The Leys School Review 2026: Cambridge's Premier Co-Educational Boarding Experience

When the Reverend Doctor William Fiddian Moulton opened these gates on 16 February 1875 with just sixteen boys from Methodist families, few could have imagined how his vision would endure and evolve across 150 years. Today, The Leys School stands as Cambridge's only co-educational boarding and day school, occupying a distinctive 50-acre campus that manages the rare feat of feeling like countryside retreat despite being a ten-minute walk from the city centre. With 71% of GCSE grades at 9-7 (FindMySchool ranking: 186th in England, top 4%), 88% of A-level grades at A*-B, and consistent placement of students at Russell Group universities, the school has become among the most competitive entry points in East Anglia. The school ranks 106th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, top 4%) and 67th among independent schools according to the 2025 Sunday Times Parent Power guide, its highest ever position.

Step through the gates and the atmosphere strikes immediately. The school inhabits a compelling architectural landscape that blends Victorian red brick with Gothic revival chapel, modern glass-fronted teaching blocks, and the Headmaster's House, a Grade II-listed villa dating from around 1815 that sits at the heart of the campus. The Memorial Chapel, consecrated in 1906 and featuring carefully designed stained glass windows modelled on King's College Chapel, forms the spiritual anchor of daily life. Unlike many boarding schools that feel isolated, The Leys pulses with the energy of being embedded in a world-leading university city; lectures from Cambridge scientists and leading professionals feature regularly, Chapel Choir performs in college chapels alongside undergraduate singers, and the enrichment opportunities feel genuinely limitless.

The school operates with a distinctive Methodist heritage, though this is entirely undogmatic. The chaplaincy is welcoming and inclusive; boys and girls of all faiths (and none) are celebrated. The school's original Methodist foundations, established because lay families wanted quality education for their sons alongside clergy, have evolved into something more universal: a values-based institution that emphasises courtesy, tolerance, respect, and decency without doctrinal assertion. Weekly chapel services provide community cohesion rather than religious compulsion.

Dr Clare Ives became headmistress in September 2025, making her the school's first female head in its 150-year history. Ives, who arrived from Sevenoaks School where she was Senior Deputy Head, brings expertise in History, a background as a boarding housemistress, and demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion. Staff speak of her visible presence throughout school life and genuine engagement with individual pupils.

The house system forms the backbone of community. Eleven houses, including named day houses (Barrett, Barker, Bisseker) and boarding houses (Dale, Fen, Granta, Moulton, North A, School, West), create distinct identities whilst maintaining whole-school cohesion. Around 70% of pupils board; 50% as full boarders, 20% as home boarders (sleeping at home, participating in supper and evening prep until 9pm). Housemasters and housemistresses live with families in houses, supported by caring matrons who understand pastoral care as a craft rather than a duty.

GCSE Performance

The 2024 cohort achieved their strongest results in the school's recorded history. GCSE data shows that 71% of grades achieved 9-7 (top two grades), well above the England average of approximately 54%. The school ranks 186th for GCSE performance, placing it in the top 5% in England (FindMySchool ranking) and third among Cambridge independent schools. This represents consistent upward trajectory over recent years.

The pattern extends beyond headline percentages. Pupils are entered across a breadth of subjects, Latin, Classical Greek, Spanish alongside standard science offerings and languages. The spread of strong outcomes suggests genuine subject expertise rather than cherry-picking entries. Very few pupils leave after GCSE; up to a quarter progress to excellent local sixth form colleges rather than boarding beyond Year 11, though the majority stay within the school to access its sixth form provision.

A-Level Performance

At A-level, the picture is equally strong. In 2025, 61% achieved A*/A, with 88% achieving A*-B overall. The school ranks 106th for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, top 4% in England), placing it third in Cambridge. Small class sizes, typically 10-12 students per A-level set, appear reflected in these outcomes. Dedicated tutors in the sixth form remain with individual students across both years, providing continuity of support through university application cycles.

Pupils enter studying traditionally demanding subjects: Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Classics, Languages (French, German, Spanish, Latin), History, and increasingly, subjects reflective of post-16 specialisation. The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is encouraged, allowing sixth formers intellectual range beyond traditional A-level boundaries.

Teaching is described consistently by parents and pupils as rigorous yet supportive, stretching without pressure. Classes in Years 7-8 number around 15 students; Year 9 grows to approximately 20 per class; sixth form classes drop to 10-12. These sizes allow teachers to know individual learners' strengths and gaps.

