Welcome to the St Edmund’s Family Community
Being a student and a parent can bring its own unique challenges, but it can also be a wonderful way to experience College life. As a student parent myself, I understand these challenges first hand.
Throughout the year, activities and events for College families will provide opportunities for children to have fun and for parents and families to meet one another. Keep an eye on CR communications for upcoming family events and activities. Most importantly, we hope that children and families feel that St Edmund’s is their community too.
St Edmund’s is a welcoming community for students with children, and there are lots of opportunities for families to enjoy College life together.
Whether you are new to Cambridge, looking for something to do at the weekend, or simply want to make the most of the College grounds, we hope this guide will help you and your family explore, play, learn and feel at home at St Edmund’s and in the wider Cambridge community.
Things to do at St Edmund’s
Explore the allotment and secret garden
The Allotment or “Secret Garden” is a wonderful place for children to explore nature and learn about the world around them.
Children can get involved with growing flowers, fruit and vegetables, learn where their food comes from, and watch how plants change throughout the seasons. Look out for notifications of gardening afternoons organised by the garden society and get the whole family involved.
The garden is also a peaceful place for birdwatching and wildlife spotting. See how many different birds, insects and other garden visitors you can discover! The allotment is located behind the Geoffrey Cook Building.
Things to try:
- Plant something
- Look for insects
- Spot different birds
- Learn the names of plants
- Watch how the garden changes throughout the year
Explore the orchard
The College orchard is a lovely place for families to explore, particularly during apple season. Children can pick apples straight from the trees, learn about the different varieties growing in the orchard, and discover how fruit develops throughout the year.
Why not take some apples home afterwards and turn them into something delicious together? Apple crumble, pies, muffins and homemade apple sauce are all great ways to enjoy your harvest.
Family challenge: Visit the CR and pick up a copy of the family orchard activity sheet along with an apple picking bag, have some fun and grab a snack or a few apples to bake into a delicious treat at home.
Make some music
Fancy making some noise? Families can make use of the College Music Room, where you’ll find instruments including a piano, guitar and drums.
Children can experiment with different instruments, practise something they are learning, or bring along their own instruments and enjoy making music together.
The Music Room can be booked through the CR website.
You don’t need to be an expert — have fun, experiment with different sounds and see what you can create.
Play in the gardens
Sometimes children just need space to run around and burn off some energy!
The College grounds provide plenty of opportunities for outdoor play, including football goals and basketball facilities, making it easy to get a game going with friends or other College families.
For older children, there is also outdoor gym equipment where they can exercise and get active.
Grab a hot chocolate in Edspresso
Our on-site cafe provides hot and cold drinks, snacks and treats to enjoy in a family friendly, relaxed setting. The outside space allows for parents to enjoy a hot cup of coffee while children can explore the outside space.
Saturday brunch and Sunday lunch
The college offers brunch every Saturday from 11am – 12:30pm, in the main dining hall which is open to families to enjoy. This relaxed atmosphere allows families to meet and relax while enjoying a traditional English fry up. Sunday Lunch is served from 12:30 to 1:30, taking the pressure away from families having to cook. Instead, spend time together and let the fantastic kitchen team do the work for you.
Explore Cambridge as a family
One of the wonderful things about living at St Edmund’s is having Cambridge right on your doorstep.
Whether you have recently arrived in the city, have friends and family visiting, or simply want something different to do at the weekend, there is plenty for children and adults to discover together within all budgets.
Here are some of our suggestions for family days out.
Discover Cambridge’s museums
Cambridge has some fantastic museums, many of which are free to visit and particularly good for children.
The University Museum of Zoology is a family favourite, with an enormous collection of animals and skeletons. This is free to enter and has a cafe Onsight to fuel up after a day of exploring.
The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences is perfect for children interested in dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and prehistoric life, while the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology offers an opportunity to discover fascinating objects and stories from cultures around the world.
The Fitzwilliam Museum is also well worth exploring as a family. Look out for family trails, activities and special events during the school holidays.
On our doorstep, we have the Cambridge Museum, which is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon close to home.
Families Officer tip: Keep an eye on the museums’ programmes during half-term and school holidays, when there are often additional family activities and events.
Go punting
Punting is one of the classic Cambridge experiences and a wonderful way to see the city from a completely different perspective.
A trip along the River Cam offers views of some of Cambridge’s historic colleges, gardens and bridges.
