By foundation and structure, The Leys is a boarding community. We also place great value on being a “big, small school” embedded in the heart of Cambridge, and on giving Leysians a rich and rewarding academic and wider school experience – one they find valuable both intrinsically and in preparing for their futures.  We seek, in the spirit of our Methodist founders and our Christian values, to send Leysians out into the world ready – academically, culturally, morally, physically, spiritually and socially – to live fulfilling lives which will make a positive contribution to society. In order to achieve our Purpose, we aim to deliver an education which:

1. Is built on three foundation stones: pastoral, academic and wider curricular.  Whilst interconnected, ‘pastoral’ is accepted as pre-eminent, because pupils who feel supported and confident are able to flourish in all areas of the life of the school.
2. Gives Leysians an engaging, rewarding and valuable academic and wider school experience, enriched by our boarding structure and our unique location.
3. Nurtures, within a community which is Christian in its core values, open and liberal in its world view and diverse in its intake, young people who: display kindness to those around them; have sound values on which they can base their lives; can think for themselves; are able to make the most of the many opportunities on offer; express themselves with articulacy; can perform resiliently under pressure; and become responsible and engaged citizens.
4. Builds mutually supportive and trusting partnerships with our stakeholders including Governors, parents and Old Leysians so that they can help us to be the best that we can be.
5. Manages and rewards our staff in a way that builds purposeful, trusting and cohesive teams which are able to work at their best, feeling valued, motivated and able to contribute directly to the success of the School and its pupils.
6. Ensures, through our charitable, bursarial and partnership work, that The Leys is seen as a force for good in the local and wider community.

VISION

The combination of our distinctive ethos and world-class location makes The Leys unique.  We seek constantly to improve, learning from best practice in academic, pastoral and wider curricular provision, to be the best that we can be in bringing these enduring aims to life. Thus, by the time of our 150th Anniversary in 2025, our ambition is to be recognised as an outstanding city boarding school which lives by its core values and which succeeds in delivering on its purpose.