“Community is a word so many people use when talking about the school to me, whether it be a former pupil who left the school 40 years ago or a current pupil in Year 10. Community comes up time and time again.”
Roland Martin, Headmaster
Our mission is to learn, lead and make a difference. We live and breathe that ethos every day here at Freemen’s; staff and students. Academic excellence is a given, that’s the foundation of any good school and we are firmly rooted in a tradition of achievement.
However, good grades and progression to top universities only make up part of the picture here in Ashtead Park. We want to develop balanced, compassionate, rounded and unpretentious young people, who will go out into the wider world and leave a lasting impact: young people who can and will make a difference throughout their lives.
With every good wish.
Roland Martin Headmaster
Freemen’s fosters in our students the confidence, curiosity, independence and wisdom to succeed in the next stage of their life, whether it be preparing for Senior School, Sixth Form or life beyond Ashtead.
But we won’t rush your child. For us, it is about ensuring the young people in our care have a steady education with breadth and depth, so that when they finally come to GCSEs or A Levels, they have the solid foundations to succeed. This begins in Year 3.
The journey from age 7 to 18 is seamless and without exams to progress through the school,
your child can focus on thriving in an innovative, flexible and secure learning environment.
Our students achieve high results to pursue their dreams at Russell group universities, Oxford and Cambridge, as well as at universities outside of the UK, but we are not an academic hot house. The important thing about being educated at Freemen’s is we want young people to go down a path that’s right for them.
We will use the four pillars of the school: House system, pastoral care, curriculum and co-curriculum to build in your child nine essential traits: self-discipline, resilience,
principles, empathy, self-confidence, respect, kindness, compassion and environmental awareness.
Our staff deliver high quality, stimulating and dynamic lessons, where your child will be supported and challenged to make excellent progress in their learning. They achieve this by having a passion for their subject, making it interesting and lively and, very importantly, building positive relationships with their students, so that every child can flourish.
As part of the City of London Corporation, your child will benefit from links with Livery
Companies, Guild and The City, perhaps through prizes and awards, invitations to unique high-profile events, as well as chances to network and discuss careers opportunities.
We will engage your child with the important concepts of service and giving, and these ideas feature heavily in the Freemen's culture, both inside and outside of the classroom. We take our responsibility extremely seriously and develop partnerships that benefit both the school and the wider community. Parents are an integral part of our community.
"This friendly, grounded and well-run school takes the pressure off getting academically bright young things into senior school and seems to have a knack of making challenging work seem fun." The Good Schools Guide
Happy children learn. It’s no surprise to us that the most popular word that comes to pupils’ minds when describing the Junior School is ‘fun’.
Fun is one of the three main disciplines we discuss, repeat and reinforce. Kindness is the priority – if everybody (adults and children alike) is kind to everybody else then the School functions well.
Honesty is expected from everybody at all times – on occasion home truths have to be shared between parents, children and staff, but because they are shared in an environment of kindness, all is well.
Finally, fun is to be had at all times (provided it’s enjoyed in a kind and honest way). And there’s a lot of fun to be had in the Junior School.
We won’t rush your child through the curriculum. We want them to have a steady education with depth and breadth, so that they have solid foundations on which to build upon when they progress up into the Senior School.
There are no exams to progress up into the Senior School, meaning your child can focus on thriving in a welcoming, flexible and secure learning environment.
One of the first questions your child will be challenged with when joining the Junior School is ‘What do you think?’. There is a banner in every single classroom, because it is a great way to develop your child’s resilience, to get them to think for themselves and to draw out their ideas and thoughts. There are so many people around to talk to in the Junior School in an environment of kindness, honesty and fun.
The purpose-built Junior School is warm and comfortable and provides a safe base for your child, as they explore the wider campus and its impressive swimming pool, sports facility and music department, as well as the all-important play areas. Importantly, as they discover Freemen’s, your child will come into contact with older, impressive pupils, who will become important role models to them.
We are passionate about co-education, and have been since our foundation. Our classes have approximately 20 pupils and come from a broad range of feeder schools and backgrounds. We mix up classes every year so that new pupils are made to feel part of the group straight away. When new children arrive they are each given a buddy, a child in their class who knows the school well.
It is an exciting time as they begin to mature, make their own decisions and become more independent, but there can be challenges and it can be a little daunting.
