Summer School: 6 Jul - 31 Jul 2026
Call +44 1223 403869

Essential InformationSummer School

Essential Information

You will find lots of useful information here to help you make a booking with Summer School and know what the children should bring with them to Summer School, so they are fully prepared for the fantastic week(s) ahead.

Headlines

All courses meet at The Perse Upper School on Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8QF. You can use what3words ///dining.posed.violin

In case of illness during The Perse Summer School, please contact or call 01223 403869 to confirm attendance (and for each day they will be absent).

Following school guidelines no video or photos are allowed to be taken on site.

Please do not make a booking for any child other than your own.

Booking FAQs

Attending FAQs

BOOKING FAQs

How do I register?

Your booking experience will be best if you create your account and add your children's details before you start the booking.

Parents are required to complete a full medical declaration for their child(ren) at the time of booking and are responsible for ensuring that the child's record is updated with any changes to their health prior to Summer School starting.

Please do NOT make a booking for any child other than your own.

Can I use my account from last year?

Yes, please do. If you have forgotten your password you will be able to reset it.

Please review all information on your child's personal and medical information page, amending it if necessary.

You can update and amend medical information held on your account. To do this, log back into your account and go to 'Your Account / Your Children / Edit Details'.

Do I need to register if I am already a Perse parent?

The Summer School Booking Portal and the Perse Parent Portal are completely different systems. You will need to register on the Perse Summer School website. October, Easter and Summer bookings are to be booked separately.

Senior Staff will oversee the Summer School operation each week. However, please note that the Perse Summer School is run distinctly from the wider pastoral support operation of The Perse School. Therefore, Perse parents must not assume that Summer School leaders have full access to pastoral / medical etc. held centrally about Perse children. It is important that any key information is shared by parents with the summer school team directly.

My child lives outside the UK - important information for international children!

The Perse Summer School is open to everyone but there is no 'international' section and there is no English language support. For more information, please refer to our international student section on our website.

Students who attend are native English speakers or who are fluent in spoken English (some courses require a good level or writing). All children attending from abroad will be asked to upload proof of their English language ability. The Perse School reserves the right to decline a child or family if the child's level of spoken and written English is not of a sufficiently high standard when the course begins, parents may be asked to collect their child.

Where English language proficiency documents are required at the time of submitting a booking request, a non-refundable language proficiency verification charge of £10 will be payable due to the need to review the documentation.

A non refundable international administration charge of £10 will be payable for all booking requests for children who are not resident in the UK. This is due to the need to review passport information to verify the date of birth and name.

 Please refer to our Terms and Conditions at the footer of the home page for further details. 

If you require a visa, we strongly recommend you obtain your visa prior to booking as you will not be guaranteed a refund if you cancel your booking after 14 days purchasing (see Terms and Conditions).

We do not support visa applications and we do not provide accommodation.

What information will I need to register?

You can pay by credit/debit card. When you check out on the Booking Portal, you will be asked for your card details. We do not accept Child Care Vouchers. If you have vouchers that we hold for you at The Perse School due to refunds etc. on other activities, please make your booking and make full payment via card and then contact to discuss with us.

What are the payment options?

You can pay by credit/debit card. When you check out on the Booking Portal, you will be asked for your card details.

We do not accept Childcare Vouchers.

How do I know if a course is full?

The system shows you if there are places available - it is all updated in real-time. When you have a list of courses displayed, the "traffic lights" on the right hand side will show you whether there are 'Many' spaces left (green), 'Low' capacity (amber), or if the course is already 'Full' (red). We know there is high demand for some of our courses so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Do you take group bookings or bookings from agents?

The Perse Summer School will not accept group bookings or booking from agents.

Can I cancel a booking and get a refund?

If you find that you need to cancel or amend a booking please first see our Terms & Conditions and then contact the Summer School office by email .

Refunds will only be made in line with the Terms & Conditions which can be found in the footer of this site and on the Booking Portal. We will refund if you change your mind about the booking within the standard 'cooling off' period. We cannot refund courses after this.

If you request an amendment to your booking e.g. a course or date swap, cancellation of wrap care, we reserve the right to apply an administration charge of £10 for each request/change made.

If you are not able to collect your child after 5.30pm there will be a charge of £20 for every half hour and this will be placed on your account for you to settle.

My child isn't quite in your age range, can they still attend?

