primary schools in Cambridge

[SSShakeTheChi]

Can anyone recommend a good primary school in Cambridge? I'm looking at this one at the moment but don't know much about it yet :

stmarys

[Mallindine]

St Mary's is a good school but The Perse Girls school gets better grades. The Perse Prep (Has the same name but is actually a different institution - used to be just boys but now going coed) is also a great school. Loads of the girls from St Marys and The Perse girls go on to the sixth form at The Perse School (the upper school of the Perse prep) and it is generally regarded as being the best school in Cambridge and regualry comes top 20 in the country.

[miljee]

The Perse Prep costs 9.5 K a year for year 3. A lot of the parents are not at all happy about it going co-ed. It (academically)selects at 7 years old, and there's no guarantee of getting into The Perse proper (which is why it's in the top 20 in the country for exam grades!). IF you want to go private (which I agree you haven't stated!) I'd look at The Leys. Also eye wateringly expensive but less hung up on pure academic ability.

[SSShakeTheChi]

Thanks for those answers. Sorry I've taken so long to get back, we've been on holiday! I'll have a google for those schools and see what comes up. I'm not 100% set on going private. Will have a look around when we're in the UK later in the year.

[Lilymaid]

Presuming you are looking for a DD rather than a DS, the Perse you need to be looking at is Perse Girls Prep - separate school which is not the same as Perse Prep and will not be combining with the Perse. Confused?
Otherwise the following independents are OK:
St Faiths (connected to the Leys); St Catherines; St John's and Kings.
NB Perse Girls Prep is only to Y6 when girls move on to the main school - if they are accepted. The others go on to Y8 and the independent senior schools in Cambridge do not encourage transfer from these preps at end of Y6 (when aged 11).

[Lilymaid]

oops - the girls' school is Perse Girls Junior.
The Perse School - the secondary school - (currently boys) goes fully co-ed in 2010 and the Perse Prep (i.e. the one that was the boys' school) goes co-ed from September.

[stleger]

If you are moving back from a non anglophone country, Newnham Croft is excellent ( and not hung up on SATS). My 3 kids spent a term there, very international due to proximity to graduate colleges.

[cazzybabs]

St faith's is brilliant - my dd goes there are loves it.

State wise Morley is very good as it St. Matthews and St Albans.

[stleger]

In fact, so many highly educated parents around tend to mean the state schools are good. (So are the private!)

[SSShakeTheChi]

This all sounds very promising ! Thanks. I've instructed my brother to start investigating on my behalf.

[Kvetch]

I have friends with DC at St Faiths and am always impressed with what I see as a result. It does seem to me to produce remarkably charming, polite children.

If you're considering state too, look at Park Street. It's a very small C/E school with a fantastic, well earned reputation and caring, committed staff and parents.

[Anna54]

My children are at Newnham Croft and we are really happy with it - very international with lots of emphasis on the arts.

[MovingAndScared]

hi if you are looking at state look at the ofsted reports and ring cambridgeshire lea - number on its website -to find out which schools have places - schools in cambridge quite full - and remember you need to consider where you are living - you have best chance of getting in the nearer you are -you can't actually apply until you have somewhere to live -

there is a cambridge board as well which has quite a lot of info/helpful people on it as well

most state schools in my view in cambridge pretty good - my DS just started at milton village - just out of cambridge and its excellent - also good mix of backgrounds

Milton rd - slight confusing -in cambridge is also well thought of