St Faith's A GSG School
- St Faith's
Trumpington Road
Cambridge
CB2 8AG - Head: Dr Crispin Hyde-Dunn
- T 01223 352073
- F 01223 314757
- E admissions@stfaiths.co.uk
- W www.stfaiths.co.uk/
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 4 to 13.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Cambridgeshire
- Pupils: 554
- Religion: Christian Inter-denominational
- Fees: £19,224 - £24,217 pa (last updated on 17/01/2025)
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Linked schools: The Leys School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
A stone's throw from the centre of town and most pupils move on to one or other of the excellent Cambridge independent schools, Muddy shoes of many pupils are testament to the school's unfussy approach. Formal setting in year 5 but pupils are in learning groups within their class from early on. We saw a class preparing to fire matchstick rockets in demonstration of Newton's laws of motion. School very forward looking and aware that pupils need flexible minds. Strong local feel, 'One of the reasons we chose it. We all cycle in together in the morning and we have...'
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.’ ...Read more
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Sports
Rowing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
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, Cambridge. His degree in history at St Catherine’s, Oxford was followed by doctoral research (subject: Henry V11) and a PGCE. Also has an MA in educational leadership and management. A clergyman’s son, he attended Midhurst Grammar School in West Sussex and was drawn to teaching, ‘To share subject interests and to help inspire others.' Decided on the preparatory stage for, ‘the greater opportunities to lead whilst remaining in constant contact with pupils.’ This is evidently the case as parents comment, ‘He is around at the start and ends of the...
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Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
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.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Leavers' destinations
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Leys School | 2024 | 43 | 13 | Foundation Scholarship; Art Scholarships (2); Sports Scholarships (7); Academic Scholarship; STEM Scholarships (2) |
| The Perse School | 2024 | 9 | ||
| Stephen Perse Cambridge Senior School | 2024 | 5 | 3 | Academic Scholarships (3) |
| St Mary's School, Cambridge | 2024 | 3 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Culford School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| King's Ely | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Art Scholarship |
| Felsted School | 2024 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Framlingham College | 2024 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Haileybury | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Oundle School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Wellington College | 2024 | 1 |
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