Cambridge Maths School
Rated "Exceptional" — Ofsted's top category — in every area of its first full inspection, April 2026.
Cambridge Maths School opened in 2023, sponsored by the University of Cambridge alongside the Eastern Learning Alliance. Its first cohort produced striking first-ever results in August 2025 (53% of all grades at A*), and its first full Ofsted inspection in April 2026 rated it "Exceptional" — the highest category available — across every area assessed, a notably stronger outcome than a standard Outstanding rating.
Key facts
- Status
- Open
- Location
- Mill Road, Cambridge
- Region
- East of England
- Age range
- 16–19
- University sponsor
- University of Cambridge
- Co-sponsor / partner
- Eastern Learning Alliance
- Opened
- 2023
- Capacity
- 200 students
- Current roll
- 99 students (60 Year 12, 39 Year 13) at the April 2026 Ofsted inspection; 0% FSM-eligible
- DfE URN
- 149596
- Website
- cms.tela.org.uk
Admissions
- GCSE requirements
- 7 GCSEs at grade 5+ predicted; Maths grade 8 or 9 predicted; Combined Science 8-8+ predicted (or grade 8+ in the separate science to be studied); English Language grade 5+ predicted.
- Entrance test
- "Aptitude Test" using GCSE-Maths content only, testing mathematical thinking; two specimen papers are published for practice.
- Interview
- A mathematics interview plus a personal interview assessing values and fit; combined with the aptitude-test score into an overall applicant score that must clear a set threshold.
- Deadline
- For 2026 entry: applications opened 16 October 2025 and closed 13 January 2026; aptitude test 7 February 2026; interviews 2–13 March 2026; conditional offers by end of March 2026; enrolment on GCSE results day in August 2026.
- How to apply
- cms.applicaa.com/2026 — see cms.tela.org.uk/information/admissions/
Full admissions page for Cambridge Maths School →
Subjects
Required: Mathematics, Further Mathematics
Plus a minimum of one further science subject; optional subjects include Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science.
Boarding & travel
- Boarding
- Not offered — day school
- Boarding detail
- No boarding — day school.
- Travel support
- 16-19 Bursary Fund: a Vulnerable Student Bursary for care-experienced students or those on Income Support/ESA+DLA, and a means-tested Discretionary Bursary (broadly, household income under £30,000) covering transport, meals, books and equipment. Free meals also available to eligible students. Exact amounts aren't published.
Catchment
Admissions give sequential priority to applicants living in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough or Suffolk (FSM-eligible applicants from those counties first, then state-school applicants from those counties, then any resident of those counties) before falling back to highest applicant score nationally.
Results
| Year | % A* | % A*–A | % A*–B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 53% | — | — |
2025: First-ever cohort (43 students). Average grade A+; average point score 53.08 vs a Cambridgeshire state average of 37.39 and England average of 36.09. DfE progress score +0.65, described as "well above average." No A*-A / A*-B percentage breakdown published.
Destinations
Named individual destinations include the University of Cambridge, Bath, Durham, Warwick, Edinburgh and UCL, studying maths, computer science, engineering and natural sciences. No aggregate Oxbridge or Russell Group percentage has been published. Partly verified
Ofsted
- Rating
- "Exceptional" — the highest available category — across every area assessed under the current framework
- Date
- 20 April 2026 (published 9 June 2026)
- Report
- Read the report
Culture & ethos
Ofsted found a "deeply inclusive culture" with students who "enjoy the constant debate and discussion in lessons," strong SEND outcomes, and an "oracy wheel" personal-development tool. Runs mentored research projects with Cambridge academics and local businesses (recent example: cosmology), plus weekly extension sessions preparing students for Oxbridge admissions tests, the Senior Mathematics Challenge and Maths/Physics/Informatics Olympiads.
Leadership
Clare Hargraves (Head of School)
Compare Cambridge Maths School
Sources
- 1.Cambridge Maths School — official site — https://cms.tela.org.uk/
- 2.Admissions policy for September 2026 (PDF) — https://cms.tela.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CMS-Admissions-Policy-for-September-2026.pdf
- 3.First A-level results, Aug 2025 — https://cms.tela.org.uk/news/first-a-level-results-celebrated-at-new-cambridge-maths-school-with-53-of-grades-awarded-at-a/
- 4.Ofsted full inspection report, April 2026 (PDF) — https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50303839
- 5.University of Cambridge — Ofsted "Exceptional" coverage — https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-maths-school-rated-exceptional-in-every-category-of-first-ever-ofsted-inspection
- 6.DfE Get Information About Schools — URN 149596 — https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/149596