Our Lower Senior School is a space dedicated to pupils in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9. They will have full access to all the resources that a Senior School can offer, but benefit from a secure, nurturing environment where we can focus on issues relevant to pupils aged 11 to 13: adolescence, building friendships and conflict management, social media and online safety.
These years are an important time for the social and emotional development of your child and we are proactive in the pastoral care we deliver. Our PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) lessons, tutor time and assembly programme are designed to help your child gain a greater understanding of the world they live in and what part they wish to play.
In addition to the curriculum, your child will take part in regular, bespoke workshops to support them in their friendships and relationships, e.g. Girls on Board and Loving Classrooms. They will have opportunities in the academic subjects as well as outside of the classroom to develop their leadership skills, such as Enterprise Day or on residential trips.
If and when a pupil does something wrong, our restorative pastoral care focuses on helping young people to learn from the mistakes they make and move forward better and stronger.
Time is spent helping them to understand the impact of their behaviour and see what they can do next time. We create a listening culture so that young people can be heard and given time to fully understand a situation leading to pupils learning well from any mistakes made. We truly believe that it is not the mistake you make that makes you who you are, it is how you respond to it and move forward.
Small form groups give our tutors time to get to know their tutees and offer excellent pastoral care. Regular one-to-one sessions will help your child to reflect on their progress inside and outside of the classroom and offers them a place to discuss any concerns they might have.
Your child will benefit from the experience and wisdom of our Sixth Form, and our well-developed mentoring programme offers a great way for our Lower Sixth pupils to support our Senior School pupils both pastorally and academically. The weekly sessions offer a space for pupils to learn from older mentors.
We devote time in the Year 8 curriculum to develop your child's independence through the Foundation Project Qualification (FPQ). This is an externally accredited programme, which will help your child learn how to research, analyse and evaluate, as well as write, present and review on a topic of their choice.
“Older pupils offer support to the younger ones, mentoring academically and pastorally, to help build their confidence and skills. The school’s leaders have successfully embedded an ethos of respect, kindness and openness across the school." ISI Report, November 2022
"Friendly was the single most uttered word used to describe the school by students, while parents report that their offspring are happy. Kind and non-judgemental, we also heard, with support on tap."
The Good Schools Guide
These years are a really exciting time in your life as you become more independent and have the opportunity to shine on a national stage with GCSEs, but these years are not just about exams. We will build on the foundations you already have to develop key skills such as independence, self-care and critical thinking to support you as you move on to Sixth Form life.
Year 10 and Year 11 will give you the opportunity to focus on the subjects you enjoy, while finding what you are passionate about. Studying 10 subjects provides the breadth to keep all doors open for you at Sixth Form.
In the Upper Senior School, you will enjoy your own space, dedicated to supporting you through the exciting journey to GCSEs. We will work with you to understand how you can get the best out of yourself, how you manage pinch points, big moments and we will give you a toolbox to flourish in those environments. We know that it's important for you to continue to do the things you enjoy and we will encourage you to make the most out of co-curricular life at Freemen’s.
We bring in outside voices to our comprehensive PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) programme of speakers and workshops to ensure that we stay abreast of the ever-changing issues that you might face. Beyond Equality, Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, The Rap Project, Laura Dodsworth and many more are key to us supporting you as you navigate your teenage years.
You will be in small form groups and our well qualified tutor team will guide you through the
two years with bespoke one-to-ones, tutorial time and planning sessions, as well as a team of Sixth Form mentors, who have often benefited themselves from the support they now offer.
The Upper Senior School is based in the Stable Block, where you can socialise in your own common room and benefit from some of the freedoms that being at the top end of the school allows, while still enjoying the extensive facilities Freemen's has to offer.
Life at Freemen’s Sixth Form is special; we focus on so much more than just exceptional academic achievement.
We will offer you remarkable opportunities to develop your knowledge, skills and expertise in your chosen subjects. We support your choices and encourage you to question and make independent decisions. Our aim is to enable you to learn, develop life skills and a positive mindset that will enable to go out into the world as confident, empathetic and socially-aware adults.
We want you to find the path that's right for you. Most of our students go on to their first-choice university (usually Russell Group). We will guide you through the university application process in the UK or further afield if that is what you wish. Or if that is not the path for you, we will advise on apprenticeships, gap years, vocational courses or employment. We offer mock interviews and application techniques, which will help you secure your first-choice destination.