The curriculum in Years 7-9 is intentionally broad: English, Mathematics, Science (taught separately as Biology, Chemistry, Physics from Year 7), Latin, French, History, Geography, Art, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Computing, and Divinity. German begins in Year 8; Spanish becomes available in Year 9 as pupils select their language combination. The breadth ensures that pupils explore intellectual territory before specialising. Teaching follows traditional British structures, close reading, essay writing, mathematical proof, combined with active engagement in application.

From Year 10, the curriculum narrows toward GCSEs and then A-levels, but enrichment remains available through the Cambridge Experience programme. This involves monthly academic forums where sixth formers attend lectures given by visiting scholars and university academics within college halls. Students also attend selected university lectures within departments (say, a music student attending a specialist seminar at the Faculty of Music). This integration with Cambridge creates uniquely local academic advantage.

The school emphasises the curriculum as preparation not merely for exams but for intellectual development. Pupils develop planning responsibility progressively; lower school tutors guide closely; sixth formers manage their own time with tutor oversight. Learning support is readily available for pupils identified as needing additional help, though the entry process tends to result in cohorts of academically able students.

University Destinations

In the 2024 leavers cohort, 46% progressed directly to university. A further 24% entered employment, 2% further education. These figures reflect the school's diverse output: whilst many progress to top-ranking universities, others choose alternative pathways including apprenticeships or employment with graduate prospects.

Named university destinations for recent cohorts include Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Bath, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial College London, King's College London, LSE, Warwick, and Bristol. Beyond Oxbridge, leavers cluster around these pre-1992 universities, though increasingly pupils also secure places at global institutions (US colleges, Australian universities) through dedicated sixth form guidance.

Oxbridge entry is modest in numerical terms. Recent figures indicate 17 applications combined to Oxford and Cambridge in recent measurement, with 1 acceptance and 1 actual placement. This represents acceptance rate of 6% combined, suggesting relatively low conversion of applications into places, a pattern consistent with the school's profile as academically selective but not as Oxbridge-specialist as some traditional boarding schools.

The school publishes explicit guidance on university preparation. There is an Oxbridge mentoring scheme providing sixth formers genuine contact with current Cambridge undergraduates; this appears to function as academic support rather than formal coaching. University destinations discussions happen throughout sixth form but are framed explicitly as supporting access to universities appropriate to individual ability and interest rather than university hierarchy.

Facilities reflect careful investment over decades. The purpose-built Theatre and Performing Arts Centre opened recently, offering professional-standard equipment including rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, technical facilities. The Science Block houses separate Biology, Chemistry, and Physics teaching labs; the Design Technology suite includes two multimedia workshops and a design room with equipment for woodwork, metalwork, and plastics projects. The newly expanded Music School features practice rooms, ensemble rehearsal space, and teaching studios. An Upper Sixth study area offers dedicated workspace for final-year students. The Grade II-listed Library holds specialist collections and provides focused study environment.

Sports facilities span both on-campus and nearby locations. On-campus courts serve netball, badminton, and squash. The Latham Road site, approximately 8 hectares adjacent to the main campus, hosts additional courts and serves as home base for elite athlete development programmes. The school offers 26 sports from athletics to water polo, rowing on the Cam to cricket, with particular strength in hockey, rugby, netball, and cross-country.

The Wider Curriculum is genuinely central to school life here, occupying protected time in the weekly schedule. Over 100 clubs, societies and groups meet regularly. Rather than defaulting to a generic list, the school's commitment manifests in specific, sometimes unusual, offerings.

Music: A Defining Strength

Music occupies exceptional prominence. The Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Orchestra, Wind Band, and String Orchestra form the larger ensembles; these are complemented by Jazz Band, Brass Group, Clarinet Group, Flute Choir, String Quartets, and Guitar Group. This range suggests serious instrumental music culture extending beyond traditional classical boundaries. The Chapel Choir performs regularly in Cambridge college chapels alongside undergraduates; recorded performances in 2025 include Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral with Herbert Howells' Gloucester Service and works by C.V. Stanford. Individual instrument lessons are available, and music staff are clearly specialists rather than generalists.

Drama: Highly Professional and Accessible

Drama integrates into the GCSE and A-level curriculum from Year 9. The state-of-the-art Theatre and Performing Arts Centre provides the physical anchoring for this. Recent major productions demonstrate ambition: Les Misérables (sold-out four-night run, December 2025, involving 70+ students from all years) and The Sound of Music showcase the school's commitment to whole-school theatrical experience rather than selecting elite performers. Drama appears accessible to engaged pupils rather than confined to specialists.

