independent secondary options for boys in Cambridge?

[redtulips123]

Am i understanding this correctly are there really only 2 independent school options for boys in Cambridge, The Perse and the Leys? We are moving to Cambridge this summer. My son will be Y9 in the autumn. Is The Leys even a good option for a Day student I can't imagine it would be so great to be one of the few who don't stay overnight? And The Perse, well, my son is bright and keeps up good grades, but really likes to have time for fun.

I don't have a big issue with Independent vs State school, being a product of the American state schools myself, but my husband has been bragging to me for 15 years about how amazing English private schools are and how American schools can't even come close, so I think he will be very disappointed....
Our son might be able to pass admission tests for the Perse (he's a smart kid, if a bit lazy at times), but I think we have missed all the deadlines already anyway...
What other independent secondaries do people living near Cambridge look into for the boys?

@Orchardy -- Thanks for the tip on Culford. DS (Yr 9) is taking the King's Ely entrance exams next week. Fingers crossed. If King's Ely is a bust, then I will have to look further out.... Culford sure would be interesting for DS' swimming. I still wish we could just get into a decent state secondary.... I really don't like the idea of him traveling across England everyday to go to school.

@mastertomsmum - thanks for sharing your experience with St Faith's. Will keep it mind. My younger two kids are taking the entrance exams for St Faiths next week.......

But you can get into a decent state school. As far as I know, every state secondary in or around Cambridge is pretty decent.

Hi redtulips123,

Depending on when we sell our house, we are moving down this summer or next summer to start our eldest at Hills Road 6th Form College.

We looked at Perse, Leys and Ely school in November for our 11 year old for either Year 8 or Year 9 entry.

Leys is completely full up for year 8. First entry is 2018 (for 13+entry) - though maybe they have vacancies for younger boys?

We liked it. I wouldn't say it is especially 'public school'. It feels more like a fairly low-key independent. Good for all-rounders. Yes, there is Saturday school, but as boys get older they don't necessarily want to hang around at home on Saturday and are happy to be kept busy. I went to public school (CLC) and am not a fan at all - but the Leys had a very different feel from the 'top' public schools in the UK, I'd say. There is a dedicated day pupil house and I didn't feel there was an anti-day boy vibe and I specifically asked the boy who showed us around about that.

The Perse did feel like a hothouse to us (though I accept that is a personal view and each to their own. However, I also have an extremely bright older boy and I wouldn't want him there either - even though he would sail through.) It just felt intense. If you read their prospectus they do emphasise that your child must be capable of keeping up (or something to that effect.).

It is a very large school unlike The Leys which we liked for it's small size. Yes, 2/3rds are boarders but I didn't feel there was pressure to home-board (as opposed to other schools elsewhere we have visited where day pupils are really not tolerated though accepted and are almost forced to home-board).

We did like Ely School - very nice and absolutely fab for 6th form. I would consider it but don't want my son commuting - though most pupils do from the surrounding area including Cambridge. If it was in Cambridge I would send my son there - and they have places. It is 90% day pupils.

For a central Cambridge school we preferred the Leys but since they do not have room till 2018 for 13+ we are considering a year at Sancton Woods. I know it's not particularly rated acadeically by people, but my husband loved it - a very nice, homely atmosphere and all of their pupils got to Hills Road 6th Form they told him so it can't be that academically bad. (I didn't get to see it). It is a 'no frills' school spread over several buildings in Cambridge and a very, very small school. They are looking for pupils at the moment as they are expanding the school.

If you want any other info - do pm. So far as accommodation: I'm afraid Cambridge is the most expensive place to live in the UK outside London. I personally wouldn't buy at the moment - prices have doubled in the last 3 years! We're intending to rent. It will be a 'come-down' or us since Edinburgh property is fab in comparison...but needs must....

Do get in touch when you get to Cambridge - I'm off again next week for another recce....

