Data profile
The Perse School
Independent co-ed all-through school in Cambridgeshire for ages 3–18. Selective entry.
- Rank #24
- ISI met
- Fees £28.4k/yr
- co-ed
- Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Outcomes
Where leavers go after sixth form.
- Cohort
- 199
- Oxbridge
- 23
- Russell Group
- 150
- US Ivy
- 2
- Medicine
- 23
Class of 2025
Top destinations
- Durham23
- University College London17
- Warwick13
- Cambridge12
- Oxford11
- Edinburgh10
- Imperial College London10
- York10
Exam results
A level A*–A and GCSE 9–7, recalibrated for 2026.
- A-level A*–A
- 94%
- GCSE 9–7
- 86%
- Oxbridge rate
- 12%
- Russell Group rate
- 72%
Recalibrated
Entry points & fees
| Entry | Year | Places | Assessment | Day fee (max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | — | — | School's own exam · Online adaptive test · Group assessment · Interview | £28.4k |
| 13+ | Year 9 | — | School's own exam · Online adaptive test · Group assessment · Interview | £28.4k |
| 16+ | — | — | School's own exam · Interview | £28.4k |
| 3+ | — | — | School's own exam · Interview | £28.4k |
| 7+ | — | — | School's own exam · Verbal reasoning · Non-verbal reasoning · Interview | £28.4k |
| 9+MAIN | Year 9 | — | School's own exam · Verbal reasoning · Non-verbal reasoning · Interview | £28.4k |
Houseroom Index
Our composite score, broken down by pillar.
Index score
86
/ 100
National rank #24
Inspections
ISI
met
Inspected 2026-02-24
Key people
Head Of The Perse Prep
James Piper
Head of Perse Prep since September 2014. Educated at Repton School and Durham University (Classics). Completed PGCE at Pembroke College Cambridge and MEd at University of Buckingham.
Head Of The Perse Pelican
Francesca Heftman
Head of the Pelican since August 2020. Educated at Benenden School and University of Manchester (Psychology). Joined Pelican in 2012, became KS1 Leader in 2015.
Bursar
Alison Shakespeare
Joined Perse in 2018. Geographer from Fitzwilliam College Cambridge, qualified Chartered Accountant (PricewaterhouseCoopers). Previously Business Director at Leicester Grammar School Trust for 12 years.
Head Of School
Ed Elliott
Head since September 2008. Educated at Royal Grammar School Worcester and St Anne's College Oxford (Geography, First Class). Previously Director of Studies and Head of Sixth Form at The Perse. Author of 'University Applications, Making a Success of Them' and 'Leading Schools in the Twenty First Century'.
Compare with peers
Schools families applying here also consider.
- Fees £32.8kA*-A 80%Oxbridge 16%Rank #19
Highgate School is co-educational day school with overlapping entry phases, located within a reasonable commute (71km), and shares a similar selectivity tier and fees bracket.
- Fees £32.5kA*-A 75%Oxbridge 9%Rank #49
The Haberdashers' Boys' School is a selective boys' day school with overlapping entry phases, located within a 66km commute, and in a similar fees bracket.
- Fees £31.2kA*-A 75%Oxbridge 11%Rank #33
Bancroft's School is a selective boys' day school with overlapping entry phases, located within a 63km commute, and in a similar fees bracket.
- Fees £27.6kA*-A 67%Oxbridge 4%Rank #50
Channing School is a selective girls' day school with overlapping entry phases, located within a 71km commute, and in a similar fees bracket.
- Fees £31.1kA*-A 85%Oxbridge 30%Rank #1
North London Collegiate School is a selective girls' day school with overlapping entry phases, located within a 70km commute, and in a similar fees bracket.
How peers are chosen
Matched on sex, boarding, entry phase, location, fee band, tier and outcomes. Scoring: 0.45 outcome similarity, 0.25 structured, 0.10 embedding, 0.20 AI re-rank. Refreshed yearly and when a profile changes.
Open days, bursaries and how to apply: The Perse School profile →