What Stephen Perse Foundation does

Stephen Perse Foundation, operating as Stephen Perse Cambridge, is an independent day and boarding school founded in 1881 in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and constituted as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity (Charity No: 1120608; Company No: 0611355). It delivers an all-through education for children aged 1–18 across six campuses located in Cambridge (Union Road senior site, Bateman Street sixth form, Shaftesbury Road junior, Salisbury Villas nursery), Madingley, and Saffron Walden (Dame Bradbury's junior school). The product set spans nursery and early years, junior school, senior school (GCSE/IGCSE), and sixth form (A Levels with seminar-style teaching), supplemented by boarding, a co-curricular programme that includes one of the world's largest student-run Model United Nations conferences (CAMMUN), and an extensive bursary and scholarship programme including Conflict Bursary Awards.

The underlying operating model is a recurring tuition-fee business with supplementation from venue hire, holiday programmes, and student-designed merchandise whose proceeds fund bursary places. Fees are not publicly disclosed; financial assistance is offered through bursaries and scholarships. The school deploys an AI Learning Assistant programmed by teachers and accessing only internal school resources, together with a 'Thinking Toolkit' framework for junior pupils. It is recognised by The Times as the regional Independent School of the Decade for Digital Innovation and by the ISI as 'Excellent' across curriculum, teaching, and pastoral care (2025).

Customers are families in Cambridge and surrounding counties seeking an academic, all-through independent education; a secondary segment comprises bursary recipients (including those from conflict zones). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via a structured enquiry-led admissions process comprising open days, individual guided tours, online enquiry forms, and formal admissions decisions, supplemented by alumni referrals through the Stephen Perse Guild. Partnerships with AstraZeneca, Costello Medical, North Cambridge Academy, and Cambridge 2030 anchor the institution within the Cambridge knowledge economy.

Name

Stephen Perse Foundation

Legal name

Stephen Perse Cambridge

Website

https://stephenperse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stephen Perse Foundation (Stephen Perse Cambridge) is an independent day and boarding school in Cambridge, UK, delivering all-through education for ages 1–18 across six sites, with revenue from recurring tuition fees, an extensive bursary programme, and recognised digital learning and AI-assisted pedagogy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Independent school education
• Nursery early years
• Junior school education
• Senior school sixth form
• Boarding school Cambridge

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School Fees: Stephen Perse Cambridge generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to families for educational services across nursery, early years, junior school, senior school, and sixth form. The school also offers boarding facilities with associated fees. Additional revenue streams include venue hire, merchandise sales (student-designed products funding bursary places), and holiday programme fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stephen Perse Cambridge is an independent family of schools based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, educating children aged 1-18 from nursery through Sixth Form. The institution comprises nursery and early years settings, two junior schools (Cambridge Junior School and Dame Bradbury's), a Senior School (Years 7-11), and a Sixth Form offering A Level qualifications, along with boarding facilities. Core offerings include academic education, co-curricular enrichment (sports, music, drama, Model United Nations), university preparation, and a financial assistance/bursary programme.