The age range is 7-10 and 11-14 for all courses except where stated in the course information for example; Drama - Play in a Week (age 8-14); Music - Brass Olympics (age 8-14) and Multi Sport is age 7-12.

We have a strict policy for maintaining the age ranges for courses.

Children who turn 7 during the Summer Holiday (July - August) will be able to attend. Children who turn 11 during the summer holiday (July - August) will be able to choose either age category when selecting courses. Please contact to discuss.

My child has allergies or other needs, how will you look after them?

One of The Perse School nurses will always be on site during Summer School until 4.30pm and a First Aider available until 5.30pm.

Parents are required to complete a full medical declaration for their child(ren) at the time of booking and are responsible for ensuring that if there are any changes to the child's health prior to Summer School starting, that they inform the in advance. Please do not make a booking for someone else's child.

Senior Staff will oversee the Summer School operation each week. However, please note that the Perse Summer School is run distinctly from the wider pastoral support operation of The Perse School. Therefore, Perse parents must not assume that Summer School leaders have full access to pastoral / medical etc. held centrally about Perse children. It is important that any key information is shared by parents with the summer school team directly.

If the child is on any medication it is the parent/legal guardian's responsibility to bring the right medication(s), clearly named and in its original box/packaging, with the child on a daily basis or as required. (Please refer to the medical declaration made at the time of booking for specific details).

There can be up to 350 children on site at once. This is not a small primary school environment and children will need to respond positively and proactively to this. We will ensure that all are welcomed and supported in full for any specific needs. Children need to follow the Summer School / Easter & October Camp Rules (found at the footer of the website), which will also help them to keep safe. Our staff will be briefed with the medical information that parents have provided. Notices on site will indicate specific problems or allergies to be aware of and staff will intervene as is expected.

If you would like to talk to administrative staff in advance of the Summer School, we welcome this. Please contact us at . If we have any questions regarding your medical declarations we will also contact you. Please note that, in extreme situations, it may be difficult to accommodate a particular need. For instance, if your child is taking part in a cookery course and has food allergies, we will try our best to accommodate them but it may not always be possible. In such cases, please discuss matters with us in advance with the Summer School Director.

To ensure we have the correct medical information on each child attending, it is important that you do not make a booking for any child(ren) other than your own.

ATTENDING FAQs

What do I need to bring?

All children are to bring a water bottle, sunhat and sun cream - all items to be named clearly. Course specific items are as follows;

Sports Centre - Swim/and or Climb Courses - Lockers are available for students to use. If they would like to bring their own small/medium lock to secure their items, they may do so.

Our changing facilities include 18 changing cubicles and two group change areas, as well as six shower cubicles.

Climbing - We recommend you wear comfortable light, breathable/flexible fabrics, so that you can move freely when on the wall e.g. shorts or leggings, loose T-Shirt (sports bras are encouraged for girls where age appropriate). Please wear indoor trainers. All climbing equipment will be provided.

Swimming - please bring a swim cap, goggles, towel and swimming costume (all named) in a swim bag. There are showers available so shower gel and shampoo may also be brought. All children should wear appropriately fitting costumes/trunks and shorts specifically designed for swimming. Baggy costumes and trunks can hamper movement. Swim cap and goggles are encouraged.

Please let us know if your child is not water confident as this will allow us to adjust our provision accordingly - please either email or insert a comment in your child's personal details form under 'other information'.

Sports Courses - you must bring suitable footwear. We will provide all the equipment required for each sport but you may wish to bring your own (named) racquet, club, bat, stick etc. There is no need to wear cricket 'whites' but you can if you like. Just be comfortable.

Bushcraft - please bring the following items of equipment listed below. Please be aware that children are likely to be working outside for the whole session and so appropriate clothes should be worn to deal with all weather conditions.

  • Clothes that you are happy to get dirty
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Waterproof trousers
  • Hat and sun cream
  • Water bottle

Cookery Courses - bring your own apron if possible, but we have spares if needed. Please bring a large Tupperware/box to take your food home, according to the health and safety requirements of that dish - sometimes we can't let you take it as it needs to be temperature controlled. If your child is taking part in a cookery course and has food allergies, we will try our best to accommodate them but it may not always be possible. Please contact the Summer School Director if you have a query.

