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Reviewed

St Faith's

Independent school · Cambridge, CB2 8AG
  • Primary/prep
  • Co-ed
  • Ages 4-13
  • From £19,896 pa
  • 554 pupils
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An impressive, really well run, happy school. Excellent staff, an academically rigorous curriculum taught without undue pressure and plenty of glorious space for children to enjoy. St Faith's is one of the gems in Cambridge's academic crown.

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Overview & data

Pupil numbers
554 ·
Religion
Christian/Methodist
Fees
£19,896 - £25,062 pa
Local authority
Cambridgeshire County Council
Linked schools

Headteacher

Headmaster

Dr Crispin Hyde-Dunn

Since 2021, Dr Crispin Hyde-Dunn MA (Oxon) PGCE MA (Ed) NPQH PhD. He came to St Faith’s after four years as head of the Dragon School, Oxford, and was previously head of Abingdon Prep and before that, deputy academic head of King’s College School,

Entrance

Oversubscribed, so early application is advised. Places in the foundation year (4+) start being offered 15 months prior to entry. At this stage children attend play sessions at the school for informal assessment of ability, attitude and behaviour.

Exit

The vast majority move on to one or other of the excellent Cambridge independent schools. In year 8, half move on to the Leys (43 in 2024), with whom there have been constitutional links since the 1930s and a certain number of places are guaranteed

Latest results

There are no results to show for this school. Find out more.

Teaching & learning

9:1
Pupil to teacher ratio
16-19
Average class sizes

Learning support & SEN

0.18 %
Students with a SEN EHCP
15.19 %
Students with SEN support

Mobile phone policy

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Only pupils who travel to school independently may bring a mobile to school. Phones must be switched off before entering school and dropped off in Edenfield before morning registration. Pupils are not allowed to use their mobile phones on site. Other than a mobile phone, any form of smart device must not be brought into school. Pupils are not allowed to use their phones when they are attending activities, fixtures or trips offsite. Pupils are not allowed to take mobile phones or other smart devices on residential trips in the UK or overseas.

Updated Oct 2025

Pupils

554
Number of pupils

Money matters

Academic scholarships (five per cent of fees), are awarded in year 3. Those who perform well at entrance or are assessed during year 2 are invited to take an exam. Scholarships are occasionally available for outstanding candidates entering higher up

Fee information
£19,896 - £25,062 pa

Our view

Founded in 1884, St Faith’s is the largest prep school in Cambridge. The site, on leafy Trumpington Road, a stone’s throw from the centre of town, includes two of the original mansions plus a series of imaginatively designed new buildings including

The last word

An impressive, really well run, happy school. Excellent staff, an academically rigorous curriculum taught without undue pressure and plenty of glorious space for children to enjoy. St Faith's is one of the gems in Cambridge's academic crown.

Inspection reports

St Faith's school badge

What the school says

St Faith’s is an independent preparatory school located in a spacious nine-acre site in the heart of Cambridge. We provide an inspiring and academically rigorous day school education for girls and boys aged 4 to 13, with a broad and balanced curriculum. As part of the Leys and St Faith’s Foundation, pupils enjoy use of the senior school facilities, as well as having unique access to the Leys Preliminary Assessment (PA). The PA enables pupils at St Faith’s to gain an offer of a 13+ place at the Leys during the Lent term of year 6, allowing a smooth transition to senior school. Pupils are also supported in preparations for entry to a range of local and national independent schools.

Our school values are kindness, community and excellence. We promote respect, equality, diversity and inclusion across our school community, as well as the importance of service to others.

Crucially important to our provision are the 8 St Faith’s ‘learning habits’, embedded into our curriculum from foundation to year 8. Our tailored approach to education helps every pupil to discover and understand how they learn best. We also track pupil progress and provide individualised next steps and targets.

Wellbeing and pastoral care are also prioritised to support pupils fulfil their potential. Children take responsibility and develop skills of leadership and teamwork, as well as understand their role in shaping a sustainable and environmentally responsible future.