STEM and Academic Enrichment

Beyond curriculum science, the school runs academic clubs and forums. Monthly forums host university-level lecturers discussing frontier topics in sciences, technologies, humanities. The UKMT (UK Mathematics Trust) challenge groups develop mathematical problem-solving beyond syllabus. Debating societies, Model United Nations participation (with nine pupils competing at Haileybury's national conference), and academic competitions reflect intellectual engagement across the cohort. Evidence of pupils achieving UKMT recognition suggests depth in mathematics beyond typical school provision.

Sport: Diversity and Excellence

Twenty-six sports from athletics to water polo suggests breadth rather than elite-focused provision. Hockey and rugby benefit from school and university fixtures; rowing uses the Cam for both development and competitive training. Cricket, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, volleyball, swimming, and cross-country all run alongside less traditional offerings. Competitive fixtures occur both within-school (house competitions) and externally. Notable achievement includes a Year 12 pupil (Freya H) selected for the Saracens Mavericks U17 netball squad, and a Year 12 pupil signed to Northampton Saints professional rugby contract, suggesting credible elite pathways for talented athletes.

Outdoor Education, CCF and Duke of Edinburgh

Canoeing, climbing, orienteering, and mountaineering are offered through outdoor pursuits programme. Duke of Edinburgh's Award runs through Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. Combined Cadet Force is compulsory from Year 10; this weekly training develops practical skills, discipline, and leadership, with activities ranging from fieldcraft to leadership exercises. These elements ensure that wider curriculum encompasses physical challenge, expeditionary experience, and service ethos rather than focusing exclusively on arts and sport.

Arts and Design

Ceramics room, printmaking studio, specialist Art library, and dedicated Upper Sixth studio spaces indicate substantial visual arts provision. Design Technology workshops support ambitious projects in multiple materials. Recent school anniversary celebrations (150 years in 2025) commissioned artwork and installations, suggesting arts are woven through school culture rather than siloed in art block.

Tuition fees are structured by year group and boarding status. Day fees for Year 7-8 are approximately £6,655 per term; boarding for Years 7-8 approximately £10,185 per term. From Year 9 onwards, day fees rise to approximately £9,220 per term; boarding approximately £13,960 per term. Home boarding (sleeping at home, participating in supper and evening prep) costs approximately £10,365 per term from Year 9 onwards.

These figures place The Leys in the upper-middle tier of UK boarding school fees. Annual estimates (term fee × 3) suggest total costs of £19,965-£41,880 depending on year and boarding status. Parents should note that additional costs, uniform, trips, music lessons, school societies, are not included in base tuition.

Bursaries are offered on a means-tested basis. The school publishes that pupils receive bursary support covering up to 100% of fees in exceptional circumstances. The commitment to bursary support suggests genuine widening access, though specific percentages of the cohort receiving support are not publicly stated.

Entry occurs at three main points: Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+), and Lower Sixth (16+), with limited entry available in other years. Competition is fierce. Intake is around 30 pupils in Year 7 (mostly from local Cambridge prep schools), with a further cohort of roughly 70 joining in Year 9. St Faith's School (within the Leys and St Faith's Schools Foundation) serves as primary feeder, though pupils come from other Cambridge preparations.

Entrance process is rigorous. Year 7 candidates sit mathematics and English papers written by the school, supplemented by verbal and spatial reasoning reasoning tests. School reports are required. Interviews assess academic potential, personal interests, and alignment with school ethos. The school is academically oversubscribed, allowing selectivity; roughly one in seven applicants secure places.

Year 9 entry follows similar pattern; pre-testing is available to early applicants. Year 12 entry requires five GCSEs at Grade B or above, with Grade C minimum in Mathematics and English, plus interview and GCSE predictions.

Scholarships and bursaries are available at all entry points. A maximum of 5% of concessions are non-means-tested scholarships (merit-based, providing 10-25% reduction for academic, music, sport, art achievement); above this, further support is means-tested bursary. Full bursary support (up to 100% of fees) is available in exceptional circumstances. This structure suggests genuine commitment to access beyond fee-paying families, though take-up rates and specific numbers are not published.

Pastoral care is explicitly prioritised alongside academic and wider curriculum. The house system provides primary pastoral structure. Housemasters and housemistresses live with families; matrons provide daily welfare oversight. Pupils know their tutors personally and have direct access to senior leadership.

