The Leys & St Faith's Foundation

The Foundation is a registered charity which owns two schools in the University City of Cambridge. St Faith’s was founded in 1884 to meet the educational needs of the children of Cambridge University Fellows. The Leys Governors acquired St Faith’s Preparatory School in 1938 and established The Leys and St Faith’s Schools Foundation (a charitable foundation registered with the charity commission).

St Faith’s is an independent preparatory day school for boys and girls aged 4 to 13 years. Approximately one half of its pupils transfer to The Leys at age 13 and the remainder move to a wide variety of Senior Schools. There is no automatic entry to The Leys and all pupils must be registered to take The Leys’ entrance exam. However, St Faith’s pupils are offered the opportunity to take a Preliminary Assessment in Year 6. If they are successful, they are offered a Year 9 place which is held for them for two years. Pupils may also choose to sit the entrance exam in Year 8. St Faith’s pupils make use of The Leys’ playing fields at Latham Road for their Games lessons, as well as using the swimming pool at The Leys. There are also joint events such as the Foundation Service held in The Leys Chapel.

The Leys is an Independent boarding and day school for boys and girls, primarily from 13 to 18, but with a small intake at 11 years. Importantly, it also provides places for home boarders, who benefit from a boarding ethos. The Leys draws its intake from a large number of maintained and independent schools, with approximately one half of its 13+ intake coming from St Faith’s.

Each school is managed and led by its own management team and Committee of Governors. Senior staff from both schools meet regularly to ensure close collaboration and a continuity of educational ethos. Whilst St Faith’s and The Leys are independent of each other, the two schools work closely together, sharing expertise, facilities and resources wherever possible.

The Foundation Trustees are the governing body for the two schools. They set the strategic direction and oversee the performance and outcomes. They determine the ethos, set within a Christian culture. They also oversee a policy that enables the schools to contribute to the wider community and society as a whole.

The Leys School School Governors