We provide bridging courses and cookery lessons to help prepare you for life after Freemen's and we even have an Independent Living Programme, which will give you the chance to experience living on you own (with friends) before leaving home.
Your Freemen's Sixth Form experience is not all about what you can achieve in the classroom. We want to nurture skills outside the classroom through co-curricular activities such as CCF,
Duke of Edinburgh, debating, psychology and sport. You might choose to become part of an orchestra, choir or band, star in one of our big school productions or stage manage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
We will offer you opportunities to develop your leadership skills, through mentoring, acting as an open event ambassador, taking part in societies or becoming a school prefect. You can contribute to and shape school policy on important areas such as sustainability, equality and diversity.
Whatever you choose to do, we are on your side, leaving you to make lifelong friends and great memories.
“My form tutor is amazing. She doesn’t just listen to me, she actively gives me steps that I can take to improve myself and help myself."
Clara, Sixth Form Student
“It’s like a movie [boarding at Freemen’s]. It’s like Harry Potter. You’re always with your friends, having fun!” Irene, former boarder
You can also enjoy a large open-plan space which has a TV, computer games, pool table and board games. There is also a device-free ‘Chill Out Zone', creative hub for arts and crafts, music practice room and two kitchens where boarders can make snacks.
Boarding at Freemen's is open to anyone in Year 9 or above in our modern, purpose-built accommodation called Walbrook House.
Our staff build strong, lasting relationships with every boarder, and work hard to provide you with a calm, caring, safe and supportive family atmosphere where you can develop selfknowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.
Whenever you come home to the boarding house, there is always someone waiting for you, to challenge or to push you, to study with you, to advise and to support you, which is why our boarding students do even better than our day students academically.
We promote mutual respect, good behaviour, responsibility, self-discipline and develop independence of action and decision-making, and at the same time help you to develop integrity, judgement, initiative, loyalty and leadership skills.
Boarders stay in a “pod” with up to ten other pupils in single and double rooms. Each room has desks, ample storage and a basin. Each pod has a bathroom and social area shared between them.
There are 57 acres of the campus to explore with an award-winning swimming pool, gym, basketball and tennis courts, theatre and recently opened Sixth Form centre.
Being a small boarding house, staff get to know the pupils well and every boarder benefits from individual attention and care.
The boarding house staff are full members of the school teaching community, and have extra responsibility for the welfare and pastoral care of the boarders. They undertake evening duties in the boarding house, supervising prep, running activities and ensuring that bedtimes are adhered to. Boarding staff are always ready to be a listening ear to all pupils, regardless of the topic of conversation, and are entirely focused on ensuring each individual is safe and happy, and able to make the most of their potential.
Our graduate assistants also work in the house every day of the week, providing academic and pastoral support, and can often be found challenging pupils at table football, chess or FIFA!
Boarding at Freemen’s is a home from home and provides a safe, happy environment for you to learn, to get excellent exam results and to make lifelong friends.
We want your child to be the best and the happiest they can be while at Freemen's and we achieve this by supporting our whole community to thrive and to flourish.
Pastoral care and wellbeing is not just another initiative at Freemen's. It is fundamental to everything we do and why we have included pupils, staff and parents in devising our Wellbeing Framework.
“Wellbeing means all of the pupils and staff being able to thrive, not just survive, aspiring to flourish in all aspects of their lives. It is about nurturing a positive sense of self and belonging, developing resilience, having purpose and feeling they can be themselves in a safe and accepting environment.”
We know that there will be bumps in the road and we have a trained and dedicated team to support your child. During difficult times, we will encourage them to focus on their relationships and to acknowledge areas of their life where they are flourishing. Peer Mentors, a School Counsellor, and mental health first aid
trained nurses are available to support, and for more serious issues, a large and competent safeguarding team.
Sometimes young people are the best advocates for each other. We spend time training our pupils to become mentors who support one another. The result is often small problems can be nipped in the bud without needing to go to staff, while creating better self-esteem for the mentee and the mentor, as well as instilling kindness across the school.
In the Sixth Form, 32 students are trained in Mental Health First Aid and are able to support
their peers as well as children lower down the school. More than half of Lower 6 are mentoring pupils younger than them on a weekly basis.
