What The Leys School does

The Leys School is an independent co-educational boarding and day school founded in 1875 by Methodists, operating on a 50-acre campus in central Cambridge, UK, registered as a charitable company (The Leys & St Faith's Schools Foundation, Charity No. 1144035). It serves approximately 565 pupils aged 11–18 across Years 7–13 and Sixth Form, with roughly 45–50% full boarders, 20% home boarders, and the remainder day pupils; around 25% of the roll is international, drawn from 30+ countries and supported by the school's Child Student visa sponsorship licence. The academic product encompasses GCSE, A-Level, and Sixth Form pathways with direct ties to the University of Cambridge (postgraduate mentors, departmental visits, college sports, Choral Evensong). The technology stack is conventional SaaS rather than proprietary: Microsoft Surface devices per pupil via a third-party scheme, a 'Vision Studio' for VR/AR and media production, the My School Portal parent information system, Quest and UKiset for admissions assessments, and TicketSource for box office ticketing — with AI learning platforms currently in pilot.

The business model is overwhelmingly subscription tuition billed termly in advance, with 2026/27 fees ranging from £11,835/term (Y9–13 day) to £19,007/term (Y9–13 overseas boarder), inclusive of VAT. Ancillary revenue streams include venue hire (Great Hall, Music School, sports facilities), Leys Leisure memberships and holiday camps, TicketSource ticketing, specified charges (exams, trips, optional music/drama lessons), and bursary-funded means-tested support in partnership with the Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation. Distribution is direct-to-family: an in-house Admissions Office handles online applications, on-site entrance assessments, scholarship interviews, and Open Morning/Small Group Visit events. There is no paid digital advertising; the funnel is fed by website, organic social (Facebook, Instagram), the Old Leysians alumni referral network, and the St Faith's preparatory feeder pipeline (to be formally merged from September 2028). Pricing is reviewed annually and communicated in the Lent Term.

Strategic posture in 2024–2025 has centred on a senior leadership refresh (new Head Dr Clare Ives in 2025, Senior Deputy Head Catherine Stevens in 2024, Assistant Head Dr Uta Dobson in 2025), the September 2025 launch of a shared bus service with St Faith's, a net carbon zero by 2030 sustainability programme including 50kW of solar capacity, AI platform pilots, and the announced 2028 merger with St Faith's to create an all-through Early Years-to-Sixth Form school under the name 'The Leys School, Cambridge'. The school is ISI-rated Outstanding (2025), recognised in the Independent Schools of the Year 2026 commended list, and celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2025.

Name

The Leys School

Legal name

The Leys & St Faith's Schools Foundation

Website

https://theleys.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Leys School is an independent co-educational boarding and day school in Cambridge, UK, founded in 1875, serving approximately 565 pupils aged 11–18 across eight boarding and three day houses, with a 25% international cohort from 30+ countries. It operates as a registered charity under The Leys & St Faith's Schools Foundation, generating revenue primarily from termly tuition subscriptions and ancillary venue, leisure, and ticketing streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Secondary Education (Boarding and Day School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Independent boarding school
• Secondary education services
• Co-educational day school
• International student education
• School venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School Fees — Years 9 to Sixth Form: Termly tuition and boarding fees charged to UK and overseas families. Year 9 to Sixth Form rates for 2026/27 range from £11,835 (day) to £19,007 (overseas boarder) per term, inclusive of VAT. Reviewed annually.
2. School Fees — Years 7 and 8: Reduced fee structure for Years 7–8 day and boarding pupils for 2026/27, ranging from £8,547 (day) to £13,860 (overseas boarder) per term.
3. Venue Hire: Commercial hire of Great Hall, Music School (Winton Thomas Recital Hall), other venues (Old Gym hall, James Hilton meeting room, classrooms), and Leys Leisure sports facilities including swimming pool, sports hall, gym, tennis courts, and climbing wall during evenings, weekends, and school holidays.
4. Box Office Ticketing: Ticket sales for school productions and external events at Great Hall via TicketSource, which acts as booking agent on behalf of The Leys.
5. Leys Leisure Memberships and Activities: Gym memberships, holiday swimming, swimming lessons (ages 4.5–18), squash/badminton/tennis/table tennis bookings, lifeguard courses, Active Camps for children aged 4–14, and adult lane swimming.
6. Specified Charges: Additional charges for public examinations (GCSE/A Level), school trips, uniform shop purchases, optional music and speech & drama lessons delivered by self-employed visiting teachers. Subject to VAT from January 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Leys School is an independent co-educational boarding and day school that delivers secondary education from Years 7 through Sixth Form (ages 11–18) on its 50-acre Cambridge campus. Its core offering combines academic instruction (GCSE, A-Level, and Sixth Form) with full and home boarding in 11 houses, pastoral care, and an extensive wider curriculum covering sport, music, drama, Combined Cadet Force, and Duke of Edinburgh. The school also generates ancillary revenue from commercial venue hire, the Leys Leisure sports complex, and TicketSource-operated box office ticketing for Great Hall events.