Product overview

Stephen Perse Cambridge is a forward-thinking independent family of schools based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, educating children ages 1–18 from nursery through to Sixth Form. The institution comprises Nursery and Early Years settings (Cambridge, Madingley, Saffron Walden), two Junior Schools (Cambridge Junior School and Dame Bradbury's), a Senior School (Years 7-11), and a Sixth Form offering A Level qualifications. The school also provides boarding facilities. All schools are interconnected through a shared ethos emphasising academic excellence without high pressure, fostering intellectual curiosity and a love of learning. An extensive co-curricular programme includes Model United Nations, sports, music, drama, and enrichment activities. Financial assistance through bursaries and scholarships supports access, with proceeds from a student-designed merchandise store funding bursary places.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursery and Early Years Education Early years educational provision for children ages 1 and above at multiple locations in Cambridge, Madingley, and Saffron Walden, including dedicated Forest School programmes and nature-focused learning environments.
• Junior School Education Primary education for junior-aged students at Stephen Perse Cambridge Junior School (Shaftesbury Road) and Dame Bradbury's School in Saffron Walden, featuring an academically ambitious curriculum designed to encourage independent, creative, and reflective thinking.
• Senior School Education Secondary education for students in Years 7-11 at the Senior School located on Union Road, Cambridge, offering GCSE/IGCSE qualifications with a broad curriculum including sciences, humanities, languages, and creative arts.
• Sixth Form Education Post-16 education at the Bateman Street campus offering A Level courses (typically 3-4 subjects), university preparation programmes, and enrichment activities, with particular success in Oxbridge applications and a focus on seminar-style teaching mirroring undergraduate learning.
• Boarding Boarding facilities available as part of the all-through school provision, allowing students to reside at the Cambridge campus.
• Co-curricular and Enrichment Programme Wide-ranging enrichment activities including Model United Nations (organising one of the world's largest student-led conferences), sports teams, music ensembles, drama productions, chess, coding clubs, and outdoor education, complementing academic study.
• Financial Assistance and Bursaries Extensive bursary programme supported by partners and donors, offering financial assistance to students including Conflict Bursary Awards, aimed at widening access and transforming lives, with proceeds from the merchandise store funding bursary places.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53.3% of A Level grades at A*-A, 81.7% at A*-B
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAstraZeneca is listed as a partnership organisation on the Stephen Perse Cambridge website, indicating a collaborative relationship supporting the school's educational mission.
• Costello MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCostello Medical is listed as a partnership organisation, indicating a collaborative relationship supporting the school's educational mission.
• North Cambridge AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Cambridge Academy is listed as a partnership organisation, indicating a collaborative relationship in the Cambridge educational community.
• Cambridge 2030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge 2030 is listed as a partnership organisation, indicating alignment with broader Cambridge regional initiatives.
• NuroleminorOthersThe school partners with Nurole, a board-level search specialist, to recruit new Governors for the school governance board.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Perse School: The original boys' grammar school established from the bequest of Dr Stephen Perse, of which Stephen Perse (originally The Perse School for Girls) was a companion. Operates as a leading independent day school in Cambridge with overlapping catchment, similar fees band, and direct competition for the same families and faculty.
• The Leys School: Coeducational independent boarding and day school in Cambridge serving ages 11-18. Direct competitor for senior and sixth form students in the Cambridge independent market, with comparable fee structure and Oxbridge-focused outcomes.
• St Mary's School, Cambridge: Independent day school in Cambridge for ages 3-18, providing all-through education with a faith-based ethos. Closely comparable to Stephen Perse in catchment, age range, and premium positioning, particularly competing at junior and senior level.
• The Stephen Perse Foundation - Dame Bradbury's School: Already part of the Stephen Perse family but operates as a junior school with early years provision in Saffron Walden, extending the Stephen Perse catchment. Internal benchmark for the foundation's own multi-site model.
• King's College School, Cambridge: Independent day school in Cambridge affiliated with King's College, University of Cambridge, covering ages 4-18 with similar all-through structure. Competes directly with Stephen Perse for Cambridge families seeking premium independent education with strong university outcomes.

Emerging players

• Sancton Wood School: Independent day school in Cambridge for ages 1-18 with a smaller, more selective profile. Competes with Stephen Perse across early years, junior, and senior phases, particularly for families seeking a smaller setting within the same geographic market.

Broad incumbents

• Wellington College: Large UK independent coeducational boarding school recognised for academic outcomes and EdTech adoption. Comparable to Stephen Perse in ethos, scale of co-curricular programme, and digital innovation credentials.
• Wycombe Abbey: Highly selective UK independent girls' boarding school with premium positioning and strong Oxbridge outcomes. Comparable as a benchmark for Stephen Perse's premium academic brand and sixth form positioning.
• Eton College: Premier UK independent boarding school with much larger scale and national/international draw. Comparable as an aspirational benchmark for Stephen Perse on academic outcomes, university placement, and pricing power, though not in the same geographic market.

Others

• Oak National Academy: UK online education resource provider offering curriculum-aligned lessons and teacher support. Relevant as a potential ecosystem comparator for Stephen Perse's EdTech ambitions and as a benchmark for how digital learning IP can be productised beyond a single school.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@stephenpersecambridge
• Facebookfacebook.com/stephenpersefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stephen-perse-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/stephenpersecambridge
• Xx.com/spfschools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stephen Perse Foundation