Art In Motion - From Paint to Pixel - this course requires a camera with settings (shutter, aperture and ISO) that can be adjusted manually. Please ensure there is sufficient charge and enough space on memory (SD) cards.  If you are wanting to use a mobile phone for photography, you will need to ensure you have an app installed that allows you to control the aperture, shutter, etc as well as focus. You will also need to be able to download / upload your work, so connection to cloud storage and knowledge of the password to access will be important. We have a few spare cameras should you need to borrow one.

Perse Academy of Performing Arts (PAPA) - we want children to feel comfortable, confident and ready to move. Please wear clothing that is easy to move in and trainers and bring a named water bottle.

All Other Courses - just bring yourself and your enthusiasm to take part!

Can my child bring a mobile phone or device?

We strongly encourage children to only use mobile phones/smart technology for essential purposes (e.g. for parental communication about drop off and pick up). Calls and video calls during the school day are not permitted unless with the prior agreement of staff. If children need to use mobile phones/smart technology during the day, they should seek permission from the staff and should use it with the supervision of staff nearby. Children using phones without permission from staff during the day will be asked to store them safely away. Children should not take photos or videos of other children whilst at the Summer School.

What to do if your child is ill?

In line with public health guidance, Easter Camp participants who have a temperature of 38°C or over should stay at home until their temperature has returned to normal and they feel well enough to attend. If your child is suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting, please keep them off school until 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.

If your child becomes unwell at Summer School and feels unable to continue with the day, we will contact you on the number you have provided to discuss arrangements for them to be collected (please make sure you have registered a UK number).

The School nurses will be on site from 8.00am to 4.30pm. Trained first aid staff will be available from 4.00pm until 5.30pm. Please ensure your child's medical information is up to date. You can do this by logging into 'Your Account / Your Children / Edit Details'. If making a last-minute change please also notify us by email ( )

What are the timings of the day?

The day is split into two sessions (morning and afternoon) with breaks in-between;

  • Morning session - 9.00am to 12.00pm
  • Morning break - 10.30am to 10.45am
  • Lunch - 12.00pm-1.00pm (for those attending all day or half day, am or pm)
  • Afternoon snack - 2.30pm to 2.45pm
  • Afternoon session - 1.00pm to 4.00pm

Please arrive from 8.40am for the morning session or 12.00pm (if you want lunch) or 12.45pm for the afternoon session.

Please collect your child between 4.00pm - 4.15pm at the end of the day.

Do you offer wrap around care?

  • Early stay is possible from 8.00am and fruit will be offered. This is at a charge of £5.50.
  • Late stay is possible from 4.15pm up to 5.30pm and sandwiches, fruit and squash will be offered. This is at a charge of £10.

You can book wrap around care up to and on the day of attending. To add early and late stay to your booking, log in and go to 'Your Account - Your Bookings - View Booking - Amend Booking' - you can book your place and settle your account from here.

If you are not able to collect your child after 5.30pm there will be a charge of £20 for every half hour and this will be placed on your account for you to settle.

How does drop off and pick up work?

The Summer School will be held entirely at The Perse Upper School site on Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8QF. You can use what3words ///dining.posed.violin

We will register all children coming onto our site at the Summer School gate. We also register departure so please remember to sign your child out when you leave.

Where early drop off/late stay are not pre-booked, The School has a right to charge these fees if the child is dropped off early or collected late, outside the published course hours.

If you are not able to collect your child after 5.30pm there will be a charge of £20 for every half hour and this will be placed on your account for you to settle.

Are lunch and snacks provided?

Lunch, morning and afternoon snacks are provided and included in the price of the course. If you prefer to bring your own food that is fine.

Please ensure that any food or snacks you bring on site contain NO NUTS (allergies!).

Any child can stay for lunch even if they are only booked for morning or afternoon sessions. Lunch will be served from 12.00pm until c.12.35pm.

Sample menus can be viewed here for week 1/3 and week 2/4. (Please note the menus are subject to change)

What if I don't know anyone else on the courses?

Well over 600 children come to our Summer School each year. We will look out for your child and do our best to help them feel at home. We employ Assistant Tutors, who are old Perse pupils, ready to help your child settle in.

What happens if I am late arriving or late to pick up?

If your arrangements change, just contact us to let us know. or call 01223 403869.

Our site will close at 5.30pm so we can't help later than that though. Where these are not pre-booked The School has a right to charge these fees if the child is dropped off early or collected late from the sports centre outside the published course hours.

If you are not able to collect your child after 5.30pm there will be a charge of £20 for every half hour and this will be placed on your account for you to settle.

The Perse Summer School