Perse School for Girls

The Stephen Perse Foundation Stephen Perse
"Discovering a love of learning"
Address
Union Road Cambridge, Cambridgeshire England, CB2 1HF
Information
Type	Independent school
Established	1881
Founder	Professor Clark
Gender	Co-ed 3-11 Female 11-16, Co-ed 16-18 (Dame Bradbury's is co-ed 3-11) - also see note in the text re changes
Enrollment	circa 800 (1050 with Dame Bradbury's School)
Affiliation	Non-denominational
Website	www.stephenperse.com
Stephen Perse Foundation Junior School library

The Stephen Perse Foundation is an independent day school in Cambridge, England. The Foundation is made up of six schools: The Stephen Perse Pre-prep Schools in Madingley and in the City, for boys and girls aged 3–7, Dame Bradbury's School in Saffron Walden (boys and girls aged 3–11), Stephen Perse Foundation Junior School, for boys and girls aged 7–11, Stephen Perse Foundation Senior School, for girls aged 11–16 (and boys from 2017), and the Stephen Perse Sixth Form College, (boys and girls aged 16–18). The school has a strong reputation for academic excellence but does not submit data to league tables.

The school was originally founded in 1881 as The Perse School for Girls. Its first Headmistress was Miss Street. The name of Dr Stephen Perse, a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (who died in the 1600s) has always been associated with the school.

In 1615, Dr Perse's will included a bequest of land for the establishment of what was then described as a Grammar Free School, in Cambridge. It became The Perse School and was originally reserved for boys but, in 1881, the complementary Perse School for Girls opened, as part of the strong 19th century movement to educate women. The school adopted the legal name of The Stephen Perse Foundation in 2007 just before opening a co-educational sixth form college in 2008.

It was also part of the inspiration for the St Trinian's School books by Ronald Searle, alongside Cambridgeshire High School for Girls (now Long Road Sixth Form College). Searle donated original manuscripts and diaries to the school, which are held in the school archive. This includes a letter, dated 1993, which confirms the link.

In May 2013, the school announced merger plans with Dame Bradbury's School, Saffron Walden. At the same time, announcements were made of major development plans to admit boys to the Junior School in 2014 and to the Senior School in 2018 - to be taught in a diamond formation.

Around the turn of the 20th Century, the school accepted boys into its Kindergarten, including a young John Maynard Keynes.