Parkside Community College
A central state secondary academy for ages 11 to 16, once the Cambridge Grammar School for Girls.
Parkside Community College is a state secondary academy for ages 11 to 16, with 600 places. It stands on Parkside, east of Emmanuel College, close to the centre of town.
From grammar school to academy
Between 1960 and 1974 the site housed the Cambridge Grammar School for Girls. In 1974 it became the co-educational comprehensive that took the Parkside name. In 1997 it was designated a Media Arts College, and it is recorded as the first UK school given that label under the specialist schools programme. It became an academy in 2011 and now belongs to a Cambridge group of academies run by United Learning. The school's former sixth form, Parkside Sixth, closed in 2025.
Media and making
The school's media work was written up in several research studies and a 2007 book, including projects in animation and digital video. In 2008 two teddy bears rode a helium balloon to near-space height in suits designed by pupils aged 11 to 13.
St Matthew's Primary School is recorded as one of its feeder schools.
Practical notes
Check current admissions details with the school or the local authority directly.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