Chaplaincy provides spiritual care (including preparation for confirmation for interested Christian pupils) without sectarian pressure. A school counsellor visits weekly; mental health support is embedded into daily routine rather than positioned as crisis intervention. Behaviour policies are clear; discipline appears consistent and proportionate.

Mobile phone policy for Years 7-10 requires surrender at start of day; for boarders under Year 9, phones are returned after 8:15pm prep completion. This policy manages both learning focus and sleep quality without appearing punitive. Sixth formers have full access, reflecting developmental expectation of self-regulation.

Food is taken seriously. The school notes that meals cater to dietary requirements and preferences; the dining experience appears communal rather than mass-production. Weekend activities are structured to prevent boredom and homesickness; sixth formers have liberty to explore Cambridge with 10:30pm curfew, giving age-appropriate independence alongside boundaries.

School day runs 8:50am to 3:20pm for Years 7-11, with additional provision for sixth form. The school operates a six-day week; Saturday mornings include academic lessons, Saturday afternoons sport and activities.

For boarding pupils, weekends follow structured pattern. Saturday evening activities (house competitions, socials) prevent isolation. Sunday provides flexibility; some pupils return home, others engage in school-organised activities or have personal time. Sixth formers can explore Cambridge with designated curfew. Home boarding provides integration: pupils participate in supper, evening prep, and activities until 9pm, returning home to sleep.

The school is located fifteen minutes' walk from Cambridge train station; transport links connect directly to London (50 minutes), other UK cities, and airports. Stansted Airport (closest international hub) is 29 miles; Heathrow 69 miles; Gatwick 94 miles. Transport connectivity means weekend exeats and holidays are logistically feasible for families across South East England and beyond.

Boarding culture is genuine. This is not a day school with boarding attached. 70% of pupils board, with 50% full boarders. This means school culture, weekend activities, social structures all reflect boarding rhythms. Families choosing day status should understand they are opting into minority experience. Conversely, families seeking full boarding will find established community.

Entry is competitive. Approximately one in seven applicants secure Year 7 places. The school's selectivity means pupils arrive academically able and motivated, which drives results but also means pupils requiring intensive support may struggle. Selection explicitly considers "emotional intelligence" and character fit alongside academics; the school genuinely seeks pupils who will contribute positively to community rather than maximising raw ability alone.

The Cambridge location is distinctive advantage and constraint. Cambridge provides extraordinary academic and cultural enrichment; university connections, lectures, college chapel singing, access to libraries and leading thinkers are genuine benefits. However, Cambridge as a city is expensive. Families living locally may save accommodation costs; families at distance must manage term-time boarding or weekly exeat travel. The city itself, whilst beautiful and historic, is small; social life beyond school for day pupils is relatively limited.

Methodist heritage is genuine but non-exclusive. The school's Methodist foundations remain important; chapel is central to community life; the ethical framework reflects Christian values. However, the school is explicitly inclusive of all faiths and none. This is not a faith school in the sense of excluding non-Christian families; it is a values-based school with Christian heritage. Families should be comfortable with weekly chapel, Christianity embedded in PSHE, and overt discussion of religious themes.

Fees are substantial. Annual day fees of approximately £20,000 and boarding fees of £40,000+ place this beyond reach for many families. Whilst bursaries are available, the school's student body is predominantly fee-paying families. Families requiring substantial support should engage with admissions team early about realistic aid availability.

The Leys School delivers what it promises: rigorous academic education combined with genuine community living, cultural enrichment via Cambridge location, and pastoral care built on knowing individual pupils deeply. The 150-year institutional confidence, recent record results, and visible commitment to diversity of experience (not just academic excellence) distinguish it from schools driven purely by league table positions. Results place pupils consistently at Russell Group universities and beyond; Oxbridge entry is modest but credible; but the school's own framing positions itself as educating whole people rather than manufacturing exam results alone.

Best suited to academically able pupils who thrive on structure, community, and intellectual challenge; whose families value boarding experience or local Cambridge proximity; who engage with breadth of opportunity beyond examinations. The competitive entry process and premium fees mean this is realistic option primarily for families with financial means or access to significant bursary support. The school's emphasis on emotional intelligence and character alongside academics suggests it seeks pupils who genuinely want to be there rather than viewing it as means to university endpoint.

Families prioritising day education with flexible pastoral support, those seeking a more "alternative" school model, or those uncomfortable with boarding culture should look elsewhere. For families aligned with the school's ethos and able to afford fees or secure meaningful bursary, The Leys offers genuinely distinctive education: academically strong, community-focused, and embedded in a leading intellectual city.