Hi Newtowndweller. Please don't bank on day places being available at the Leys though. Friend's son offered full boarding only for year 9 in September and they live in Newnham! Because The Perse is now even more oversubscribed 4/5 to each place this has had a knock on effect on places for The Perse. My understanding is preps such as King's Cambridge and St John's only got a third of places at The Perse than they usually got so Leys are offering day boarding or as I mentioned even full boarding. Hopefully the pressure on places , in particular for boys, will ease as SPF goes co-ed. I will pm you about something too .

Hi HereIAm20,

So long as my son passes the entrance exam, he'll have a place, they say. We applied last year. That's what they've told us, anyway. I stumped up £100 to register and now they want £600 entry fee. I'm assuming I get that back if they don't offer him a place? I shall have to ask!

Any more info would be gratefully received! Thanks!

@Newtowndweller. Thanks for your input. Sounds like you have a big move ahead as well. Exciting times! Hopefully it will be easier for you to get the school places given your flexible timeline. I'll check out Sancton Wood. DS has a rather large personality for a small school though....:) And I'm not against The Leys at all. I actually think it could be a great place for my kids. But not DH. Oh well. In any case, Leys is not available for us for Year 9 entry, and like @HereIAm says Day places are no guarantee - register early - maybe that will help. We have been late to the party, and there are no Day or even Day boarding places available for Year 9 September 2017 entry. There is also extensive waiting list for Day candidates who have passed the entrance exams. I'm not even sure there are Boarding places at this point but I didn't ask.

DS has applied to Kings Ely. I'm not overjoyed by the commuting aspect but it's not that far and sounds like a good school. Not really any other independent options. Otherwise, we might just wait until summer when we have an actual home address, and see what Year 9 places are left in the state secondaries.

Another option is Friends in Saffron Walden. gains, further out, but a really lovely school that we seriously considered before plumping for Perse, and they run buses from the South villages, and from Audley End train station.

What is Friends school like? I just know it's Quaker.

I should say that our son doesn't have a place at Leys for 2017, they have him down for entry 2018. What we will do with him for 2017 I'm not sure. Perhaps a year at SW or Ely or maybe home-educate for a year. We may be moving this or next year...we don't know yet!

My views are probably a little out of date, but I actually went to the perse girls and as a consequence we mixed quite a lot with both Perse boys and the leys. I think if your children are bright, then the perse does create a much more positive environment for children. The boys from the leys were less academic and were generally much naughtier! (More appealing to me in my teenage years but prob not what I would want for my own kids!!!) I think the perse boys school was more well rounded than the girls version... much more balance between social, sports and academic pursuits. Obviously if you've missed the entrance exams for this year, then it may not be possible to consider either school. But thought it worth sharing my experiences nonetheless!

Quaker isn't partic religious though. It seemed very caring and "nice". Not partic competitive, v good provision for dyslexia. They do offer boarding but a day school taht has boarders rather than a leys type set up.

Hi we live in Cambridge near Addenbrookes and our girls went to Netherhall and then on to Hills Rd sixth Form college. Netherhall also has a sixth form
We are very well served for good state schools in Cambridge primary and secondary and they are well supported by families in the city.

DS1 is in current yr 8 at KE junior moving up to senior school in September, if your son gets in and wants to have a friendly face let me know and we can get them together if that would help..

You need to think carefully; there are issues with all the independent schools in Cambridge but fortunately the state schools (particularly the Village Colleges) are generally outstanding.
As for the issues, the Leys is struggling academically. I think they only got one kid into Oxbridge this year and you need a dozen to provide stimulation for each other and lift the year. The Perse is definitely one size fits all, very narrow exam focus but if you are worried your kid might not get the grades and the Perse style fits its great; watch the messaging though they say what you want to hear not the truth (eg denying being exam focused and talking about extension which they don't actually do). Sancton Wood is ok but small and on a small site which limits sport. Perse Girls is potentially excellent but a decided style and a bit of a risk on integrating boys (Perse still have issues integrating girls and has essentially no senior female staff).

yawningdad - thanks for that. Which schools are your kids at?
My eldest is 'gifted' so Hills Road for him and Oxbridge hopefully. Not worried about him at all. Youngest not adademic (though perfectly bright, just not that interested which is fine) so thought Leys good for an all-rounder like him. He is not interested in top universities - will be happy with redbrick or any probably - difficult to say as he's only 11!
We did like SW but worried about reputation as school for difficult/special needs kids - not that there is anything wrong with that, but not perhaps the best school for an 'easy' child with no special needs.
We did not like Perse - even for our high IQ son - way to exam focused and felt like a hothouse to us....though I know many deny this and are happy with it. Do you have any experience with SW? And what about Kings Ely?

