City Of London Freemen’s School – Review, Fees, And More
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Table of Contents
Summary Of School
- Type of school: Co-educational
- Age range: 13-18
- Pupils: 526
- Boarders: 10%
- Fees: £12,856-£13,184 per term
- 2022 A Level Results: 75% A*-A
- 2022 GCSE Results: 86% A*-A
Overview
Situated at Ashtead Park in Surrey, City of London Freemen’s School is the sister school of the City of London School and the City of London School for Girls. Built in 1854, Freemen’s has been a co-educational school for more than 90 years. Despite being around for more than 160 years, Freemen’s school has constantly upgraded its facilities and design to keep up with the modern times.
Despite being heavily focused on academic success, Freemen’s strives to be a school that can help students develop knowledge as well as talent. Hence, more emphasis is put on co-curricular activities. With the building of a Sports Hall, Art & Design Centre and swimming pool in the late 1960s, pupils are now able to dig into their inner creativity and keep a healthy lifestyle at the same time. The former principal, Philip MacDonald oversaw the addition of a new Boarding House and a new Music School.
Freemen’s is known for ‘Restoring the past. Transforming the future’. This is done by continual restoration of the Main House. The Main House was originally built in Georgian style and is now adapted and developed according to functionality while preserving the heritage. Freemen’s also has many open, spacious areas where pupils can meet, socialize and collaborate. These are all in compliance with Freemen’s mission for children to learn, lead and make a difference.
City of London Freemen's School Courses/Programmes
Junior
In City of London Freemen’s School, pupils aged Year 3-6 are taught according to the National Curriculum which consists of 11 subjects. For Year 7 students, the 16 subjects are taught by subject specialists. Year 7 pupils are required to take up one Modern Foreign Language of their choice, either French, German or Spanish. Year 8 students are also taught by subject specialists. They continue to learn their first-choice foreign language, at the same time, they are expected to start on a second foreign language. Both Year 7 and 8 students have the opportunity to attend educational trips and visits to places such as Black Country Museum, Ashtead Common and Marwell Zoo.
GCSE
The 7 core subjects required are Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, and one Foreign Language (French, German or Spanish). Besides these 7 core subjects, pupils at City of London Freemen’s School have Games, PE and religious studies added into their timetable. There are a total of 14 optional subjects which students can choose from, including Design Technology, Sports Studies, Drama, History and Geography.
A Level
City of London Freemen’s School offers three pathways for A Levels. The first pathway includes 4 A Level subjects, including Mathematics and Further Mathematics. The second pathway offers 3 A Level subjects along with Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and Free Minds programme. The third pathway has 3 A Level subjects and the Free Minds programme. Among the A Level subjects offered are Art, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Business, Computer Science, Drama, Economics, French, German, Latin, Spanish, Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Design & Technology, Geography, History, Philosophy, Ethics & Religion, Psychology and Sport Studies.
EPQ is a qualification that is designed to develop skills through independent research and project management. Students taking EPQ will be able to go beyond the A Level syllabus and find their area of personal interest. The Free Minds programme was constructed to inspire students to learn by engaging them in a wide range of subjects. For those taking the Free Minds programme, they are required to pick 5 courses from each field. Each course lasts for 6 weeks with a 1-hour seminar per week.
City of London Freemen's School Ranking
Based on the 2019 A Level League Table, City of London Freemen’s School is ranked #52 among 260 schools, with a 63.34% out of 112 candidates scoring A*/A in their A Level. In the 2019 GCSE League Table, the school is ranked #43, with 82% of students scoring A*/A.
The school has seen great results year on year. According to the 2022 Sunday Times Parent Power league table, Freemen’s is ranked 14th among co-educational independent schools in the UK. In 2022, City of London Freemen’s School achieved 75% A*-A at the A-Levels and 86% A*/A at the GCSEs.
City of London Freemen's School Entry Requirements
Entry Points | Requirement(s) |
7+ |
|
11+ |
|
13+ |
|
16+ |
|
City of London Freemen's School Application
The deadline for registration is by 15th October of the year prior to entry. Registration is done online together with a payment of £200. After sending in the application, the school will inform parents if their child is offered a place in the school.