You can hire one of the colleges free punts and give it a go yourself or book a chauffeured tour and let somebody else do the hard work!
For families with younger children, a chauffeured tour can be an especially relaxing way for everyone to enjoy the river together. This isn’t the cheapest activity, but one I would recommend!
See a show at the ADC Theatre
Cambridge has a fantastic theatre scene, and the ADC Theatre is a great place to introduce children to it.
Throughout the year you can find plays, musicals, comedy and student productions, with family-friendly performances appearing regularly.
Look out in particular for seasonal and family productions, including the annual pantomime.
Go to a sporting event
Why not grab a ticket to Cambridge FC or watch a rugby game? There are lots of great sporting events to watch right on our doorstep!
Visit the Cambridge University Botanic Garden
The Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a brilliant place for children to explore, with around 40 acres of gardens, plants, trees and glasshouses.
Families can wander through the different gardens, look for insects and wildlife, explore the glasshouses and discover plants from around the world.
Make it an adventure: Ask children to find a giant leaf, a colourful flower, an unusual tree, a bird, an insect and a plant they have never seen before.
Take the Cambridge Sightseeing Bus
If you’re new to Cambridge, the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus is an easy and fun way to get to know the city and children may enjoy riding on the open-top bus just as much as the sightseeing.
The route passes many of Cambridge’s best-known sights, and families can hop off to explore before joining another bus later.
It’s a particularly useful activity when you first arrive in Cambridge, helping the whole family get their bearings and discover places you might want to return to.
Discover Cambridge Together
You don’t need to plan a big day out to enjoy Cambridge.
Take a walk along The Backs, explore the historic city centre, wander beside the River Cam, visit one of the city’s parks, or simply choose somewhere new to explore together.
Cambridge is a wonderfully compact city, so many family adventures can be reached on foot or by bike from St Edmund’s.
Families Officer tip: If you’ve recently arrived in Cambridge, try choosing one new place to explore each weekend. It’s a fun way for children to begin recognising their new city and for the whole family to start feeling at home.
Childcare & Schools
Moving to a new city with children can involve lots of practical arrangements. Below are some useful starting points for families looking for childcare or schools in Cambridge.
Childcare & Nurseries
There are a number of nurseries and childcare providers within easy reach of St Edmund’s. The closest to those living on site is Bright Horizons Wolfson Court Day Nursery & Preschool. This daycare accepts children up to 5, and Is open Monday to Friday, from 7:30 to 6PM, allowing studying parents time to attend lectures, labs, read and write essays, with piece of mind that your little ones are having fun, and being cared for in a safe and professional environment.
A note from the Families Officer:
From my own personal experience of the nursery, I would highly recommend Wolfson Court to new parents in the area who are looking for childcare. Its proximity to College can be particularly convenient for student parents balancing lectures, study and family life.
Places and availability can change, so families should contact the nursery directly for current information about availability, fees, funded childcare hours and settling-in arrangements.
Tip for new parents: Nursery places in Cambridge can be in high demand, so it is worth making enquiries as early as possible, even if you do not need a place immediately.
Schools & Admissions
Families moving to Cambridge may also need to find out which schools serve their College accommodation or home address.
School admissions and designated schools are managed by Cambridgeshire County Council, and the appropriate school can depend on exactly where you live.
Families should therefore use their individual Cambridge address to check their designated school and current admissions information, rather than assuming that living at or near St Edmund’s automatically guarantees a place at a particular school.
Families may also wish to:
- Check the primary and secondary schools serving their address.
- Visit prospective schools before applying where possible.
- Check admissions deadlines if applying for Reception or Year 7.
- Contact the local authority regarding in-year admissions if moving to Cambridge during the school year.
- Check individual school websites for open days, term dates, wraparound care and other information.
Families Officer tip: If you’re moving to Cambridge from elsewhere in the UK or from overseas, the admissions process can initially seem complicated. Start by checking the designated school for your Cambridge address and contact the school or Cambridgeshire County Council admissions team if you have questions about places or applying during the school year.
University Support for Families
Student parents may also wish to explore the childcare and family support available through the University of Cambridge, including information about childcare providers, nurseries and financial support with childcare costs.
If you are new to St Edmund’s and would like some informal advice about settling into Cambridge with children, you are also very welcome to contact the Families Officer.
Information on this page has been supplied by our CR Families Officer, Nicole Brooks (2026/2027)
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