Product overview

The Leys School is a co-educational independent boarding and day school offering a unified educational programme from Years 7 through Sixth Form. The core academic offering encompasses GCSE and A-Level preparation, complemented by a Digital Device Scheme for Microsoft Surface devices. Boarding and day house systems provide pastoral care and community, while facilities include the Sports Centre, Swimming Pool, Music School (with Recital Hall), Great Hall performing arts venue, and Vision Studio (for VR/AR and media production). Additional services include the Box Office ticketing system, Scholarships programme, and Bursaries for means-tested financial support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boarding and Day Education (Years 7 to Sixth Form) Co-educational boarding and day education for pupils aged 11–18, delivered on a 50-acre Cambridge campus with full boarding, home boarding, and day places across 11 houses. Includes GCSE and A-Level preparation, Oxbridge and international university pathways, and a broader pastoral and wider curriculum. Termly subscription fees for 2026/27 range from £8,547 (Year 7–8 day) to £19,007 (Years 9–13 overseas boarder), inclusive of VAT.
• Military Family CEA Boarding Package Dedicated subsidised boarding package for UK Armed Forces families where families contribute only 10% of boarding fees, with the remainder covered by Continuity of Education Allowance and topped up by the school. Termly subscription billing.
• International Boarding Package with Visa Sponsorship Enhanced overseas boarding package for international families, including visa sponsorship, weekend trips, three-day induction, and enhanced parental communication. Termly subscription fees for 2026/27 up to £19,007 per term (Years 9–13 overseas boarder), plus a one-off £595 compliance management fee per visa-sponsored pupil.
• Scholarships Programme Scholarships awarded at Year 7, Year 9, and Sixth Form entry points across academic, music, sport, and other disciplines, assessed through on-site scholarship interviews alongside entrance assessments.
• Bursaries and Means-Tested Financial Support Means-tested bursaries and Gift of Education programme delivered in partnership with the Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation, widening access to independent education.
• Venue Hire (Great Hall, Music School, and School Facilities) Commercial hire of the Great Hall, Music School (Winton Thomas Recital Hall), Old Gym hall, James Hilton meeting room, classrooms, and Leys Leisure sports facilities including swimming pool, sports hall, gym, tennis courts, and climbing wall during evenings, weekends, and school holidays. Enquiries via online form on thele ys.net/venue-hire.
• Leys Leisure Sports and Activities Memberships Leys Leisure is a public-facing sports complex at the Cambridge campus offering gym memberships, swimming lessons for ages 4.5–18, holiday swimming, squash/badminton/tennis/table tennis bookings, lifeguard courses, Active Camps (ages 4–14) operated with Oxford Active, and adult lane swimming. Membership and pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Box Office Ticketing (TicketSource) Box office ticketing service for school productions and external events at Great Hall, operated via TicketSource as third-party booking agent. Tickets sold online and by telephone (0333 666 3366).

