St. Paul's School - Sao Paulo

Rua Juquia 166, J.Paulistano, Sao Paulo, SP 01440-903

Early Years (Pre-Prep); Junior School (Pre-Prep & Prep); Senior School; Sixth Form

British international school

Multicultural community with over 25 nationalities across year groups.

British

The curriculum is aligned with the English National Curriculum, incorporating the UK National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSEs and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, while also meeting the Brazilian Core Curriculum. It provides a British bilingual and bicultural education across Escola Infantil, Ensino Fundamental and Ensino Médio, with qualified local teachers registered with MEC. Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form structure the programme. The school offers enrichment opportunities in arts, culture and sport, as well as field trips to broaden learning beyond the classroom. The curriculum also emphasizes developing pupils sense of identity, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of a diverse society.

IB Diploma Programme: 2023-2024 cohort achieved a 100% pass rate with 75 diploma recipients; average points score was 35.4, higher than the global average of 30.32, with about 22% of grades at 7 and 18 pupils scoring 40 or more. Cambridge IGCSEs: for the year, over half the grades were A-A, with 9 students achieving all A and A grades and 75% of grades in the A-B range. Recent news items include the Class of 2025 IB results announced in August 2025.

St. Paul graduates enroll in three- to four-year degree programs at colleges and universities worldwide. In the United Kingdom, destinations include Cambridge, Durham, LSE, UCL, Kings College London and Warwick. In the United States and Canada, destinations include Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Penn, Columbia and NYU. In Continental Europe and elsewhere, destinations include IE University (Spain), University of Amsterdam and University of Toronto; in Brazil, Insper, Fundação Getúlio Vargas and Mackenzie.

The enrichment program offers a wide range of clubs and societies, trips and activities in sport, music and the arts. Notable programs for high-achieving pupils include Model United Nations and the Duke of Edinburghs International Award.

Healthy emotional development is at the heart of the school. The strong Pastoral Care and PSHE programme is guided by the We Care Programme, a whole-school pupil-focused wellbeing and mental health prevention framework designed to develop social-emotional skills and build respectful relationships. Each school section has a Head of Pastoral to support pupils in behavioural and emotional issues, and a full-time Psychologist works as the School Counsellor, offering individual sessions. The Senior School uses a tutorial system with tutors who oversee pastoral, academic and social development and can arrange one-to-one meetings. The aims of the pastoral framework include belonging, self-esteem and emotional wellbeing, the development of integrity and citizenship, and preparation for leadership and responsible decision-making.

St. Paul's delivers a British bilingual and bicultural education, with English as the language of instruction in the majority of lessons. In Pre-Prep, home languages are celebrated while most of the day is taught in English, and there is specialist provision for Portuguese and other disciplines. The school uses English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and National Curriculum (NC) in the early years to ensure key knowledge and skills are developed. Pre-Prep includes dedicated Portuguese specialist teaching in addition to core English-language learning. The curriculum is aligned with the English National Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSEs and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, while incorporating Brazilian core requirements.

St. Paul's recognises a responsibility to protect and nurture positive mental health by developing skills within our pupils that lead to positive relationships, good decision making and socially minded behaviours that contribute positively to the school community and beyond. The WE CARE programme is a whole-school pupil-focused wellbeing support programme intended to promote the character traits we wish to see in all Pauleans. It provides support and guidance when pupils fail at this, as well as praise and recognition when they succeed, and it does not replace the school's behaviour policies. It is a set of values and a mind-set that promotes a constructive approach to all situations.

There is nothing more important than your child's safety. Our wellbeing and child protection policies and procedures follow the ‘getting it right for every child' legislation. We are constantly reflecting on what we could do better, always making sure that the wellbeing and protection of our young people is integral to what we do here.

PP1 entry (3 years old). Stage 1: Enquire. Read about St. Paul's values and policies. Stage 2: Visit St. Paul's — Open Mornings for Pre-Prep 1 Admissions. Open Mornings are held several times each term and include a guided school tour led by Student Admissions Ambassadors and a leadership presentation to give insight into daily life and the educational approach. Open mornings are for parents; international families can request a personalised session, subject to availability. Do not book visits more than a few months in advance. Stage 3: Application. After an Open Morning, families receive detailed instructions to begin the application. Complete the form and pay a non-refundable application fee of R$800; payment does not guarantee a place. Stage 4: Informative meeting with Admissions team. All Pre-Prep 1 applicants are invited to a meeting with the Admissions Team to learn about life in the Pre-Prep, daily routines, curriculum, and educational approach; parents may ask questions; children do not attend. Stage 5: Stay & Play session. The Stay & Play session is held on different days in February and March of the year of entry and observes children in a group classroom setting in an English-speaking environment; no preparation is needed and detailed information is provided in advance. Outcomes. After all stages, the school notifies families of the outcome. Applications are frequently oversubscribed; if a place is offered, families receive a list of enrolment documents and detailed information about fees.

St. Paul's Scholarship Programme includes the St. Paul's Endowment, established to expand financial assistance and advance towards a target of 10% of Senior School pupils receiving financial aid. The Endowment supports the St. Paul's Foundation Scholarship Programme, which offers fully funded places for talented Brazilian children whose families cannot cover the costs of an international education. The Bursary Fund provides partial fee assistance for British families, funded by FABEC. Eligibility requires the child and one parent to hold UK passports and the British parent to have lived in the UK for at least 10 years; assistance is means-tested, up to 40% of tuition, not time-limited but reviewed, and involves submission of school reports and financial documents. The application process includes an assessment day, submission of income documents, and a decision by a Bursary Subcommittee.

If there are no places available for the year group, families are asked whether they would like to be placed on our contact list for future vacancies.