With small class sizes, specialist teachers and excellent facilities, pupils work at a higher level than that commensurate with their age. Our cross-curricular academic enrichment (AcE) days allow pupils to make valuable links between subjects and topics.

We believe in providing a future-focused education. Computing is taught from year 1 onwards, while engineering is introduced as a specialist subject for all children from year 3. Fully equipped science laboratories and computer suites are used across year groups, while the Hub provides large indoor space for interdisciplinary projects.

Pupils also study the humanities and languages, which include Spanish, French and Latin. Drama, music and art enable pupils to develop their creative skills and promote self-belief and confidence. The shelves in our school library are stocked with over 12,000 books for pupils to explore.

We have access to 30 acres of playing fields a two-minute walk away, where more than 20 different individual and team sports are taught – and our ‘sport for all’ culture ensures that all pupils receive specialist sports teaching from age 4 upwards. National and regional titles are frequently awarded to St Faith’s in gymnastics, trampolining, netball, athletics and hockey – along with national and regional entries in cricket, fencing, swimming, table tennis, football, rugby and triathlon.

St Faith’s is a school with a distinguished history and an exciting future. All pupils at St Faith’s are encouraged to uphold the advice of John Wesley (1703 –1791) throughout their time at the school and beyond: ‘Do all the good you can in all the ways you can.’

Last updated 05 November 2024

Key links to information you need

Open days

Admissions

Prospectus

Importance of year 7 and 8

Pupils' learning habits

School life

Contact the school

Address

Trumpington Road
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB2 8AG
Get directions

Telephone: 01223 352073

Email: admissions@stfaiths.co.uk

Website: https://www.stfaiths.co.uk/

Local authority: Cambridgeshire County Council

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School data & information St Faith's Trumpington Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 8AG
554 Pupil numbers
314/261 Pupil numbers boy/girls split
16-19 Average class sizes
9:1 Pupil to teacher ratio

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Only pupils who travel to school independently may bring a mobile to school. Phones must be switched off before entering school and dropped off in Edenfield before morning registration. Pupils are not allowed to use their mobile phones on site. Other than a mobile phone, any form of smart device must not be brought into school. Pupils are not allowed to use their phones when they are attending activities, fixtures or trips offsite. Pupils are not allowed to take mobile phones or other smart devices on residential trips in the UK or overseas.

Updated Oct 2025

We do not receive results data for this school. Find out more.

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Recent leavers' destinations

SEN overview

St Faith's is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

SEN statement

Provided by the school and not part of our review

The learning support department at St Faith’s is dedicated to ensuring that every pupil with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receives the tailored support they need to thrive, both academically and socially. Our team of experienced learning support teachers and assistants work closely with teachers to provide individual interventions, including one-to-one sessions, small group work, and differentiated classroom strategies. We create individual education plans that address the specific needs of each pupil, promoting their strengths while providing support in areas of difficulty. The department also offers regular monitoring and assessment to ensure all our pupils are achieving their full potential in a nurturing and inclusive environment. We are housed in a bespoke building called the Discovery Zone. This is a calm and supportive space to learn or to have a little time out of the busy school day to read or play with our very popular therapy dog. In addition to our in-house expertise, we work very closely with external professionals, such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists, who offer valuable assessments, support and guidance. This collaborative approach ensures that all pupils receive the support they need to achieve and flourish at St Faith’s.

Updated Nov 2024
0.18 %
Students with a SEN EHCP UK mainstream school avg. 3%
15.19 %
Students with SEN support UK mainstream school avg. 14.1%

SEN conditons supported

Schools report the conditions they might be able to support. Please note, this may not be a complete list. Find out more.

Conditions (Might cover/be referred to as) Provision
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Social skills Yes
HI - Hearing Impairment Yes
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty Learning needs
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Anxiety, Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health Yes
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Selective mutism
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty Complex needs
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Auditory processing, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting Yes
VI - Visual Impairment Special facilities for Visually Impaired
Our data explained
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