The Stephen Perse Foundation
Union Road, Cambridge, CB2 1HF
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 2 to 21
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Headteacher
- Mr Richard Girvan
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Religious ethos
- Inter- / non- denominational
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Cambridge
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 2,000
- Pupils on roll
- 1,482
- URN
- 110924
- Local authority
- Cambridgeshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01223454700
About this school
The Stephen Perse Foundation is an independent school in Cambridgeshire. It teaches children aged 2 to 21 and has 1,482 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected The Stephen Perse Foundation under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
The Stephen Perse Foundation has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in September 1980, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 141 | 138 | 138 |
| Attainment 8 score | 47.5 | 49.3 | 49.9 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How The Stephen Perse Foundation has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Cambridgeshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 47.5 | 38.8 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 49.3 | 38 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 49.9 | 36.7 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,665 |
| 2023/24 | 1,668 |
| 2024/25 | 1,624 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 3
- Pupils on SEN support
- 141
Location
Nearby schools
-
Heritage School0.1 miles
Independent schools · Cambridge
-
Mander Portman Woodward0.1 miles
Independent schools · Cambridge
-
St Mary's School0.1 miles
Independent schools · cambridge
-
The Leys School0.1 miles
Independent schools · Cambridge
-
Sancton Wood School0.2 miles
Independent schools
Common questions
- What ages does The Stephen Perse Foundation teach?
- The Stephen Perse Foundation teaches children aged 2 to 21. It is an independent school in Cambridgeshire.
- Who is the headteacher of The Stephen Perse Foundation?
- The headteacher of The Stephen Perse Foundation is Mr Richard Girvan, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Stephen Perse Foundation been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected The Stephen Perse Foundation under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How many pupils are at The Stephen Perse Foundation?
- The Stephen Perse Foundation has 1,482 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 21.
- Is The Stephen Perse Foundation full?
- The Stephen Perse Foundation has capacity for 2,000 pupils and 1,482 on roll (74%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Stephen Perse Foundation a faith school?
- No. The Stephen Perse Foundation has no designated religious character.
- Is The Stephen Perse Foundation a selective school?
- Yes. The Stephen Perse Foundation is recorded as Selective in the schools register, so entry involves selection.
- How have The Stephen Perse Foundation's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 47.5 in 2022/23 and 49.9 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are The Stephen Perse Foundation's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The Stephen Perse Foundation's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.