The Leys School
A Methodist-founded co-educational day and boarding school on Trumpington Road, open since 1875.
The Leys is a co-educational day and boarding school for ages 11 to 18, set on Trumpington Road south of the city centre. It was founded by the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which bought a twenty-acre estate called The Leys in 1872 and opened the school there in February 1875 with sixteen boys.
History and character
The school had grown to 271 pupils by 1930, and it spent the Second World War in Pitlochry before returning to Cambridge in 1946. Girls joined the sixth form in the 1980s, and entry moved from 13 down to 11 at some later point. Today the school's website names three main entry points: Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and Lower Sixth (16+).
The Methodist heritage remains visible in the weekly chapel services. The school's religious outlook is liberal but Christian, and its motto is In Fide Fiducia, "In Faith, Trust", which it shares with its prep school.
Site and sport
The campus covers around 50 acres, with a pool, a fitness centre and a boathouse on the Cam that is shared with King's College and two other colleges. The school's prep partner, St Faith's, stands further south along Trumpington Road, and the two form one foundation.
Practical notes
Admissions and fees are on the school's website, which also carries current news and open-event details.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