City of London of Freemen’s School does not accept registrations into Year 11 and Year 13.
City of London Freemen's School Fees
Fees per term:
Level | Fees |
Year 3(7+) – Year 6(10+) | £5,447 |
Year 7(11+) – Year 8(12+) | £6,051 |
Year 9(13+) – Year 11(15+) | Day: £7,313 per term Weekly Boarder: £11,592 per term Full Boarder: £12,856 per term |
Year 12(16+) – Year 13(17+) | Day: £7,641 per term Weekly Boarder: £11,920 per term Full Boarder: £13,184 per term |
Registration fees | £200 |
Deposit | Day: £2,000* Boarders: full term’s fee |
*The deposit will be returned from fees paid. £500 will be offset from the first term’s fees, with the remaining £1,500 held by the school and offset on the final account.
City of London Freemen's School Reviews
“My son joined in Year 3 and we have seen a significant change in his confidence. The school encourages independence and self-reliance from the beginning, and we have seen the impact this has had on his personality.”
“Freeman’s takes the time to guide students towards making positive choices, giving them the confidence to contribute in a world that can be both challenging and uncertain.”
“Freemans is a universally praised as a kind, non-judgemental place where children can flourish.”
“I am a single mother and the school has been nothing other than supportive to myself and my sons, who have had a massive adjustment period over the last year.”
“The balance is good here. It’s academic, but they let you get on with it. The homework load is manageable. Most people do stuff outside school and the teachers are aware of this.”
“My children have thrived since joining the school and are very happy there.”
“Freemen’s children are expected to be independent from arrival in year 3 onwards and as a result in the main the school produces very confident, organised individuals and we feel that our children have benefitted from this.”
City of London Freemen's School Pastoral Care & Accommodation
The Form Teacher oversees the academic progress of his/her pupils by guiding and supporting them throughout their school journey. Should students have any troubles in school, they have easy access to Form Tutors, subject staff, Heads of Year, Heads of Houses and the Senior Leadership Team. Besides that, Peer Mentors and Nursing Sisters are also available for confidential discussions.
There is an average of 60 boarders per year at City of London Freemen’s School. Due to the small numbers, Freemen’s is able to provide a family-style environment to boarders. The staff knows the pupils well and every boarder will benefit from individual attention and care.
Freemen’s offers full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi-boarding. Full boarders are mostly overseas students where they only return home at half term or at the end of the term. Weekly boarding is extremely convenient for those who have to commute a long way. Weekly boarders typically come to school on a Sunday evening and return home on a Friday. Flexi-boarding is suitable for pupils who have activities that run late or start early in the morning.
Each pupil shares a ‘pod’ with 9 other boarders. The rooms in each ‘pod’ are either single rooms or double rooms. Each room is furnished with desks and storage space and a basin. The bathroom and social area is shared between the 10 boarders of the ‘pod’. The Hub area is the main space between the boys’ and girls’ accommodation. In this area, there is space for playstation, a TV, table football and board games. There is also a device-free zone called the ‘Chill Out Zone’ and 2 kitchens. Freemen’s also built a music practice room for those who want to practice during their free time and a laundry room for those who forgot to send their laundry to the school laundry.
City of London Freemen's School Co-Curricular Activities
The activities offered in City of London Freemen’s School are categorized into three parts: Creative Arts, Sports and Extra-curricular.
For Creative Arts:
Art & Craft, Debate, Drama, Design Technology, Music, Food Technology
For Sports:
Athletics, Cricket, Cross COuntry, Football, Hockey, Indoor Hockey, Seven Hockey, Netball, Rugby Sevens, Rugby Union, Squash, Swimming, Tag Rugby, Tennis and Games
Hockey and netball are the most famous sport in the school, followed by rugby and swimming.
For the Extra-curricular Club:
English, History, Homework Club, Languages, RE and Science.
City of London Freemen's School Contact Information
- Official Website: https://www.freemens.org/
- Location: Ashtead Park, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 1ET
- Email address:[email protected], [email protected]
- Phone: 01372 822400
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