We also work with our staff to think about their own wellbeing. We know that there are better outcomes for everybody if we are in an environment where everyone can flourish.
Our Continued Professional Learning (CPL) Programme not only focuses on pastoral and SEND needs in the classroom, but also the importance of mattering in a community, while more than 40 staff are Mental Health First Aid trained to spot early warning signs of problems.
We encourage families to discover more about Freemen’s and get to know us better through open events and tours of the school. Our open events are designed to provide a flavour of what it is like to be part of the Freemen’s community with plenty of opportunity to meet and chat to our staff and pupils.
Our application process is all online. To apply for a place for your child, simply complete the online registration form by visiting https://freemens.openapply.com. A registration fee is also required at this stage. The deadline for application is 1 October in the year prior to entry.
Pupils applying for entry to Years 3 to 6 will sit entrance assessments in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning in the December prior to entry. In addition, all candidates will have a short informal interview, to enable us to find out more about their interests, likes and dislikes.
Pupils wishing to join the school in Years 7 to 10 will sit entrance assessments in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning in the November prior to entry. Pupils will also partake in a carousel of assessed group activities and will have an individual interview.
Students seeking entry to Freemen’s Sixth Form, are required to achieve a minimum of 7 GCSE passes at grade 7 or above. Students must also meet specific grade requirements for
their chosen A Level subjects. Those students who are not sitting GCSEs or are taking less than the required number, should sit the UKiset test prior to application. Candidates who meet our minimum English requirements in the UKiset test (Cambridge Level C1) will be invited to register and will sit our Sixth Form entrance assessments in Mathematics, English and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
In addition, all Sixth Form applicants who meet our academic entry requirements will be invited for a one-to-one interview with our Head of Sixth Form. For overseas students, the interview can be conducted online.
A confidential report will be requested for all applicants from their current school. This report is an important part of our assessment process, and we cannot make an offer until it has been received.
Following the entrance assessments, outcomes will be advised before Christmas. Families receiving an offer will be required to confirm acceptance, at which point, we require payment of a deposit to secure the place. On acceptance of an offer, pupils are invited to attend an induction day in the summer term prior to entry.
Freemen's scholarships are awarded in recognition of excellence, achievement and potential in academic study or music. They carry considerable prestige for the award holder but are of limited financial value (up to a maximum 5% discount of the fees). For those families who may require more substantial financial assistance to enable their child to attend Freemen’s, means-tested bursary awards of up to 100% of the fees are available.
Academic and music scholarships are offered on entry to Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+). They are available to both external candidates and to current Freemen's pupils.
11+ and 13+ Academic Scholarships
Following the entrance assessments and interviews, a small selection of candidates will be invited to sit the scholarship examinations.
16+ Academic Scholarship
Candidates must meet our Sixth Form entry requirements and will, in addition, sit scholarship examination papers.
11+, 13+ and 16+ Music Scholarships
Applications for a music scholarship are invited from candidates who meet the academic entry requirements to the school and the minimum grade requirements in their instrumental study.
16+ Bhargava Award
Available to female students looking to join the Sixth Form to study Mathematics
A Level, living within 15 miles of Freemen's and currently attending a maintained school or academy.
Freemen's is committed to providing academically able students whose parents may not otherwise be able to afford the full cost of fees, the opportunity to attend our school. Bursaries of up to 100% of the fees are available to pupils entering Year 3 (7+), Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+).
Bursaries are awarded based on performance in the entrance assessments and are subject to financial means-testing and annual review.
Full details on requirements, application process and deadlines for bursaries, scholarships and awards can be found on our website: www.freemens.org/bursaries
ADMISSIONS
PROPRIETOR
Corporation of the City of London
Guildhall PO Box 270 London, EC2P 2EJ Telephone: 020 7332 1416
WEBSITE
www.freemens.org
GOVERNORS
To contact the Chairman of Governors please write to:
Deputy Philip Woodhouse
c/o City of London
Guildhall
PO Box 270
London, EC2P 2EJ
Telephone: 020 7332 1416
We are a non-denominational School with a nonetheless distinctly Christian foundation that welcomes pupils of all faiths and none. More details of the School's Mission and Aims can be found at: www.freemens.org/missionandaims
