New season ticket purchase?

my son is due to attend 6th form this sept. Travelling from Meldreth to Cambridge during term times.
We’re planning on getting an annual season ticket soon but am finding it a bit confusing only ever having bought tickets for sporadic travel before.
We’ve recently got him the new 16-17 railcard which has his photo and will be using this to get 50% off standard fare....so far so good.
Could someone out there kindly confirm if we still need to get this “photo ID” thing from a station in order to get the annual season ticket.
If so, does this really mean that he will need to carry both the railcard and photo Id as well as the season ticket to “validate”it.......surely not expecting the lad to carry 3 cards every day?
Does anyone also know if he can get the Smart card I’ve seen in some info for this journey rather than cardboard versions?
Many thanks in advance....I’m not a brainbox, but not daft either..but finding it all a merry minefield

As far as we have been instructed and the internal knowledgebase states, normal season ticket photocard rules apply so they would need a photocard as well as the railcard and the physical ticket. For other season tickets that are railcard discountable (such as Job Centre Plus & PRIV) this rule also applies.

There are ''three window'' ticket wallets commonly available so he can display these three elements at the same time.

theKey smartcard is not currently valid at Cambridge - see the map here - so paper ticket required.

Thanks all, just as I suspected.
Jeez, why can’t they put the photo on the season ticket.......or is that just too obvious?

Isitjustme said:

Thanks all, just as I suspected.
Jeez, why can’t they put the photo on the season ticket.......or is that just too obvious?

Click to expand...

There wouldn't be room, and it would require a nationwide database of season ticket holders with digital photos uploaded. Nationwide because a photocard can be used with a season anywhere. I am sure that is feasible but whether it is desirable or economic....?
Might be better to change the instruction to allow the railcard to serve as the photo ID?

A little late for the OP but for future reference the following may help...

https://meldrethsheprethfoxtonrail.org.uk/fares-and-discounts/
https://www.greatnorthernrail.com/tickets/discounts-and-railcards/student-connect