As we wrap up the end of the 2022-2023 academic year at St. Paul’s School, we also take this moment as an opportunity to look back at the past 12 months at Fundação St. Paul’s.
The year started with ten new scholars joining school in August 22. After a lengthy and thorough selection process, it was finally time for them to start their St. Paul’s School journey! During this time, the Foundation also organised a special barbecue for all scholars and their families to connect and learn more about each other.
Our scholars kept busy at school: they participated in different enrichment opportunities – such as the Rowing Club -, academic olympiads – with very successful results – and one of them even visited the Netherlands for a Model UN conference in their first trip abroad!
We also had the graduation of one of our scholars, Ana, who finished a remarkable three-year journey at St. Paul’s School and celebrated our scholars success in the Prize Giving ceremony with 12 out of 18 receiving a prize for their academic achievement or contribution to the school.
While our pupils took advantage of many opportunities at St. Paul’s, our preparatory course for entry in 2023 kept going full steam! After a full term of immersion in English with classes at St. Paul’s School, our candidates sat lessons in different subjects by volunteer St. Paul’s teachers to better understand whether the school’s profile aligns with their expectations, dreams, and goals for the future. During the course, they also got to meet with our current scholars as well as St. Paul’s prefects, learning more about the school life and routine.
The Prep Course wrapped up in May, and this July eleven candidates were at last selected for becoming scholars in St. Paul’s School! With this result we achieved a record-high number of 28 foundation pupils at the school in total, more than halfway through the Centenary goal of 50 Senior School scholars in 2026.
This is the exciting opportunity our current applicants for 2024 entry are looking for. The St. Paul’s Foundation team selected 85 students out of the nearly 200 scholarship applicants to the first step of the selection process – Assessment Day. Out of this cohort, thirty two students were selected and will start their preparatory course next August.
So the scholarship programme can continue to search, select and nurture talents – and, even more, expand its positive impact in the community over the years -, the Foundation counts with the huge support of our supporters and donors. Throughout this year, St. Paul’s Foundation participated in Old Paulean Day – a traditional day where school alumni can visit the campus – and in the school play. These events serve both as an opportunity to acquire funds as well as to raise awareness about our scholarship programme and its impact in the lives of deserving students.
Without a doubt, the biggest event of our year was the Coronation Cocktail Party, hosted by the Foundation to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. The night was the perfect opportunity to show how the growth of St. Paul’s Foundation, what we are aiming for the coming years and, above all, celebrate a historic event while supporting education.