St. Paul's School

São Paulo's century-old British school, founded in 1926 in Jardins and the first British Overseas School in South America recognised by the UK Department for Education in 2012.

St. Paul's is a co-educational day school for around 1,100 pupils from age 3 to 18 in a quiet residential pocket of the Jardins. The senior years run IGCSE and the IB Diploma, with the 2023-24 cohort posting a 100 percent pass rate, an average of 35.4 points and 22 percent of grades at the top 7. IGCSE results show over half at A* or A. CIS and NEASC accreditation sit alongside British government BSO recognition.

The school carries genuine prestige locally, with Spear's listing it among the top schools globally and the centenary marked in February 2026. Facilities are deep, with theatre, swimming pool and sports fields. Family voices skew positive on academic depth and university outcomes, with some critical threads about how pastoral and bullying issues have been handled in places. A flagship choice for British-pathway families in São Paulo, with the usual scrutiny appropriate to the price point.

• A British international school in Jardins serving roughly 1,100 pupils aged 3 to 18, blending the British curriculum, IGCSE, Brazilian Core, IB PYP and IB DP.
• The first British Overseas School recognised in South America (2012) and accredited by COBIS and the IB, with high inspection-grade context behind its reputation.
• Reviews emphasise university guidance and outcomes; profiles describe the university counselling as a stand-out strength.
• Critical signal exists. One parent commented that 'bullying happens a bit there and the teachers don't care', and a Google reviewer summarised the school as 'School for rich brazilians', flagging an exclusive socio-economic profile.
• Facilities are repeatedly mentioned: an underground sports centre with a heated pool opened in 2014 and the Queen Elizabeth II Academic Centre opened in 2016.