Stephen Perse: coeducational across Cambridge, Madingley and Saffron Walden

Choose the site before you plan the family week

The school family spans Cambridge, Madingley and Saffron Walden. Senior pupils are based at Union Road and Sixth Form at Bateman Street. Cambridge Junior and one Early Years setting use Shaftesbury Road; other Early Years settings are at Salisbury Villas and Madingley. Dame Bradbury's Junior and Early Years are in Saffron Walden.

Main younger entry points differ by site: Rising 3s, Kindergarten, Reception and Year 3 feature prominently, while other Junior years depend on vacancies. Senior main entry is Year 7 and Year 9. Do not assume your child can switch sites later. The still-linked admissions policy describes transfers as exceptional, vacancy-dependent and requiring one term's notice; it excludes a Year 6 transfer.

Cambridge sites have no parent parking. Senior pupils use designated transport stops several minutes’ walk away. Test the exact morning, late-club and collection route rather than a map pin labelled “Cambridge”.

The curriculum is broad without requiring one identical route

Years 7–8 follow a broad programme and choose two modern languages. Year 9 begins some GCSE work and selects five subjects across creative, language, classical and computing areas. Pupils normally take up to ten GCSE/IGCSEs. Sciences may be separate or combined, while a modern language and a balance of humanity and creative subjects are encouraged rather than imposed as rigid option buckets. An additional Latin-with-Greek course and/or Additional Maths may be available off timetable.

School-published 2026 results show 33.7% grade 9 and 77.6% grades 9–7 at GCSE; at A level, 19.2% were A* and 79.9% A*–B. These are shares of grades without published cohort or subject-entry denominators.

Results can describe the cohort, not predict one child’s progress. Ask how option blocks, low-enrolment subjects, setting and support would affect the pupil’s likely route.

Late study helps families—but transport may not wait

A dated 2025 Senior handbook says pupils should arrive by 8:25, lessons run roughly 9–3:30, many clubs finish around 4:15 and supervised study continues to 5:30.

Transport evidence conflicts: one current page points to Vectare, while a parent page and policy refer to Zeelo. Routes change annually, and Years 7–13 may travel independently between school and designated stops. Confirm the operator, exact stop, ordinary return and connection after late clubs.

Current phone policy keeps Years 7–11 devices unseen and in airplane mode, with limited staff-approved or late-travel use. Sixth Form pupils may use personal devices for learning in lessons; otherwise devices should be in airplane mode and use school Wi-Fi rather than cellular data. Urgent messages should go through the school. The policy was due review in 2026, so request the successor.

Boarding is a small, sixth-form-only community

Boarding is full-time and only for A-level pupils aged sixteen and over. One coeducational house has separate secure areas, mainly single rooms and mostly en-suite bathrooms.

Study is compulsory Monday–Thursday from 19:00–21:00. There is no Saturday school, fixed exeat or compulsory weekend programme; leave still requires advance request and confirmation. Pupils leave for half terms and holidays, so this is not 365-day accommodation.

ISI recorded only 24 boarders in September 2025. That is a dated snapshot, not a current capacity, but it makes weekend population important. A small house can feel calm and personal—or too quiet for a pupil seeking a large residential community.

Support structures are real; several policies need refreshing

Current-linked SEND and EAL policies describe specialist roles, screening, access arrangements and individual or small-group support, but both passed their stated 2026 review dates. Reasonable adjustments themselves are not charged; external assessments and some provision beyond that duty may be billed to parents or the local authority.

Senior/Sixth tutor groups are normally no more than 14. Wider support includes year heads, nurses, a health and wellbeing practitioner, counsellors and mental-health first aiders. Structures do not guarantee unlimited therapy or that every need can be met on every site.

The inspection found all standards met—and two issues to follow

The September 2025 ISI inspection found all five standards areas met, including safeguarding and boarding. It did not designate a significant strength, so do not turn the result into “outstanding” shorthand.

Inspectors asked leaders to make reference-verification procedures consistently understood and applied, and to improve Cambridge Junior outdoor-play supervision. They saw occasions when older pupils’ exuberant or inappropriate play was missed because of the layout, leaving some younger pupils feeling unsafe; otherwise they found bullying rare and effectively managed.

Compare day and boarding as different sixth-form experiences

These are the school’s 2026–27 VAT-inclusive fees, annualised across three terms. They are not a September 2027 quote.

Application is £200. Acceptance is £360 for day/UK boarding and £600 overseas boarding. Deposits are £500 day, £2,500 UK boarding and one term overseas. Examinations, individual music, speech/LAMDA, instrument hire and transport can cost extra.

The public site does not provide the full Parent Contract, notice requirement or detailed deposit consequences. Ask for them, 2027–28 fees and a realistic extras budget before accepting.

How assistance is prioritised

Means-tested assistance is separate. It is normally prioritised for current-pupil hardship, then new Sixth, Year 9, Year 7 and other stages. Tuition and essential curriculum can be covered; optional extras are excluded and boarding help is exceptional. Both July 2025 policies were due review in summer 2026, but no successor was found. Confirm the rules for 2027; the exact deadline, income thresholds and typical award range are not public.

The main 2027 Senior dates are already published

The standalone 7 January date is for unavoidable prior commitments, not a second sitting to choose casually. Exact offer and acceptance dates, applicant numbers, places and pass marks are not public.

Scholarship deadlines match the main applications: 20 November for Years 7/9 and 30 October for Year 12. Bursary interest should also be declared with the application; do not wait for the assessment result.

The 35-minute Quest component is not the whole Senior assessment

Senior candidates face English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning and a teacher interview. The official Quest portion covers 10 minutes of verbal reasoning, 10 of non-verbal reasoning and 15 of fixed puzzles/problem solving. The VR and NVR sections are adaptive.

Use the free official familiarisation to remove interface surprise. It does not reproduce the English, maths or interview, and current specimens or component weightings are not public.

A useful home session mixes age-appropriate maths and reading with a short reasoning block, then conversation about interests, current learning and a challenge. Avoid making one adaptive score the child’s definition of readiness.