St. Paul’s Journey

The St. Paul’s Journey is a 1:1 mentoring programme to prepare boys for the assessment and interview for entry to SPS at 13+.

University building with a statue of John Colet in front, green lawn, and a group of people walking towards the entrance on a sunny day.

Why the St. Paul’s Journey

With intricate knowledge of the process, we support students with successful applications to SPS every year.

9 in 10 success rate

Nearly 9 in 10 Oppidan students receive offers to their preferred secondary school.

Up-to-date resources

Every year we adapt our teaching resources based on the previous year’s assessments.

SPS-educated mentors

We tend to match prospective students with mentors who’ve done the assessments themselves.

How it works

Journey timeline

A collage of black and white headshots of diverse young adults and teenagers.

Step 1

Find the perfect mentor

You’ll be matched with a mentor with vast experience of the test and the interview. Our mentors span a huge range of backgrounds from working at the Civil Service and Netflix, to the world of journalism and the West End.

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a black embroidered top, is smiling during a conversation in an indoor space with large green plants, a yellow desk lamp, a laptop, and a coffee mug on the table.

Step 2

Advisory meeting

You’ll have the option to book an advisory meeting with one of our client managers to align on anything you might be unclear about.  

Open booklet with the title "The Eton Test Guide" on dark blue cover; inside pages show "The HandBook" with a photo of Eton College and a section titled "The Interview" with bullet points describing interview criteria.

Step 3

Start the handbook

Prospective students will start work through our Eton Handbook; content is delivered online and is interactive.  

Open notebook with an orange pencil on a laptop keyboard, with a plant in the background.

Step 4

Monitor progress and next steps

You will receive progress reports following each of the sessions. This ensures you have oversight over the process.  

What parents say

From the blog

St. Paul’s articles & news

Our mentors

Meet our St. Paul’s experts

Frequently asked questions

  • The programme is for children in Years 5 and 6.

  • Dependign on when you contact Oppidan, once or twice a week ahead of the application process.  

  • The content and delivery methodology come from our own understanding of what’s in the exams and the interview. 

  • Sessions are delivered online via our online platform. 

  • The majority of sessions are delivered online. 

  • We don't expect you to want or need to change your mentor. Families are permitted one change if things aren't working effectively.

Group of fifteen young adults, six women and nine men, posing for a photo in a modern indoor space with a curved metal ceiling and glass door.

Speak to the team about the St. Paul’s Journey

Fill out the short form and one of our client managers will be in touch to discuss how best to support your child.