Parkside Community College

What Parkside Community College does

Parkside Community College is a state-funded secondary academy in central Cambridge, England, serving approximately 700 students aged 11-16 across Key Stages 3 and 4. Established in 1913 on a site overlooking Parker's Piece, the school operates from three sets of buildings within the city. It became part of United Learning, a national education charity running 90+ schools across England, in 2019 as a member of the Cambridge Cluster. The school received an 'Outstanding' Ofsted judgment in April 2023 and was ranked among the top 30 schools in England for GCSE progress.

The institution is funded through government educational grants rather than tuition fees. Ancillary revenue comes from catering operated by Taylor Shaw (a £2.70 two-item meal deal is the headline price point), Pupil Premium allocations of £955 per eligible student, uniform sales via Sportswear International Ltd (SWI), and external hire of school spaces during evenings, weekends, and holidays. The school's Published Admission Number (PAN) caps intake at 120 students per year group, effectively limiting total enrollment to the ~600-700 range. Adult learning programs are also offered as a secondary service line.

The operating model is community-led rather than commercial. Year 7 admissions route through the Cambridgeshire County Council Central Admissions Office; in-year applications are taken directly via an online form on parksidecc.applicaa.com. Parent engagement is maintained through a bi-weekly 'Parklife' newsletter, SchoolCloud-hosted parents' evenings, year-group information evenings, and recurring family surveys. The school has no dedicated product portfolio, mobile app, or proprietary technology platform beyond the standard United Learning infrastructure (group intranet, online learning portal, Classlist parent community platform). Leadership consists of Principal Dee Wallace, Vice Principals Joseph Crane and Helen McGowan, and three Assistant Principals covering Personal Development, Curriculum Development, and Attendance & Behaviour.

Name

Parkside Community College

Legal name

Parkside Community College

Website

https://parksidecc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parkside Community College is an Outstanding-rated state-funded secondary academy in central Cambridge, England, serving approximately 700 students aged 11-16 and operating as part of the United Learning trust since 2019.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• State-funded school
• GCSE preparation
• Facilities hire
• School meals catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. School Fees and Government Funding: Funded through government educational funding. Catering services provided by Taylor Shaw. Space hire available in evenings, weekends and school holidays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Parkside Community College is a state-funded secondary school in Cambridge, UK, delivering full-time education to approximately 700 students aged 11-16 through Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 (GCSE) curriculum. The school is part of the United Learning trust and also operates ancillary services including a school meals catering programme (delivered via Taylor Shaw), adult learning courses, and external hire of school facilities during evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Product overview

Parkside Community College is a secondary school providing educational services for students aged 11-16 in Cambridge, UK. The school offers a curriculum-based educational program and is part of the United Learning group of schools. The institution also provides adult learning opportunities and facilities hire services. As an educational institution, the school does not operate a traditional product portfolio; instead, it offers educational programs and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education Programme (Key Stage 3 & 4)
• School Meals (Catering Service)
• School Facilities Hire

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 30 schools in England for progress (GCSE 2023)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParkside is part of United Learning, a national group of over 90 schools across England. The Cambridge Cluster joined United Learning in 2019. Benefits include Subject Advisors, group-wide intranet, own curriculum, online learning portal, shared resources and collaborative planning. United Teaching teacher training programme available through this partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Perse School: A prestigious Cambridge independent school covering 11-18. Competes for the same high-attaining Cambridge student pool and benchmark on upper-secondary outcomes, but operates on a fee-based model rather than state funding.
• King's College School: A Cambridge independent school for ages 11-18 with elite outcomes. Comparable on academic reputation and Cambridge catchment competition, but funded via tuition rather than per-pupil grants.

Direct peers

• Impington Village College: A Cambridgeshire secondary school (11-18) in the same regional catchment. Comparable on funding model, GCSE delivery, and the South East England secondary education market.
• Chesterton Community College: A Cambridge secondary school serving a similar 11-16 age cohort in the same local authority catchment. Directly comparable on admissions geography, Ofsted scrutiny, and government funding model.
• Comberton Village College: A South Cambridgeshire secondary school serving ages 11-18 with strong GCSE outcomes. Comparable on size, government funding, and the regional admissions market.
• North Cambridge Academy: A Cambridge secondary academy serving 11-16 year olds in the same local authority. Closely comparable on operating model, funding arrangements, and admission geography.
• Coleridge Community College: A Cambridge-area secondary school with an overlapping catchment and similar state-funded model. Comparable on student demographics, Key Stage 4 outcomes, and curriculum structure.
• Cambourne Village College: A Cambridgeshire secondary school serving a similar 11-16 cohort. Comparable on admissions geography, trust/academy structure, and government-dependent funding.

Emerging players

• Stephen Perse Foundation: A Cambridge independent school (11-18) with strong STEM and academic outcomes. Overlaps with Parkside on the Cambridge high-attaining family market, though operates on a fee-based, smaller-scale model.

Regional players

• Hills Road Sixth Form College: A Cambridge post-16 institution that captures a significant share of Year 11 leavers from Cambridge secondaries including Parkside. Comparable on regional education market dynamics, though operating at a different educational stage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parkside-community-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Parkside Community College