Quantifiable outcome

• Around 50% of pupils are full boarders, 20% home boarders, creating a vibrant community throughout the term including weekends.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St Faith's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Leys and St Faith's (both part of the Leys & St Faith's Schools Foundation since 1938) are merging to create a single all-through co-educational school from September 2028 under the name 'The Leys School, Cambridge'. Years 7–8 will be based at the current St Faith's site; Years 9–13 at The Leys site. The merger ensures continuity, widens access, and creates a seamless educational journey from Early Years to Sixth Form.
• Oxford Active (Active Camps)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Oxford Active operates holiday Activity Camps (Active Camps) at Leys Leisure facilities for children aged 4–14. The camps offer varied activities with no two days the same, providing additional revenue for the school and community benefit.
• St Faith's — School Bus PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025From September 2025, The Leys offers a shared bus service with St Faith's operating from two locations (Royston and Saffron Walden), terminating at St Faith's with a 10-minute walk to The Leys. This addresses transport needs for families across the region.
• WorldAIMS (Action In Methodist Schools)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Leys actively participates in WorldAIMS, a partnership between Methodist Education and the Methodist Church. Pupils focus on sustainability issues through Eco-Schools and promote Fairtrade as part of this global network of Methodist schools.
• Cambridge University (Academic Partnerships)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Leys maintains strong academic links with the University of Cambridge including: postgraduates mentoring Sixth Formers in areas of individual academic interest; trips to university academic departments; guest speakers from the university hosted in Great Hall; inter-collegiate sports competitions; and Chapel Choir performing Choral Evensong in Cambridge college chapels. The school is located opposite the Department of Engineering and Cambridge Botanic Garden.
• Cambridge Colleges (Chapel Choir collaborations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chapel Choir sings Choral Evensong in Cambridge college chapels, often performing collaboratively with college choirs including Trinity College, Cambridge. The school choir has also performed at St Paul's Cathedral, London.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oundle School: Co-educational boarding and day school in Northamptonshire with similar size (~1,100 pupils), broad curriculum, and strong STEM and engineering focus (the Laxton Boys boarding house shares close ties with industry). Highly comparable size, fee structure, and co-ed boarding model to The Leys.
• Uppingham School: Historic co-educational boarding and day school in Rutland with similar size (~800 pupils), similar co-educational boarding model, comparable Ofsted/ISI inspection standing, and full boarding structure. Operates in a similar fee tier and competes for the same UK and international family segments.
• Repton School: Co-educational boarding and day school in Derbyshire with similar size (~600 pupils), traditional boarding offering, and comparable fee structure. Operates in the same market tier for UK boarding families and competes for similar international enrolment.
• Sevenoaks School: Co-educational boarding and day school in Kent with strong academic reputation and comparable size. Directly relevant as The Leys' new Head Clare Ives joined from Sevenoaks in 2025, where she was Senior Deputy Head. Competes for similar UK and international families.
• Bishop's Stortford College: Co-educational day and boarding school in Hertfordshire with similar size and a comparable mix of UK day and international boarding pupils. Targets a similar tier of UK and international families in the East of England and London commuter belt.
• Rugby School: Historic co-educational boarding school in Warwickshire with full boarding structure, similar educational tradition, and broad extracurricular offering. Strong comparable on grounds, culture, and academic positioning, though larger (~800 pupils) and more internationally recognized.
• The Perse School: Long-established Cambridge independent school serving pupils from nursery through Sixth Form, with a similar academic profile, Cambridge location, and overlapping feeder relationships. Same geographic market and aspirational parent base, making it the most direct day-school competitor for UK families.
• King's College School, Cambridge: Cambridge-based prep school affiliated with King's College, Cambridge, serving boys aged 4-13 with strong academic profile. A direct feeder competitor and feeder school for Cambridge senior schools, with overlapping admissions catchment and similar parent demographic.

Regional players

• Kimbolton School: Co-educational independent day and boarding school in Cambridgeshire, located in nearby Huntingdon. Most direct regional competitor for Cambridge-area day pupils and a relevant feeder for families considering The Leys as a step-up.

Broad incumbents

• Brighton College: Larger and more internationally prominent co-educational boarding school in East Sussex. While larger and at the upper end of the same market, it competes for the same premium UK and international families and has a stronger brand internationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/457390966405814
• Instagraminstagram.com/theleysschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-leys-school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Leys School