Our School
ABOUT THE PERSE SCHOOL CAMBRIDGE
Our School
Founded in 1615, The Perse School, Cambridge, is a leading co-educational day school for pupils aged 3-18, combining exceptional academic outcomes with outstanding pastoral care and an extraordinary breadth of opportunity.
Drawing on more than 400 years of history and Cambridge’s intellectual culture, the School encourages pupils to think deeply, pursue their interests and make the most of their abilities. Our School has four values – intellectual curiosity and scholarship, endeavour, breadth and balance, and valuing one another and our environment – shape school life from the earliest years through to Sixth Form.
The Pelican, Prep, Upper and Sixth Form each have their own character and provide specialist, age-appropriate education, while benefiting from the expertise, resources and enduring strength of the wider Perse community.
For many children, the Perse journey begins at the Pelican, just a few minutes’ walk from the Upper School campus. Housed in what was originally a boarding house, the Pelican combines a warm, nurturing environment with beautiful grounds offering plenty of space to explore, play and learn.
Specialist teaching and carefully designed indoor and outdoor spaces encourage children to be curious, confident and increasingly independent, providing strong foundations for the next stage of their education.
The Perse Preparatory School occupies 16 acres across its Trumpington Road campus and nearby playing fields. Extensive grounds, all-weather pitches and gardens provide space for sport, play and exploration, alongside specialist teaching facilities and access to the wider resources of the Upper School.
Children are encouraged to question, discover and participate, combining academic challenge with exceptional opportunities in sport, music, drama, clubs and Outdoor Education.
The Upper is the largest Perse site, educating more than 1,300 pupils aged 11–18 on an extensive university-style campus.
Specialist academic facilities sit alongside extensive sports pitches, two sports centres with a 25m swimming pool, a 10m climbing wall and bouldering centre, the Sir Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre and a dedicated Sixth Form centre.
The campus provides space for pupils to learn, collaborate and pursue their interests, while the scale and breadth of the School enable pupils to choose from an exceptional range of academic and co-curricular opportunities.
One School, ages 3-18
While each part of The Perse is designed around the needs of its particular age group, pupils benefit from belonging to one wider School.
Shared values, expertise and resources provide continuity while allowing children to grow and develop at each stage.
From the first days at the Pelican to preparation for university and life beyond school in the Sixth Form, the emphasis remains on knowing pupils as individuals, challenging them intellectually and helping them develop the confidence, independence and skills they will need for the future.
More than 400 years of education
The Perse was founded in 1615 by Cambridge physician and philanthropist Stephen Perse and has been part of the educational life of Cambridge for more than four centuries.
Its history includes generations of pupils who have gone on to make their mark in science, the arts, public life, sport and many other fields, including three Nobel Prize winners.
Yet The Perse has never stood still. From a school founded to teach the classical curriculum of the seventeenth century, it has developed into a modern, co-educational school for pupils aged 3-18.
That combination of heritage and forward thinking remains central to our School today: academically ambitious, intellectually curious and firmly rooted in one of the world’s great centres of learning.
Recognised for excellence
The quality, academic excellence and value of a Perse education have been independently recognised nationally.
“Best Value Independent School in East Anglia”
The Telegraph 2026
“Independent Secondary School of the Year in East Anglia”
The Sunday Times, Parent Power, 2026
& “Independent School for Academic Excellence in East Anglia”
The Sunday Times, Parent Power, 2026
“Commended“
Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2026
“Top 100 Independent Schools“
The Cricketer Schools Guide 2027
These accolades reflect a School that combines exceptional academic outcomes with outstanding opportunities beyond the classroom, strong pastoral care and a commitment to providing an excellent education while delivering value for families.
Opening our doors to the wider community
Our School is proud to be part of the wider Cambridge community and to make its facilities and expertise available beyond the school day.
Through activities including Learn to Swim, the Perse Academy of Performing Arts, holiday and summer programmes and community use of our sports and performing arts facilities, children and families from across the area can enjoy opportunities and facilities based at the School.
Our School has an unwavering commitment to widening access, which extends to a Perse education itself. Through means-tested financial assistance, we aim to enable talented young people to benefit from a Perse education regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
Valuing our environment
Responsible stewardship is reflected in one of our school’s four core values: valuing one another and our environment.
We are working to reduce the environmental impact of our operations and use resources more efficiently.
More than 400 solar panels installed across our sites are helping to reduce our reliance on externally generated electricity and lower costs, alongside wider measures to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Using our resources wisely is good for the environment and helps us manage costs responsibly, protecting the breadth and quality of the education we provide while helping to keep our school fee increases to a minimum.
Looking to the future
More than four centuries after its foundation, The Perse continues to evolve.
Academic excellence remains central to the School, but education at The Perse is about much more than examination results. Through outstanding teaching, pastoral care and the breadth of opportunities available inside and outside the classroom, we want pupils to develop curiosity, confidence, resilience and a willingness to embrace challenge.
Rooted in Cambridge and shaped by more than 400 years of educational experience, The Perse prepares young people not only to achieve highly, but to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
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Please do not hesitate to get in touch and make an enquiry, we would be delighted to hear from you.
We would be delighted to show you around our Pelican, Prep, Upper or Sixth Form. Tours take place during the school day in term time.
