The Leys and St Faith’s to Merge
The Leys School and St Faith’s School in the heart of Cambridge are set to become a single co-educational school from September 2028.
The two schools – which have been part of the same foundation since 1938 – are merging to offer a seamless all-through educational journey from Early Years to Sixth Form.
Under the plan, pupils from Early Years to Year 8 will be educated at the current St Faith’s site, while Years 9 to 13 will be based at the current site of The Leys. The all-through School will be called ‘The Leys School, Cambridge’.
This development will ensure continuity and alignment of the educational journey, vision and curriculum from Early Years to Sixth Form and will provide pupils and families greater opportunities, clarity of provision and a rich, seamless and distinctive educational experience across their time at the School.
“This is the start of a new and very exciting chapter for our two schools,” said Chair of the Foundation’s Governing Body, Sir Matthew Rycroft. “Our schools already enjoy extremely close collaboration. They share the same ethos, values, school motto and deliver an outstanding education for our pupils.”
“This plan frees vital capacity at The Leys site allowing us to meet demand from families for places in Years 9 to 13,” said Sir Matthew. “We will be better positioned to widen access at every entry point to our two schools and offer stronger continuity for our pupils.”
The move to an all-through model will support greater collaboration between staff, create a more integrated curriculum, and offer families a simpler admissions route through the Foundation. It will also allow the Foundation to make more effective use of space across both sites through having Years 7 and 8 at the St Faith’s site, and expanding capacity in Years 9–13 at The Leys site, where demand for places significantly exceeds supply.
“By aligning our provision across both sites we will be better placed to widen access, strengthen continuity and ensure that pupils at every stage benefit from the full breadth of our academic and wider curricular offer,” Sir Matthew added.
Further details about admissions arrangements, transport between sites and expanded wider curricular offering will be shared as the planning phase develops over the next two years. There is no change for pupils currently at either school prior to September 2028.
The Leys, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, was set up by Methodists in 1875. The co-educational School currently has 565 pupils and occupies a 50-acre site in the heart of the university city. St Faith’s, was established in 1884, is also located in central Cambridge, close to The Leys, and set in a spacious 9-acre site. It is the largest preparatory school in Cambridge with 541 pupils.
“Both schools, by adapting to change over their long histories have continued to deliver excellent educational opportunities for pupils as evidenced by their latest ISI inspection reports,” said Sir Matthew.
“By building on our shared heritage, we are strengthening the Foundation for the long term and ensuring that future generations of pupils will benefit from the same breadth, care and ambition that define our schools today”.