The Perse School, Cambridge
The Perse School is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Cambridge. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2026.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Perse School in detail
The Perse School in its own words
In its own words: "The Perse School Cambridge is a co-educational day school for children aged 3-18, who attend our Pelican, Prep, Upper or Sixth Form The Perse School Cambridge International (TPSCI) works with partners who share our passion to establish excellent international schools, utilising our expertise in providing a world-class education with our partners’ strengths and expertise."
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 7 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Cambridgeshire
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Perse School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Perse School are Abbey College Cambridge (0.4 miles), St Faith's School (0.9 miles), Cambridge Muslim Secondary School (0.9 miles) and St. Andrew's College Cambridge (1 mile).
Abbey College CambridgeSt Faith's SchoolCambridge Muslim Secondary SchoolSt. Andrew's College Cambridge
Where pupils go next
Of the 184 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 74% went on to university or other higher education and 9% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 327 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 3 (0.2%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cambridge South Station, about 900 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Perse School (near), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Perse School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 250 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and bicycle theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
24 February 2026
Non-Routine Inspection
6 February 2024
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
21 March 2023
Regulatory Compliance
6 March 2019
Integrated
9 February 2016
About
The Perse School is a private school in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1615 by Stephen Perse, its motto is Qui facit per alium facit per se, taken to mean 'He who does things for others does them for himself'.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Perse School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Latest from The Perse School
Perse Languages Week celebrates cultures, creativity and connection
30 Sep 2026
Perse historians achieve national recognition and academic success
29 Sep 2026
Perse pupils take on muddy challenge for East Anglian Air Ambulance
28 Sep 2026
Year 11 geographers explore the land of fire and ice
24 Sep 2026
From Cross-Country Trial to Team GB: Finn’s Journey to the European Championships
23 Sep 2026
A student’s perspective: competing at the International Chemistry Tournament
21 Sep 2026
From The Perse School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Perse School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Perse School.
- Barracudas Cambridge Long Road500m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Holiday Camps at The Cass Centre880m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
1,774 pupils
1,900 places
126 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Cambridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cambridge
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
7,228
Applications
6,755
Got 1st preference
88.3%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
327
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
1,774
Total Pupils
922
Boys
852
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Perse School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Perse School
What are GCSE results like at The Perse School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Perse School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was The Perse School last inspected?
The Perse School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2026.
How many pupils go to The Perse School?
The Perse School has around 1774 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Perse School?
The Perse School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
Does The Perse School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Perse School: Barracudas Cambridge Long Road (500m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Holiday Camps at The Cass Centre (880m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Perse School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Perse School?
The Perse School is at Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8QF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)