The Preparation Course for the 2023-2024 Selection Process came to an end this Thursday. Since August last year, participants have embarked on an intensive journey of learning and development.
In the first semester, the emphasis was on the study of the English language, with classes in Cultura Inglesa, along with classes at St. Paul’s once a week. In the second semester of the course, from February to May of this year, students were able to take classes in a variety of subjects, such as Global Perspectives, Computer Science and PSHE – Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education -, which is part of the British curriculum. With more than 60 hours of classes this semester alone, totalling approximately 77 hours throughout the year, the Preparation Course is consolidated as the most intense step in our Selection Process.
In addition to classes, the course provided several enriching activities. Students had the opportunity to take classes in the Science lab for the first time, in subjects they were unfamiliar with. They also met the Foundation’s current scholars, and were able to access the entire St. Paul’s School library collection — and even wrote book reviews! We also spoke with candidates’ parents to prepare them for the next steps in our process.
What now?
The next step in the 2023-2024 Selection Process, with the end of the Preparation Course, is the final selection of the scholars. The Foundation, together with the school, will conduct a thorough review of all information collected throughout the process, including psychological assessments, social worker visits and qualitative and quantitative feedback from teachers. The results will be announced mid June.
And for those eager to join the next group, the 2024-2025 Preparation Course is scheduled to start in August. We have 41 candidates in the current interview stage who will be selected to participate in the next Preparation Course.
The scale and impact of our process is only possible thanks to the support of our donors and the entire St. Paul’s community. Teachers, students and staff participate and contribute to making the Scholarship Programme a rich experience for our candidates and scholars.