The Leys and St Faith’s Schools Foundation has taken an important step in securing its long-term future through the acquisition of the leasehold interest in the St Faith’s campus, to now own the freehold.

This purchase represents a significant milestone as the Foundation progresses towards becoming a fully integrated through-school, creating a seamless educational journey from early childhood through to Sixth Form.

While the day-to-day experience of pupils, staff and families will remain unchanged, the acquisition provides greater certainty and flexibility for future planning, ensuring that decisions about the school’s development can be made with a long-term view of what will best serve future generations of pupils.

As work continues to shape the Foundation that will launch in September 2028, leaders are also exploring opportunities to enhance facilities across both school campuses. The Foundation has begun working with architects and other professional advisers to develop a long-term estates strategy that reflects its educational vision and ambitions for the future.

These early discussions are focused on how both campuses can evolve over time to support outstanding teaching, learning, pastoral care, sport and co-curricular opportunities. Any future developments will be guided by the Foundation’s commitment to creating exceptional environments in which children and young people can flourish.

The acquisition of the leasehold interest at St Faith’s is therefore about more than property. It reflects a wider commitment to investing in the future of the Foundation and ensuring that its facilities continue to support a world-class educational experience for generations to come.

Clare Ives, Head of The Leys, said: “This is an important moment in the development of the Foundation. Acquiring the leasehold interest in the St Faith’s campus provides greater long-term security and allows us to think with confidence about the future of both campuses and the educational experience we want to create for our pupils.

“As we move towards becoming a through-school, we have a unique opportunity to consider how our learning environments can best support the journey from early childhood through to adulthood. We have begun exploring future possibilities with architects and advisers and, while those conversations are at an early stage, they are driven by a clear ambition to ensure our campuses continue to reflect the quality of education, care and opportunity that families expect from us.”

Crispin Hyde-Dunn, Head of St Faith’s added: “This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to the Foundation, to our pupils and to the future of education in Cambridge.

“For our pupils and families, it creates exciting opportunities to think creatively about how our campuses can evolve to support learning, wellbeing and personal development at every stage of a child’s education. It gives us a stronger platform from which to build an exciting future of a new all-through school, while continuing to honour the histories and traditions that make both schools so distinctive and valued.”

The acquisition represents another significant step in the School’s evolution, providing a strong foundation for future investment and supporting the creation of a connected educational journey that combines continuity, opportunity and ambition for every pupil.