NewTown are you sure about Hills Rd? Have you spoken to the school? Your DC might not automatically have a place there as they give priority to "in area" candidates (local residents coming from feeder schools). All other applicants are offered the remaining places at a later stage, in April. Friend of DD who has attended an in-area school but is resident near Newmarket didn't even get an interview.

That's a good point, but as you say you are moving 'this summer or next', maybe you have time to settle before you apply.

The child must either be at a feeder school or resident in the area. It doesn't have to be both. You've probably looked at this already:
www.hillsroad.ac.uk/sixthform/your-questions

" ‘In-area’ applicants are defined to be those who, during the academic year prior to admission, are:
attending a CAP institution, or
living with their parent(s) in the Local Authority defined area served by the CAP institutions."

Yes, thanks, got that all sorted and many discussions with college. Of course, he may not get in. We will do an in-area application if we move this summer or out of area if we don't. His projected results are good since he is only 14 and doing 4 igcses this summer. Still, nothing is guaranteed! They say they want a B profile but in reality I'm sure it's much higher.

@NeverKnowinglyUnderstoodinCamb Thanks so much for the offer to have our DS's meet up if mine ends up going to Kings Ely. That would be great! I'll touch base when we know where he is going to end up.

Many of you mention the state secondaries -- I think @NewTownDweller51 is in a better situation to take advantage of the good local schools, with her flexible move date. Given that we can't even apply for state schools until we get an address in August, it's just a lot of stress. If my kids can get spots in the private schools, I'm going to snap them up, because this int'l move is incredibly stressful anyway, and having the schooling for 3 kids sorted would be a huge weight off.
@Underastormysky2 - I love hearing good things about Netherhall School! As far as I'm aware, this is one of the only state secondaries with any places remaining in Year 9. If we haven't gotten independents sorted by the time we move this summer, then I do believe it is likely to be Netherhall for DS and DD (Yr 7) as well.

It is a lot to think about but I do hope all works out for your family

Netherhall still had places at the time of the allocation letter - 3 weeks ago. It's had middling Ofsteds but parents like it and it seems to be on the up.

Just got back from our visit to Cambridge, and we have school places for all 3 kids! What a relief! We did go private in the end. Now I just have to work on packing up the house we've lived in for 15 years... :) But our visit to Cambridge has us all pretty pumped up about moving.

Thanks for all the school advice! So nice to have schools sorted. I think we'll just until summer to find a rental house. We move beginning of August.

Congrats redtulips123. Which schools did you go for in the end? Do keep me updated as we're hoping to move for next term though we don't have a place at the Leys (IF my son passes the exam) till 2018. Have your kids done the entrance exams yet? And if so, how did they find them?

NewTown I'll PM you regarding the specific schools we chose in the end. Our kids did pass the entrance exams and got offers from all of the schools they applied we were limited by which schools had reserve places, but each applied to at least 2 schools. My kids are no geniuses by any stretch. We did no tutoring or anything beyond taking sample tests that the schools posted online. And I'm pretty sure our American curriculum is a bit behind.

We did tried to prep them for interviews a bit. Of course, DS Yr 9 triumphantly announced after his interview that he had not been asked a single question that we had "prepped" him with.... Silly boy we were just trying to get them with comfortable answering questions, and trying to impress that the only wrong answer is a short yes/no instead, add a bit of detail... We let him have his "win." :)

So you are thinking of moving earlier than you thought? For Sep 2017 start? Is starting at Leys one year earlier out of the question? Or perhaps Year 8 at St Faith's since it is feeder school/ partnered with Leys? Seems that would minimize disruption...

I'll PM.
Good luck!
Red