will also be a Dictation Task. This will be a short passage read out by a teacher which boys will copy down. It will test spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and handwriting.
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Interviews and Activities
Approx 40/50 candidates who are successful in the 8 plus exam will be called back for an assessment and a short group interview with the Head or a senior member of staff. The school says:
Boys who perform well in the written tests will be invited back for a half-day group assessment. Group sizes will be approximately 10. This process will involve a Maths lesson, an English lesson and a group problem-solving task. At the same time, parents will have the opportunity to meet with the Head of St Paul’s Juniors. The group assessments will take place during the two weeks following the tests, enabling boys to know their results within a fortnight.
As part of the assessment in previous years, boys have been asked to write a short story and answer some complex maths questions. Contact us for more details if you reach this stage.
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Scholarships and Bursaries
SPJ offers bursaries at all entry points, including 8 plus (8+). Not every school will offer financial support at such a young age as a child’s potential is still relatively unknown.
Bursaries are means-tested and full details of income and capital resources will be requested. Each application is assessed on its own individual merit and offers of financial support, if appropriate, will be made in the November of the year prior to entry.
Bursaries are re-assessed anually and may change as a family’s financial situation improves or deteriorates. Requests for a bursary form should be made after registration.
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Pupils who are able to score 50%+ consistently in our SPJ-specific 8+ Practice Tests should be on track to pass the SPJ 8+ exam.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the St. Paul’s Juniors 8 plus exam.
Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice papers from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!
St. Paul’s Juniors 8 Plus (8+) Exam Practice Papers
Full Practice Tests
The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the St. Paul’s Juniors 8+ exam. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses:
8+ St. Paul’s Juniors Practice Test 1
8+ St. Paul’s Juniors Practice Test 2
8+ St. Paul’s Juniors Practice Test 3
8+ St. Paul’s Juniors Practice Test 4
8+ St. Paul’s Juniors Practice Test 5
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of our complete practice tests specifically for the St. Paul’s Juniors 8+ exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ SPJ Full Practice Tests Bundle
English
We highly recommend the following practice papers to help your child prepare for the St. Paul’s Juniors 8+ English exam:
Practice Tests
8+ English Pack 4 (Comprehension Sections Only)
8+ English Pack 5 (Comprehension Sections Only)
Comprehension Skills
8+ English: Comprehension Pack 2
8+ English: Vocabulary and Grammar
Comprehension Guide
This guide covers all the key comprehension question types in a clear, step-by-step manner so that both you and your child know exactly what to expect on exam day.
The Complete Guide to 8+ Comprehension
Dictation Skills
8+ English: Dictation (Ideal Preparation for the Dictation Assessment)
Writing Skills
Starting from the foundational basics, this guide works its way through all the key skills your child needs to develop to become an excellent writer within the framework of what’s expected at the 8+ level.
The Complete Guide to 8+ Writing (Potentially useful for any short writing tasks that could come up in the second round interview/assessment day)
Mathematics
The following 8+ packs will help your child develop the key skills needed to do well in the mathematics section of the St. Paul’s Juniors entrance exam:
Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
8+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
8+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
Reasoning
To help your child master Reasoning skills ahead of the St Paul’s Juniors 8+ exam, we highly recommend the following resources:
Listening
St Paul’s Juniors is keen to find students who can listen to instructions, process information and respond accurately. This pack will help develop these key skills:
8+ Listening Pack 1 (Ideal Preparation for the Dictation Assessment)
SPJ 8+ Bundle – Save 40%!
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the St. Paul’s Juniors 8+ exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
8+ SPJ Full Bundle
Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.
St. Paul’s Juniors: Destination Schools at 13+
In most cases, boys move on to St Paul’s. However, a small minority may transfer to other schools, often as a result of a change in parental circumstances. SPJ (formerly known as Colet Court) has a good relationship with other senior schools, such as Eton and Winchester, and will support boys with appropriate references and recommendations.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in St. Paul’s Juniors 8+ past papers. The information provided about St. Paul’s Juniors is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by St. Paul’s Juniors.
Other entry points for St. Paul’s Juniors:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 7 entry via the 11 Plus (11+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 12 entry via the 16 Plus (16+) Exam
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Author(s)
Faisal Nasim
Founder of Exam Papers Plus
