St Paul's School is a selective independent day school with limited boarding for boys aged 13 to 18, founded in 1509 by John Colet. It occupies a 43-acre site beside the River Thames in Barnes, in south-west London. It was one of nine English schools investigated by the Clarendon Commission, known collectively as the Clarendon schools, but it successfully argued that it was a private school and so was omitted from the Public Schools Act 1868, as was Merchant Taylors', the other day school within the Commission's scope. Since 1881 it has had its own preparatory school, now called St Paul's Prep School, which has shared its site since 1968. In 2025 St Paul's School was ranked the number one school in the UK by the Sunday Times, having been ranked number two in both 2023 and 2024.
Facts
Founded Year Ownership Type Classification
Institution Type Statistics
Enrollment Size In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. St Paul's School, London - Wikipedia
Infobox, established
1509
Infobox, country
United Kingdom
Infobox, city
Barnes
Infobox, type
Independent school
Lead section
St Paul's School is a selective independent day school (with limited boarding) for boys aged 13-18, founded in 1509 by John Colet.
View the Source2. St Paul's School, London (Wikipedia)
Wikidata: St Paul's School, London
- Wikidata Q1227526, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Wikidata Q1227526, class allow-list match (w-bbfill-education6-0927)
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
Why was St Paul's School left out of the Public Schools Act 1868?
St Paul's School was one of the nine schools investigated by the Clarendon Commission, the inquiry that led to the Public Schools Act 1868, but the school successfully argued that it was a private day school, so it was omitted from the Act, as was Merchant Taylors', the other day school within the Commission's scope.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.